Q&A: Protecting aircraft from volcanic ash
Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 01:00
in Earth & Climate
An international network of observers keeps track of eruptions. A meteorologist in the busy Alaska center describes how it works. Until the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland grounded jets across Europe, few people appreciated the danger volcanic ash posed to aircraft. When the ash gets sucked into jet engines, it melts and can jam up the machinery and damage other internal parts.