Tommy Coyote Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Can you check in so we know you are OK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam'smom Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I got a PM from her last night she's ok :-) I had sent a message to her asking the same thing!! scarey situation!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 So far, from what I have read, the main issues are flooding in the areas below the erruption (caused by melted ice) and ash fall. Livestock that were outside have been brought indoors to protect them from breathing the ash. I don't know how far afield the effects are felt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I´m okay too (should anyone care... ) No problem so far as people are concerned, but the ashes falling east of this volcano threathens the lifes of livestock, especially horses. It´s still pretty common here to leave horses out in winter and these animal are in grave danger of getting poisened (for a lot of them it might allready be too late...). The ash itself is dangerous for the respiratory tract and digestive systems, but what is worse, it contains a lot of hydrogen fluoride, a dangerous poison, with both short and long term damage. I really feel for those farmers (We have sheep and horses ourselves). Hope fully it won´t last long, but the last time this particular volcano erupted it lasted for about one and a half year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Hope fully it won´t last long, but the last time this particular volcano erupted it lasted for about one and a half year. There's also the question about Katla -- there is a history of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano triggering an eruption of Katla, which would be be much worse. BTW: I recognized, from your user name, Smalahundur, that you had an Icelandic origin, but didn't know that you lived there. Are there any other members who live in Iceland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam'smom Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Smallaanhundur! I didn't know you were also in Iceland! Am am glad to hear you are ok tho!! What a scarey situtaion to be so near to! for anyone interested ... there are some amazing pic's of the eruption in this link... http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/i...ve_volcano.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 There's also the question about Katla -- there is a history of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano triggering an eruption of Katla, which would be be much worse. BTW: I recognized, from your user name, Smalahundur, that you had an Icelandic origin, but didn't know that you lived there. Are there any other members who live in Iceland? It´s actually the other way round; I´m not of Icelandic origin (born & raised in the Netherlands) but I´ve lived for about 14 years here in Iceland. There has been some quake activity under the Katla thae last days, also under the Vatnajökull (thare have been two eruptions there since I came to this island). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 It´s actually the other way round; I´m not of Icelandic origin (born & raised in the Netherlands) but I´ve lived for about 14 years here in Iceland. Ah, OK, I triggered on your user name -- that translates to sheepdog, doesn't it? I always wanted to visit Iceland, but that is one of my unfulfilled dreams. I did spend many years in Norway and can -- with a big struggle -- read a little old Norse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Ah, OK, I triggered on your user name -- that translates to sheepdog, doesn't it? I always wanted to visit Iceland, but that is one of my unfulfilled dreams. I did spend many years in Norway and can -- with a big struggle -- read a little old Norse. Yes, the verb "að smala" means gathering, mostly used as in gathering livestock. Maybe stockdog would be a better translation (but almost all gathering/driving here is done with sheep so it doesn´t really matter) Being able to understand old norse is a good beginning for learning Icelandic, I heard it´s very similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Being able to understand old norse is a good beginning for learning Icelandic, I heard it´s very similar. Similar, yes, because Icelandic has been unbelievably conservative in it's language. The grammar still kills me, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Hope fully it won´t last long, but the last time this particular volcano erupted it lasted for about one and a half year. Best wishes to everyone - livestock included - currently in Iceland! Speaking from a purely selfish perspective - I devoutly hope that the current eruption WON'T last a year and a half. I've just found that my flight home tomorrow from Zurich was cancelled. Nothing against Switzerland, but I'd really prefer to be returning home... On the other hand, after reading about what volcanic ash does to jet engines, I'd also prefer not to fly through a cloud of it. Keep safe, everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted April 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Best wishes to everyone - livestock included - currently in Iceland! Speaking from a purely selfish perspective - I devoutly hope that the current eruption WON'T last a year and a half. I've just found that my flight home tomorrow from Zurich was cancelled. Nothing against Switzerland, but I'd really prefer to be returning home... On the other hand, after reading about what volcanic ash does to jet engines, I'd also prefer not to fly through a cloud of it. Keep safe, everyone! KC Star this morning said that thousands of flights are cancelled. One notice I saw said that flights had been cancelled thru Sunday in some of those Northern countries. What a mess. Please be safe everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Speaking