The technological impact of volcanic ash

Various : Updated 4/16/2010: A number of outlets have written articles about the societal impact of volcanic ash caused by this week’s eruption in Iceland .

Charles Arthur in the Guardian points out that there is a very good reason why a large number of airports have shutdown in Europe to wait for the clouds of volcanic ash to disperse. Ash can wreck the function of propeller or jet aircraft, because it is so fine that it will invade the spaces between rotating machinery and jam it—the silica melts at about 1,100C and fuses on to the turbine blades and nozzle guide vanes (another part of the turbine assembly), which in modern aircraft operate at 1,400C. That, in turn, can be catastrophic to the aircraft.Also in the Guardian, John Yates, Chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Satellite Network, says that the eruption can also affect satellite communications , depending on the weather. Wet conditions prior to ash falling will cause the ash to stick to satellite dishes—heavy rainfall afterwards will wash it off.

You can see the dirty brown-grey volcanic plume in the picture below. The picture is from the Modis instruments on two Nasa satellites, taken as the plume blew towards the Shetland Islands.

Of course volcanic ash is good for some technological developments; the Romans used it for creating concrete that was so hard and water resistant that temples and places made with the stuff are still standing 1600-2000 years after they were created.Plus as ScienceNews points out , Europe will have some spectacular sunsets for the next few months.