2010 April 14 - 25. Eyjafjallajökull eruption

I had to include the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Due to all the ash being dispersed into the air, the European airspace shut down over the weekend, affecting millions of travelers around the world, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, and UK. Work was sooo busy. It so happened, at the same time, France's train system decided to strike! Getting in and out of some countries was impossible. We had psgrs renting cars and then driving from France to Spain, just to get to any airport still open, it was crazy!
Some restricted airspace is now beginning to open up and some limited flights are being allowed now as airlines are pushing for the ability to judge safety conditions for themselves. The volcano continues to rumble and hurl ash skyward, if at a slightly diminished rate now, as the dispersing ash plume has dropped closer to the ground. The ash was affected everyone, the World Health Organization issued a health warning to Europeans with respiratory conditions. Here are some images from Iceland over the past few days

The ash plume of southwestern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano streams southwards over the Northern Atlantic Ocean in a satellite photograph made April 17, 2010.

This aerial image shows the crater spewing ash and plumes of grit at the summit of the volcano Saturday, April 17, 2010.

On Friday, April 16, 2010. Thick drifts of volcanic ash blanketed parts of rural Iceland as a vast, invisible plume of grit drifted over Europe, emptying the skies of planes and sending hundreds of thousands in search of hotel rooms, train tickets or rental cars. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti).

Lightning streaks across the sky as lava flows the volcano on April 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
Here is some info I found on the eruption:
The eruption occurred beneath glacial ice. The cold water from the melting ice chilled the lava quickly, causing it to fragment into very small particles of glass (silica) and ash, which were carried into the eruption plume. Due to the extremely fine nature of the ash particles and the large volume of steam produced from the glacial melt water, an ash plume that is hazardous to aircraft was rapidly sent high into the upper atmosphere.[9] The presence and location of the plume depended upon the state of the eruption and the winds. Because of the unusually stable, south-easterly path of the Jet Stream, and because of the large quantity of glacial melt water flowing into the eruption vent, this eruption became sufficiently explosive that it was able to inject its ash plume directly into the jet stream.[10] The ash was then carried over Europe into some of the busiest airspace in the world.
Here are all the airports that were affected by the eruption:

• Cities: EDI / GLA / DUB / BFS / SNN / MAN / BHX / LHR / BRS / ARN / OSL / CPH / AMS / BRU / CDG / TXL / HAM / FRA / MUC / MXP / GVA / ZRH

• Travel Dates: Thu. 4/15/2010 through Thu. 4/22/10
Everyone was so happy when the air finally cleared and flights were able to resume there routes!