1. VOLCANIC ASH NICHOLAS SOTO

2. OVERVIEW What is Volcanic Ash? Material composition How is it made? Atmospheric Effects How it spreads Damages to ecosystem Effects on Aviation Damages to aircraft Jet engine hazards Volcanic ash lightning NTSB Accident

3. WHAT IS VOLCANIC ASH? Tephra Pulverized rock and glass Diameter 2 mm – 0.06 mm Very coarse and extremely hard 3 mechanisms of volcanic ash formation 1). Gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions 2). Thermal contraction from chilling on contact with water causing phreatomagmatic eruptions 3). Ejection of entrained particles during steam eruptions causing phreatic eruptions

4. ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS Volcanic ash spread Local winds carry ash cloud Can reach highest layers of stratosphere Majority of cloud will be in the troposphere Jet Stream can carry ash cloud around the world Airborne up to several months Damage to local community Can be up to 10’ deep Collapse roofs, blocks roads Destroys local ecosystem Vegetation, livestock, aquatic life Large amount of toxic sulfurous gases 1783 Laki eruption in Iceland poisoned 1/5 its population 23,000 kill in Britain alone

5. Chaitén volcano 2008

6. EFFECTS ON AVIATION Damages to aircraft Sandblasting effect Composite materials, windshield, aluminum, propellers Will clog pitot-static system and sensors Vital instruments are unreliable Electromagnetic wave insulation Volcanic ash particles are charged and disrupt radio communication Volcanic ash lighting Occurs during initial eruption Forms same way as thunder storm lighting Can cause fuel explosion and electrical equipment failure

10. EFFECTS ON AVIATION Jet Engine Damage Large amounts of pulverized glass in ash cloud will melt in combustion chamber Internal parts become coated with molten glass Will decrease performance or flame engine out May unbalance spinning precision parts causing the engine to tear itself apart Emergency Procedure Descend below ash cloud Extreme temperature decrease will crack glass allowing it to be expelled enabling reigniting http://youtu.be/KpG3cGdZY9E

11. NTSB REPORT December 15, 1989 flight KLM 867 inbound for Anchorage, Alaska Inadvertently came in contact with an ash cloud at 29,000’ All 4 engine flamed out Aircraft descended more than 2 miles to 13,300’ before successfully reigniting at 4 engines Landed safely at Anchorage Being 747 had $80 million of damage

12. REFERENCES National Transportation Safety Board. Report No. ANC90FA020, Published 12/15/1989, http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/index.aspx Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. http://vaac.arh.noaa.gov/ Alaska Volcanic Observatory. http://www.avo.alaska.edu/about/index.php Jeppesen. Guided Flight Discovery Private Pilot, City: Englewood, CO, Published 2007 Cox, Victoria, “Effects of Volcanic Ash on Aircraft”, May 5, 2010, http://www.faa.gov/news/testimony/news_story.cfm?newsI d=11380&print=go http://geology.com/articles/volcanic-lightning/

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