Planes warned to avoid airspace near erupting Alaska volcano

Planes warned to avoid airspace near erupting Alaska volcano

• Pavlof Volcano sends ash 30,000ft above sea level
• Alaska’s most active volcano is on Europe-US-Asia air routes

Volcanic eruptions, like this one from Mount Lokon in Indonesia, can send ash high into the atmosphere. Photograph: Stringer/EPA

Associated Press in Alaska

Saturday 15 November 2014 17.15 EST

Planes are being warned to avoid airspace near an erupting Alaska volcano as it spews ash 30,000ft above sea level.
The National Weather Service said on Saturday ash was being blown to the west and northwest of Pavlof Volcano.
Pavlof began erupting three days ago, pushing lava out from a vent near its summit. On Friday, the ash cloud reached 16,000ft.
Alaska Volcano Observatory geophysicist Dave Schneider said the eruption intensified at 6am on Saturday, sending the ash cloud higher. Schneider said it was not clear how long the eruption will last, as Pavlof’s eruptions may last for weeks or months with varying levels of intensity.
Pavlof is Alaska’s most active volcano. It sits along international air routes connecting Europe, North America and Asia.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/15/planes-warned-erupting-alaska-volcano