Sulfur dioxide plume from Iceland's volcanic eruption reaches Estonia

A plume of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitted by the recent Sundhnúkagígar eruption in Iceland reached Estonia and the Baltics on Friday. Scientists monitoring the plume, however, say that the plume shouldn't have any impact on the surface air quality or climate as it travels eastward across Europe.
Four volcanic eruptions have been registered on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Southwestern Iceland since December, with the March 17 eruption marking the biggest one yet.
Forecasts by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) indicated plumes with increased total column burdens of sulfur dioxide would move eastward from the North Atlantic over the week, toward Ireland and the U.K. before reaching Scandinavia on Wednesday and the Baltics, Poland and Northwestern Russia on Friday.
"The previous eruptions didn't produce much in terms of SO2 emissions which could be observed and assimilated in our system," said Mark Parrington, senior scientist at CAMS. "The amount of SO2 emitted this time has been very clear in the observations, and we are closely monitoring the plume as it is transported over Northern Europe, although we don't expect there to be any impact on surface air quality or climate."
"Volcanic eruptions and releases of large amounts of sulfur compounds can affect not only the air quality in the region directly affected, but also global processes, such as the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere," explained CAMS Director Laurence Rouil. "The impacts of the volcanic eruptions in Iceland in the atmosphere have not yet been so severe, but it is relevant to keep monitoring the evolution of the situation."
CAMS sulfur dioxide forecasts indicate gaseous SO2 in the atmosphere, but do not provide information regarding volcanic ash, which falls under the responsibility of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs).
The latest eruptions at Sundhnúkagígar have forced the town of Grindavík as well as the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, a popular tourist attraction, to evacuate. While work is already underway to reopen the Grindavíkurvegur road, all roads to Grindavík remain closed to regular traffic; the Blue Lagoon likewise remains temporarily closed.
Þyrlusveit Landhelgisgæslunnar flaug með vísindamenn að eldgosinu sem hófst í Sundhnúkagígaröðinni í kvöld á milli...
Posted by Landhelgisgæsla Íslands/Icelandic Coast Guard on Saturday, March 16, 2024
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Editor: Valner Väino, Aili Vahtla