Eyjafjallajökull news for 4 May 2010: more ash, more flight bans

The Icelandic Meteorological Office publishes regular bulletins on the activity at Eyjafjallajökull both in summary form and as more detailed PDF documents (linked from the summaries). Today’s bulletin (PDF here) reports as follows:

• ash plume height observed at 5.8-6.0 km a.s.l. tracking ESE to SE from the eruption site, dark grey in colour
• ashfall reported 65-80 km ESE of Eyjafjallajökull: ‘people could hardly see next farms’
• meltwater levels slightly decreasing
• explosive activity and ash production strong, increasing since 3 May
• lava flowing northwards and descending slope about 4 km north of the crater, lava front marked by white steam plumes
• eruptive crater size estimated at 280 x 190 m, cone being built up at crater
• tremor levels have decreased to levels similar to those of 18 April
• several earthquakes detected beneath Eyjafjallajökull, originating deep within crust (14-20 km depth)
• no measurable geophysical changes in Katla volcano

Overall, ‘More explosive activity and ash production than was observed yesterday. Progression of the lava seems to be slower than yesterday. Presently there are no indications that the eruption is about to end’.

Further airspace closures over the British Isles will take effect tomorrow because of the continuing presence of dangerous levels of volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajökull (click here for London VAAC ash advisory issued at 18:30Z today, in graphic form). At present the closures are planned to affect Scotland and Northern Ireland, but as the ash moves east and south other parts of Britain may be affected.

For all our Eyjafjallajökull coverage: Eyjafjöll « The Volcanism Blog.

Information
Global Volcanism Program: Eyjafjöll – summary information for Eyjafjallajökull, which the GVP calls Eyjafjöll (1702-02=)
Icelandic Meteorological Office – bulletins on Eyjafjallajökull activity
Data for Eyjafjallajökull/Myrdalsjökull – a range of near-real-time data from sensors on and around Eyjafjallajökull: tremor, seismicity, deformation, webcam images etc., from the Iceland Met Office