Eyjafjallajökull’s ash cloud

From the Norwegian Meteorological Office, via The Map Room, here’s an animation of the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, that’s disrupting air travel and sowing PANIC!!!!! all across Europe. “Yellow indicates ash that has fallen by itself, red ash that has fallen as a result of precipitation, and black where the ash cloud is at that moment in time.”

(Hat tip: InstaPundit.)

Looks like the ash cloud has made “landfall” in Newfoundland [UPDATE: Yup.] and possibly Nova Scotia. Is it headed toward New England??

P.S. Meanwhile, blogger Alan Sullivan, who has previously accused the Europeans of overreaction to what he says is an ash cloud incapable of bringing down an airplane — he doesn’t deny, of course, that ash clouds can do this, but says the intensity and elevation of this particular cloud are such that the concern is vastly overblown — writes that he is “pretty sure” the latest seismic data “means the eruption has entered a sub-Plinian phase. Yesterday’s thickening plume hinted at this, and I mentioned it in a post. This means continuous and copious ash ejection to a height of four miles of more. Upper winds will continue to move the ash toward Europe, and it might thicken enough to become a genuine problem, not just a psychological one.” Dunno if Sullivan’s right; hope he’s not.

UPDATE: It sounds like Sullivan is backing off the “sub-Plinian phase” talk:

[There is] dark, ash-rich emission being sheared away by the wind and racing SE away from the camera location, which is W of the volcano. The emission is much less than I expected, given the high tremor. … One expert speculation is that the eruption has entered an effusive phase. Lava is pouring from the vent(s) freely. No quakes because the conduit is flowing unimpeded. High tremor because a lot of lava is moving. Less plume because a lot of ice is gone now, and because the lava has largely degassed. Makes sense to me.

I just hope the ash cloud doesn’t reach New England, or that if it does, it doesn’t linger. I’m supposed to flying to Boston in three weeks for a visit with my folks.