First time poster, long time reader here. I'm a Geologist with a life-long fascination with flight. Thought I'd post a note on the geology side after reading posts above by
flying lid and
carjockey.
Agree that the details matter a lot when evaluating risk. Volcanoes eject all sorts of mineral matter, not just silica, and each of these mineral types have greatly varying properties such as hardness, melting points, etc.. And in the case of jet engines I would think "size matters" could apply, although an engineer should be consulted. Even if 100% silica (volcanic glass) the size of the particles/exposure time to engine heat might dictate level of damage to an engine. Sufficent sampling should be conducted and analysis done before jumping to conclusions.
As to the history of this region's vulcanism - we do have some decent records. Based on those, if history repeats itself things could get worse, maybe much worse, before they get better ----
"..... as
Science Fair noted, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano isn't necessarily the main problem. It's Katla, Iceland's noisier neighbor, that's the concern. If lava flowing from Eyjafjallajokull melts the glaciers that hold down the top of Katla, then Katla could blow its top, pumping gigantic amounts of ash into the atmosphere."
Unfortunately there seems to be correlation between the small eruptions and awakening of the big brother in the past, so cross your fingers that history doesn't repeat itself. No mention of poisonous gases in this particular article, but I've seen multiple other posts that mention deaths from gas in Britain. There's tons of data available for the Googling for those interested in more details.
Greatly enjoy reading your website - thanks.
