Episode 201 • • 24:46 - 30:18
201: The Reluctant Spy
Ashmageddon, Icelandic Volcano, Delta Airlines Meteorology
An interview with Delta Airlines' chief meteorologist reveals that the shutdown of European airspace due to the Icelandic volcano was based on theoretical computer models rather than observational data. The 2010 ash cloud is compared to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, noting that the latter involved a much larger volume of ash but did not result in a total airspace closure.