from a purely selfish perspective - I devoutly hope that the current eruption WON'T last a year and a half. I've just found that my flight home tomorrow from Zurich was cancelled. Nothing against Switzerland, but I'd really prefer to be returning home... On the other hand, after reading about what volcanic ash does to jet engines, I'd also prefer not to fly through a cloud of it. The real problem is not just the ash, but that the weather pattern that is pushing it into Europe. If the problem persists, I would guess that they will start to get creative about moving passengers to places where it's still possible to fly. From the few cases where a Jet plane has flown into a cloud of ash, I agree that you don't want to fly in such conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted April 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Smallaanhundur! I didn't know you were also in Iceland! Am am glad to hear you are ok tho!! What a scarey situtaion to be so near to! for anyone interested ... there are some amazing pic's of the eruption in this link... http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/i...ve_volcano.html I'm sorry. I didn't realize we had other people in Iceland on the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 The real problem is not just the ash, but that the weather pattern that is pushing it into Europe. If the problem persists, I would guess that they will start to get creative about moving passengers to places where it's still possible to fly. From the few cases where a Jet plane has flown into a cloud of ash, I agree that you don't want to fly in such conditions. I beg to differ; this weather pattern, and the wind is luckily turning north as I type this, makes sure that relatively little of this poisenous ash falls on land, it takes the shortest route towards the ocean (this volcano is located near Iceland´s south coast.) We are live north east of this volcano (pretty far; I´d guess about 250 km), so weather conditions suit us just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I'm sorry. I didn't realize we had other people in Iceland on the board. Don´t sweat it, I´m not so vain that I expect everyone on the board to have noticed my presence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 The real problem is not just the ash, but that the weather pattern that is pushing it into Europe. If the problem persists, I would guess that they will start to get creative about moving passengers to places where it's still possible to fly. From the few cases where a Jet plane has flown into a cloud of ash, I agree that you don't want to fly in such conditions. "Creative moving of passengers" is proving tricky. One of the people at this meeting with me is having trouble returning to the UK. He could, in principle, take a train to France and from there take the Chunnel (Channel Tunnel train) to the UK. Only .... the French train system, with impeccable timing, has gone on strike. So he's going to have to wait until he can get a flight back (currently booked for Monday, I think). In principle I could try to take a train to Italy and fly from there. But everyone else in more northern areas, where the airports closed earlier, has already had that idea, and the train routes are choked. Zurich was open for so long that we just hoped it'd stay that way until our meeting was over. I think part of the problem is that the plane that would have returned me to the US is presently sitting at Dulles. There are only so many flights you can re-route through Italy. It could be worse. Three extra days in a major European capital, no kids, DH is coping with the dog, well yeah, a ton of work I brought with me that I haven't gotten to yet, but guess what: they upgraded me - for free - to first class for the flight back!!! (Not until Tuesday, alas). So I really can't complain. And it's giving me a chance to get to know the people I was meeting with - some of whom are very interesting indeed - a bit better. No, the people who have it tough are in Iceland. Onice, Smahahundur: let me express my hope that the weather patterns keep the ash and fumes away from you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galwaygirl Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Best wishes to everyone - livestock included - currently in Iceland! Speaking from a purely selfish perspective - I devoutly hope that the current eruption WON'T last a year and a half. I've just found that my flight home tomorrow from Zurich was cancelled. Nothing against Switzerland, but I'd really prefer to be returning home... On the other hand, after reading about what volcanic ash does to jet engines, I'd also prefer not to fly through a cloud of it. Keep safe, everyone! I know how you feel, my fiance is stuck in Denmark on a work trip. He was in a five star hotel with a suite to himself, now he's stuck in the Danish equivalent of a Holiday Inn sharing a room with two other people. He's not a happy guy. I hope your prolonged stay is more enjoyable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Only .... the French train system, with impeccable timing, has gone on strike. That's not a big surprise, but normally they wait until the peak of the holiday season to do it. I just hope that the weather blows the dust away soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeplessdog Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 That's not a big surprise, but normally they wait until the peak of the holiday season to do it. I just hope that the weather blows the dust away soon. I looked at the photos on the link and they are amazing and scary. I have been thinking of you in Iceland daily and my thought and prayers go with you hoping you are safe and this nightmare ends soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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