Volcanic Ash Cloud Heads Down Under
June 13th 2011 05:54
Category: Planets
Smoke and ash is billowing from the Puyehue volcano ( Reuters)
Chile’s volcano Puyehue is sending it’s ash cloud to New Zealand and is affecting Southern Australia. This is the first time Puyehue has erupted in over half a century.
The eruption also produced a column of gas and ash reaching an altitude of 10 kilometres .
A cloud of ash is also affecting the Patagonian resort town of Bariloche in Argentina, located100 kilometres east of the volcano. Some 3,500 people were relocated to shelters in safe areas.
Ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano ( Photo: Reuters)
All trans pacific flights have been cancelled for the time being. Trans-Tasman flights to New Zealand are severely curtailed at this time.
Image take from space shows the Icelandic volcano erupting.
Melbourne was blanketed by thick fog laced with ash partials drastically reducing visibility to almost zero.
Puyehue has been erupting for the past week sending a great deal of ash debris form 9000 Km away.
Research has found that ash from a volcano can be transported by the jet stream. However the jet stream puts a cap on the rising ash and essentially stops it from going any higher in the upper atmosphere.
The ash cloud has taken a week to migrate to New Zealand and Australia with more ash on it’s way.
The major Australian and New Zealand airports will have to cancel some future flights until the ash clouds problem abates. Most ash debris caused by volcanic eruption can be tracked by satellites it is possible to find areas less affected by ash allowing some passenger aircraft travel.
| 29 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CMoreStars
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Hi S.L.
The ash seems to have dissipated for the time being. I remember Mt St Helens eruption one side of the mountain was blown away.
Australia is fortunate we don’t have any active volcanoes and rarely have any seismic activity
I guess have our own continental plate helps LOL.