How Fast Is Volcanic Ash Column?

Volcanic ash columns shoot upward at 140 m/s — fast enough to punch into the stratosphere. The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption grounded all European air traffic for a week, costing airlines an estimated 1.7 billion dollars in losses.

The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull ash cloud showed that even mid-sized eruptions can shut down entire continental airspaces — the wake-up call that revolutionised modern volcano monitoring.

• Faster than any race car
• Eyjafjallajökull cost airlines 1.7B dollars in 2010