NASA MODIS Image of the Day: May 26, 2011 – Ash plume from Grímsvötn Volcano across the North Atlantic
Although ash from Iceland’s Grímsvötn Volcano initially remained localized, by May 24, 2011, the ash cloud had spread over the North Sea.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this natural-colored image at 13:05 UTC on that day.
Iceland is located in the upper left corner of the image, and Norway can be seen along the right edge. The green lands of the United Kingdom can be found at the bottom of the image. Black border lines outline the Faroe Islands, which lie under a thick cloud cover. In stark contrast to the white clouds and blue waters, a dense plume of tan-colored ash can be seen swirling over the North Sea between the United Kingdom and Norway. Ash also appears to cover northern Denmark. Towards the west, a lighter line of tan ash can be seen stretching over the Northern Atlantic Ocean from Iceland to the United Kingdom. The dense clouds may hide additional ash north of this line. The London Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) reported the ash at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) at 12:00 UTC, 50 minutes after the top image was acquired. According to EUROCONTROL, The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, approximately 250 flights were cancelled in the United Kingdom due to the ash, and flights in southern Scandinavia were likely to be cancelled as well.
