USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington
Ash and Tephra -
Aircraft and Volcanic Ash
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Danger in the Stratosphere: Aircraft and Volcanic Plumes
-- Excerpt from: Wright and Pierson, 1992, USGS Circular 1073
During the past 14 years, there have been 23 incidents involving aircraft that have inadvertently encountered eruption
plumes. Apart from windshield pitting resulting in loss of visibility, the most common result
is engine damage that occurs when
volcanic ash enters the jet intakes; the volcanic ash melts and coats turbine blades,
often causing the engines to stall.
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The 1991 Pinatubo eruptions and their effects on aircraft operations
-- Casadevall, et.al., 1996
The explosive eruptions of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 injected enormous clouds of volcanic ash and
acid gases into the stratosphere to altitudes in
excess of 100,000 feet.
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Volcanic Ash -- Danger to Aircraft in the North Pacific
-- Neal, et.al., 1997, USGS Fact Sheet 030-97
The world's busy air traffic corridors pass over hundreds of volcanoes
capable of sudden, explosive eruptions. In the United States alone, aircraft
carry many thousands of passengers and millions of dollars of cargo over
volcanoes each day. Volcanic ash can be a serious hazard to aviation even
thousands of miles from and eruption. Airborne ash can diminish visibility,
damage flight control systems, and cause jet engines to fail.
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Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety: Proceedings of the First
International Symposium on Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety
-- Casadevall, (ed.), 1994, USGS Bulletin 2047, 450p.
Volcanologists and the subject of volcanic ash clouds are relatively new to discussions of aviation hazards.
As a result, the various parties concerned with
the hazard have had to set up new communication channels and to bridge substantial
differences in organizational culture and professional language. The
Seattle symposium in 1991 alerted and educated many about ash hazards to aviation.
More importantly, it started a serious dialogue that resulted in a series
of follow-up workshops, improvements in the detection and tracking of as clouds,
and revised warning and response procedures. These are the actions that
will be needed if the hazard of ash in the airways is truly to be mitigated.
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Useful Links - Volcanic Ash
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Return to Ash and Tephra Menu
URL for CVO HomePage is:
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If you have questions or comments please contact:
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12/20/01, Lyn Topinka