Ash cloud that never was: Volcanic plume over UK only a twentieth of safe-flying limit

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | April 25, 2010 | DAVID ROSE, MATT SANDY and SIMON MCGEE

[Stoat]

The Mail on Sunday can today reveal the full extent of the shambles behind the great airspace shutdown that cost the airlines £1.3 billion and left 150,000 Britons stranded - all for a supposed volcanic ash cloud that for most of the five-day flights ban was so thin it was invisible.

 

As the satellite images of the so-called 'aerosol index' published for the first time, right, demonstrate, the sky above Britain was totally clear of ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajoekull volcano.

Inquiries by this newspaper have disclosed that:

 

• Attempts to measure the ash's density were hampered because the main aircraft used by the Meteorological Office for this purpose had been grounded as it was due to be repainted.

• Computers at the Met Office, which earlier forecast a 'barbecue summer' last year and a mild winter for this year, produced a stream of maps predicting the ash would cover a vast area, eventually stretching from Russia to Newfoundland. But across almost all of it, there was virtually no ash at all, and none visible to satellites.

•  Though there was some ash over Britain at times during the ban, the maximum density measured by scientists was only about one twentieth of the limit that scientists, the Government, and aircraft and engine manufacturers have now decided is safe.

'We never understood why a blanket ban had been imposed - something that would not have happened in other parts of the world,' a senior airline executive said yesterday.

[Windflier]

"Computers at the Met Office, which earlier forecast a 'barbecue summer' last year and a mild winter for this year, produced a stream of maps predicting the ash would cover a vast area, eventually stretching from Russia to Newfoundland.

But across almost all of it, there was virtually no ash at all, and none visible to satellites."

Now where have we seen people relying on computer modeling to predict atmospheric phenomena that never materialized?

I'm almost sure that it was British scientists that did this before, and the whole thing turned out to be a huge hoax.

It's on the tip of my tongue. Anyone remember?

[Balata]

This is no different than the volcano Iceland had in the early ‘70’s. No flights were affected then and none should have been now.

[Vendome]

Well, you beat me. But, then I am late to this post.

I was heldover....

[Bob]

Bob, there are people who simply refuse to believe that transparent stuff like caustic gas can damage stuff and kill people.

Their view is that if you can't see it, it doesn't exist.

Perhaps I haven't been following the story as closely as I might have - Yours is the first mention that I've seen of caustic fumes emitted by the eruption. While I'd consider that highly likely, the only gas that I've seen mentioned is that dreaded pollutant, planet-killing CO₂. :=)

Do you have any details as to the composition and concentrations of the other gasses produced?

[DoughtyOne]

It does make you wonder what’s going on doesn’t it. Thanks for the mention.

[Windflier]

20-20 hindside vision.

[1010RD]

GIGO

[Balata]

Yes it does. It also make you wonder why Windflier did that post. ;^)

[Windflier]

It also make you wonder why Windflier did that post. ;^)

I'm a sucker for an opening like the one SmartInsight gave me. I get my wife on her gaffes all the time.

[Daffynition]

We did too. It was amazing. All the cars were covered in ash ...all the way to the east coast.

[healy61]

I am wondering if there were significant planes grounded when Mt. Pinatubo erupted? I don’t recall hearing about it.

[razorback-bert]

[al baby]

Thats my wifes car

[Jack Hydrazine]

The Icelandic volcano, Katla, should have a follow up eruption within about six months.

That one will make this recent eruption look like a walk in the park. Maybe then Europe will be justified in shutting down their airspace.

[cogitator]

Well, it looked pretty serious from space:

This is 1/4-size; click for full-size.

[rfp1234]

While money has been thrown at climate change studies - the Met Office has received over £200million - other meteorological research has been starved of funds.

That sums it up well.

[SmartInsight]

I know how to spell, but sometimes my fingers don’t. ;)

[dixiechick2000]

Thankfully, we don’t do that here...as of now, anyway. We leave it up to the individual pilots to decide using their computers in the planes.

This was totally needless, and totally socialistic...just like their computer “models” for AGW.

[Windflier]

I know, but that opening was too good to resist.

[donna]

I’m thinking big money...billions and billions. Soros and Obama’s handlers.