Scientists predict 50-year relief from volcanic cloud disruption

THERE should not be another major ash cloud event grounding flights in this country for more than 50 years, according to academics in Yorkshire.

The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull last year sent vast amounts of ash into the atmosphere leading to the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights leaving Britons stranded around the world.

A new analysis of ash fallout by Leeds University shows that although such events are relatively common throughout history they have only reached northern Europe every 56 out of the past 1,000 years on average. The study has looked at ash clouds over the past 7,000 years by tracing microscopic layers of ash found in lakes and peatlands across Europe. Lead author Dr Graeme Swindles, from the university’s geography school said: “The ash cloud resulting from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption caused severe disruption to air travel across Europe, but as a geological event it is not unprecedented.

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“While the aviation industry and the travelling public will welcome the news that another large-scale ash event isn’t expected in the immediate future, they shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.

“The difficulties in obtaining a comprehensive ash record mean that our figures are likely to be a conservative estimate of the frequency of major ash fall events, so Mother Nature may have some surprises in store for us yet.”

Dr Swindles and his team analysed documented historic ash falls along with microscopic ash layers found in lakes and peatlands in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia and the Faroe Islands.

It came as research from another Yorkshire university academic revealed that a key glacier in Greenland is melting faster than previously expected.

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Dr Edward Hanna, from Sheffield University, was part of an international team of researchers which has found that Greenland’s longest-observed glacier, Mittivakkat, made two consecutive record losses in mass observations for 2010 and 2011.

“Our fieldwork results are a key indication of the rapid changes now being seen in and around Greenland, which are evident not just on this glacier but also on many surrounding small glaciers,” Dr Hanna said.

“It’s clear that this is now a very dynamic environment.”

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