The Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in April 2010— Photo Courtesy of Henrik Thorburn/Wikipedia Commons
DMT probes are taking a leading role in measuring ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
On April 19, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) sent a Falcon 20E research aircraft over the volcano to assess the cloud’s size and composition. Onboard the Falcon were two DMT instruments that measured particles in the 0.1 – 20 micron range. Because these probes analyze the ambient air, the plane actually had to fly in the volcano plume for a period of time. See a description and pictures of the flight mission.
The chief scientist from the German team, Dr. Bernadett Weinzierl, lived in Boulder in 2008 and 2009 when she served as a post-doctorate research fellow at DMT. Dr. Weinzierl studies sub-Saharan dust plumes and atmospheric black carbon, an important factor in climate change.
The German researchers are not the only ones interested in using DMT’s instruments to assess
the volcano’s impact. Since the eruption, the company has received inquiries from Italy, the United Kingdom, and within the United States from scientists who want to study the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. “We have the trust of the scientific community because we’ve worked with them for 23 years,” says DMT CEO John Lovett. “And the Icelandic volcano presents a unique research opportunity.”
|
Applications