Eyjafjallajökull
As if it would not be enough for that volcano to paralyze the air traffic in the whole of Europe, it is even being called Eyjafjallajökull. I mean, for me, a speaker of Hungarian, it is possible to read it aloud without too much difficulty, but I can imagine it not being that easy for others. But what is really happening out there? It is not the first time this year that the Eyjafjallajökull has erupted. In March this year there was a much smaller eruption that led to a pilgrimage to the volcano, as many people wanted to see the event first hand. For those that did not manage to go and see the volcano, it would seem that the volcano decided to go and see them. Let us hope it would be a short visit, unlike the one from the 17th Century, which lasted for about three years. As an immediate effect we have, of course, the problems in air traffic. Now, it is likely that some of these problems are exaggerated mainly due to the fact that no one really knows how to react to a big cloud of ash. Nevertheless, I could see why lots of ash in an air plane’s engine would not be such a good idea. The railway companies, the ferry companies, generally the transport companies for both people and goods that are not operating in the air are now really happy with their fortune as opposed to those companies who fly their merchandise, human or not. That is the immediate, economical aspect of the situation. We have then the one concerning Global Warming. Last time there was a massive eruption (it was the Pinatubo in 1991) the average temperature has dropped with about 0,5 degree for a period of about three years. So, this eruption could have done more for Mother Earth itself than the entire G20 Summits over the past decade. Sure, should Eyjafjallajökull keep up the work for a few years, we just might not stop at 0,5 degrees, but much more. Should it melt large enough quantities of the Icelandic ice, it is possible to change the salt concentration of the entire Atlantic Ocean, thus leading to a change in the oceanic currents. Needless to say what would happen to Europe, should the Golf Stream disappear. I say it anyway; it could lead to an ice age. And not the one with Sid, the Sloth in it. Of course, it could also stop erupting in a few days’ time and then everything will be back to normal in a couple of days. I hope it will, otherwise it would be really hard for all future mankind to even talk about past calamities. I mean, you can, without much difficulty, say: WWII, or 9/11, or George Bush but when it comes to Eyjafjallajökull one could really be tempted to choose to forget about one’s own history. In the meantime, here are some spectacular photos for those of you still not visited by Eyjafjallajökull:
and how sunsets look like through ash:
Attila Andrasy
20/04/2010
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Not an ice age. Not yet. The images are spectacular though. And you are right, of course: no one could pronounce the name of the volcano.