All Steamed Up
On April 14, a volcano
erupted in Iceland, an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Iceland has many volcanoes. But the effects of this eruption are
still being felt.
A giant ash cloud rose from
the volcano. The cloud drifted over much of Europe. Officials feared
that tiny pieces of rocks and minerals in the cloud would clog
airplane engines. Airlines canceled flights into and out of 23
European countries. More than 7 million passengers were stranded for
five days.
The volcano had an effect on
businesses around the world. The airlines lost about $200 million a
day. Farmers in Africa and South America could not send their
products to Europe. Factories were forced to close temporarily
because parts could not be delivered.
A Break in the Clouds
Geologists admit that they
cannot predict when the volcano will stop erupting. But they say
that the ash cloud has dropped much lower in the sky. That makes it
easier for rain and wind to blow it away.
By April 20, planes were
flying into and out of some of Europe's airports. Officials don't
know when schedules will return to normal. "We cannot say what it
will look like in the next few days," says Axel Raab, from German
air-traffic control. "If the volcano becomes active again, new
closures might happen."April 30, 2010 Vol. #15 Iss. #25 |
