Volcanic ash from Iceland

The huge plume of ash thrown from the Icelandic volcano that has closed airports across Europe, may at last be dying down.

Scientists have revealed that although the volcano created powerful new tremors today, the eruptions are weakening and it is finally emitting less dangerous dust.

The cloud rising above the Eyjafjallajökull crater is now reaching a height of around 9,800ft according to the UK Met Office. Although a new eruption has pushed that back up to 13,000ft

Last week the tower of dangerous ash was 36,000ft high.

However, weather patterns continue to blow volcanic ash towards the UK.

Still British experts today said they were 'cautiously optimistic' that the ash could be on the wane.

Dr David Rothery, from the UK's Open University said: 'There is no high ash column rising above the vent.

'If this persists then the high altitude ash cloud will be starved of fresh air and eventually disperse.'

An official at Iceland's Met Office said ash production had fallen sharply and the nature of the eruption appeared to be changing.

'Our web cameras show that there is not much ash but mostly steam now,' said the geologist Hjorleifur Sveinbjornsson.

'The colour of the steam is brown but also quite white so it is more like water vaporising.'

Ash from an erupting volcano blanketed the ground in Iceland on Friday and left a widening trail of grounded aircraft across Europe, as thousands of planes stayed on the tarmac to avoid the hazardous cloud.

World airlines say they are losing at least $200 million in revenue a day. The Geneva-based International Air Transport Association said airlines will also face additional costs for rerouting aircraft and caring for stranded passengers and planes.

p/s: is the world come to an end?