The Icelandic eruption did more than just give us new words to pronounce with gravity. Eyjafjallajokull, the fifth largest glacier for this island nation, has erupted five times since the ninth century. The strategic influence to environmental concerns, like melting polar ice caps, ocean currents, and wind current cycles over the mainland of Europe, help to keep Iceland and its temperamental mountains on everyone’s radar, now even more so than ever before.

The “tax season” eruption of April 14 brought the issue of disaster-ready contingency plans and accurate warning systems into sharp relief. The initial reaction of the EU was to ground all flights, since European regulations could not determine any safe level of volcanic ash. In the ensuing days, different reports developed about the ability of scientists to accurately test the safety of the air in ash particles per million, and whether it was really necessary for the airlines to stop flying altogether for such a long time. As of this report, London Heathrow International Airport tentatively resumed flights on Tuesday April 20, while France partially reopened service. Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Holland are still not fully operational.

Another strain on the already burgeoning economies of the European Union (in the wake of various economic meltdowns and bailouts) is new regulations and provisions needed to boost emergency response agencies, relieve stranded passengers, and accommodate airports connected to some of the most interdependent air-routes in the world. Countries as far away as Kenya can and have already felt the strain in the form of reduced import and export of perishable goods, as well as economic aid and supplies.

Quite obviously, airline industries set themselves at odds with international scientists and official aviation authorities. Airlines saw that they were in danger of losing millions of dollars (reportedly some $1.7 billion in losses from less than a week) in cancelled flights and grounded air shipments. Businesses that rely heavily on air deliveries of exotic fruits and flowers also took a hit.

The combined risks of volcanic ash include unbreathable air, greatly reduced visibility due to high-particulate matter, plane engine and other technological failures from blockages, increased heat and air pressure changing the surrounding environments temporarily, bird fatalities, and influencing freak weather systems.

In other related news, cutting-edge watchmaker Romain Jerome–known for the Titanic DNA and Moon Dust–has created a new design from volcanic ash of the newest geographic superstar itself. This watch will be a truly one-of-a-kind piece, with rare sourced materials and a hefty price tag. While Romain Jerome’s creation is not exactly a surge in the watch-making industry, it is a somewhat ironic reminder of the far-reaching effects of volcanic eruptions in this modern world.

Sources:

http://www.luxist.com/2010/04/22/romain-jerome-eyjafjallajokull-volcano-dna-watch

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/world/europe/21cloud.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/world/europe/21uncertain.html

http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/2010/04/eyjafjallajokull_flight_cancellations.html

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Tags: Socially Conscious