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Copernicus said Europe from Spain to Scandinavia had been blanketed by huge clouds of sulphur dioxide flying at high altitudes since Saturday night following an eruption in Iceland, but that the clouds were barely visible and posed no risk to health.
“The plume originated from volcanic activity that began on the evening of August 22 on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, which resulted in the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere.”Mark Parrington of Europe’s Copernicus Observatory (CAMS) was contacted by AFP for Monday’s announcement.
According to CAMS satellite observations, the sulphur dioxide plume that passed over the UK before reaching the European continent “is between 5 and 8 kilometres high in the atmosphere and is expected to have little, if any, impact on ground-level air quality and health”, explained scientists from the atmosphere monitoring unit.
“The sky may be a little hazy due to the particles contained in the plume”but he “It will disappear in a few days.” wait “No impact on weather or climate is expected”he added.
Authorities in countries affected by flights through the cloud have not yet issued health alerts.
At higher concentrations, sulfur dioxide smells like rotten eggs and is toxic to human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) sets a limit of 40 µg/m3 in air over a 24-hour period.
Thursday’s eruption of lava fissures on the Reykjanes Peninsula was the sixth volcanic event in southwestern Iceland since December, an area that has not seen volcanic activity for eight centuries.
Current Cloud “In terms of direction, it’s slightly different from the previous eruptions in March and late May, as more of the plume is reaching southwestern Europe, whereas previously the plume was further north.”mainly in Scandinavia, says Mark Parrington.
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