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Iceland's Reindeer and the Volcano |
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Written by Philip Burgess
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Thursday, 13 May 2010 17:39 |
 While the world has heard a lot about the impact of the Icelandic volcano on air traffic and the economy, what about its impact on Iceland's reindeer?
In the last few weeks, the world could hardly have failed to have heard about the Icelandic volcano with the difficult to pronounce (for non Icelandic speakers) name. Air traffic has been disrupted across Europe and airlines have lost over a billion dollars in lost revenue. The impact on the regions climate is unclear but has been the topic of much speculation.
Latest information received from the Icelandic Meteorological Office indicates that the explosive activity from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano is continuing, with the ash plume reaching heights of up to around 18,000 ft. The Icelandic Met Office state that there are no signs that the eruption is about to end, with the volcanic eruption remaining dynamic.
Winds are expected to blow from a mainly north or north easterly direction over the next few days, with most of the ash cloud likely to stay over the Atlantic Ocean and close to western parts of the British Isles. As a result the UK National Air Traffic Services continues to advise aircraft about airspace restrictions affecting transatlantic flights, allowing them to cross the Atlantic safely. Recent weather patterns mean that the ash cloud has drifted across some parts of central and southern Europe, leading to disruption.
Icelandic farmers in the immediate vicinity of the eruption have lost their livelihoods for perhaps many years. However, the world has not heard a lot about the fate of Iceland's reindeer.
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