Iceland Volcano Eruption Eyjafjallajökull

Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull Volcano produced its second major ash plume of 2010 beginning on May 7. When the first ash eruption began on April 14, air travel across most of Europe was shut down, but by the time of the second eruption, forecasters were better prepared to predict the spread of volcanic ash. Despite some airport closures and flight cancellations, most air passengers completed their journeys with minimal delay.
Among the key pieces of information that a computer model must have to predict the spread of ash is when the eruption happened, how much ash was ejected, and how high the plume got. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite collected data on ash height when it passed just east of the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano mid-morning on May 7.

See http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=43968