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This is what the first day of the Icelandic volcano called Grimsvotn looked like one year ago when it started to erupt.
It is astounding that this volcano could cause a summers worth of delays, but that if before you realize that it is still erupting and causing problems today. In fact the president had to leave Ireland early to avoid another massive cloud of volcanic ash which might have grounded his plane.
We humans like to think that we run this planet. For the most part that is true. We don’t have any serious competitors for the apex predator claim. We are so pervasive that other species actually treat us as an evolutionary hurdle to be passed.
But when it comes to things like the volcano’s and earth quakes we are shown to be little more than the rest of the animal kingdom. Able only to endure and wait out the ground shaking and ash and lava flows. Hoping they end soon and do not return for a long time.
So, keep in mind the fact that while we might be top dog in the animal kingdom, we fight in the ultra-feather weight league when it comes to planets.
So what is on your minds tonight Firedogs? The floor is yours!
4 Comments
Wow Bill those are amazing photos! My son was in Europe last year when all air travel was suspended. He was in Belgium for a bike race, went to Paris and then Amsterdam. Finally ended back in Brussels to work at the company office with a French keyboard and new office clothes. They tried to get a train to England, and finally split up before he went back to Belgium…what a week or so!
One of the most amazing things that I’ve noticed about the national and international reporting on this incident is that they have followed what I call the “not noticeable frog boiling method”–that old conventional wisdom about a frog will allow itself to be boiled to death and not leap out of the pot if you put it in cold water and gradually turn up the heat.
I remember reading the first reports out of this eruption telling us that it won’t disrupt air traffic, etc. Now we get reports such as this one this morning from CSM: “Initially, European airspace was not expected to be affected but in the last two hours Eurocontrol, Europe’s air safety organization, issued a statement confirming that “some ash cloud may reach parts of northern Europe in the next 48 hours.” I’m sure in another 24 hours we will read of airports in Europe closing. [I guess this means there won't be any sunbathing in Deauville this week.]
The media have done the same thing with the Japanese disaster–releasing the full brunt of what has happened, inch by inch so as to dilute public outrage.
Yes, it’s true that some of it may not have been known immediately following such incidents–but after 48 hours? PLEEZ. I think in most cases more is known than is ever reported.
update on my comment from BBC today:
Thousands of passengers in Scotland and parts of northern England struggle with flight cancellations as ash from an Icelandic volcanic eruption blows in.
Now Later today we at 4:17 ET we have this report from BBC:
“About 500 flights were cancelled in Europe on Tuesday, air traffic management body Eurocontrol said. . . But the transport secretary said there should not be significant disruption for UK airports after Tuesday night.”
[Don't hold your breath. Tues will become Wed and then Wed Thurs.]