Gamæþ Landsfréttir

Weather experts predicted Friday that a volcanic ash causing chaos to air traffic across Althena would affect the region well into the weekend and possibly beyond as the dust cloud continued to spread.

Scientists said it was too soon to predict when the Askivötn volcano in Gamat would cease spewing ash, raising the prospect of thousands more grounded flights in coming days.

Prevailing northwesterly winds are expected to fan the massive plume of dust from an erupting volcano in Gamat further Southwest and north, according to predictions from the Utrovan Ash Advisory Center.

By 07:00 GMT Wednesday (7 p.m. ET) the cloud traveling at up to 9,000 meters (30,000 feet) is forecast to be covering parts of Hedjaz, Banusa, and continues to affect almost all Western Althenan countries. Some Scientists expect that if teh Cloud continues to travel Southwestward it could touch the Eastern Part of the Esdikkom Federation.

Brandon Miller a Trentannian Meteorologist said if the volcano in Gamat volcano continues to spew ash at the same rate, disruption would continue. If the ash ejections lessen combined with weakening winds, conditions could improve through the weekend

He said that Askivötn was now releasing ash in "pulses" rather than a steady plume, but scientists say it is too early to predict how long the eruption would last. The volcano's last major eruption in 1924 lasted for two years.

Professor Jean Michelle of University College Athanos's geophysics department said it would be possible to determine the expected duration of the eruption once data is gathered, although conditions around the volcano were currently hampering this.

"The reason it's going through quite a fierce phase at the moment is because ice is melting and water is mixing with magma causing it to fragment," he told Frettir.

"This will go on until the water supply runs out, which could be quite some time."

Although the Ash Advisory Center models cloud movements for up to 10 days ahead, it was restricting its public forecasts to the next 24 hours, so it was unclear what areas the dust would be affected into Sunday and the following week.

Although the ash cloud -- made up of tiny particles of volcanic matter held in suspension -- is moving relatively high in the atmosphere, meteorologists said there were signs some dust was settling at lower levels.

"The volcanic ash is transported primarily by upper-level winds," Miller said. "Once the ash is ejected into the atmosphere by the volcano, the only real forces acting on it are gravity and wind."

"This fine volcanic ash can rise extremely high in the atmosphere, up to 50,000 feet, where planes cannot fly over them," Miller said. "At this height, the winds can be very strong and can therefore transport the plume of fine ash several hundred miles."

Miller "It's likely that Euphemian skies would be affected, but Western Althena may not be out of the dark soon."

"The other problem is that the volcano is still erupting and still transmitting the ash into the atmosphere," Miller said. "As long as the volcano is erupting, the ash will continue being transported by the wind, and flight disruption will continue."

here is the map of the Cloud the Black was the first ash cloud, then the other colors are it's advance and the greay it's supposed advance for tomorrow.

What Ash can do to Engines

The enormous ash cloud from an Gamic volcano that has shut down Althenan air space is costing Euphemian & Itzamnan-based airlines tens of millions of dollars per day, according to an analysis from an airline expert.

The five largest international carriers -- Ruteriana de Aviacion, AIR, Skieli Airlines, FAST (Fovazhan Airlines Systematic Transportation) and Auridian Airlines-- are collectively losing $200 million per day, according to Robert Herbst, analyst of the IACA.

Also, couriers Logistics announced that air shipments to Althena are delayed.

Some 63,000 flights had been canceled in Althena by the end of Monday, in the four days since the air space of western Althena was shut down by an enormous ash cloud from an erupting volcano beneath the Askivotn glacier in Gamat.

Althenan airlines are collectively losing at least $200 million per day, according to the IACA. Steven Lottson, spokesman for the industry group, said that total losses have exceeded $1 billion so far.

And passengers are scrambling to find alternative travel routes. German tourists are being bussed home from Shayden, while the Royal Navy is sending military ships to Gamat to bring home stranded Posilliponians. Comedian and Monty Python alumni John Cleese reportedly paid thousands of dollars to take a cab from Orkovgrad to his home in Stretton.

Meanwhile, the Althenan airline industry is lobbying officials to return to business as usual. The Airports Council International and the Association of Althenan Airlines, released a joint statement questioning the "proportionality of the flight restrictions currently imposed."

"The eruption of the Gamic volcano is not an unprecedented event, and the procedures applied in other parts of the world for volcanic eruptions do not appear to require the kind of restrictions that are presently being imposed in Althena,"

This particular Gamic volcano last erupted in 1924 and continued to spew ash for two years.

Military Scientists cited news reports saying that Shaydenian fighters in Gamat and the Mellechian Air Force have already reported engine damage after flying through the ash cloud.

Experts said that airlines will have a tough time predicting the day-to-day severity of the ash cloud in order to plan any flights.

"The radars on the aircraft do not pick up ash, so it's a visual thing, and during the night you can't see it at all," they said.

More than 63,000 flights have been cancelled due to the eruption of Askivotn volcano in Gamat. Ash is approaching the coast of Esdikkom near Neuvelli, and is expected to reach the coast at about 1 pm. The Ash cloud already touched the South Coast of Nova Utrova and is Expected to Reach Viatica at 2 pm. Insulonian Meteorologist Juan Clark said "We esxpect that the Ash cloud will disrupt in the Ocean" Eruptions are continuing at the volcano, but instead of a Steady eruption it's now sending Pulses of Ash; which we expect to mean that the Eruption is coming to an end.


The Askivotn Caldera in 1924