CNN news 2010-04-21 加文本

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2010-04-21 cnn

A volcano in Iceland had been dormant for more than 180 years. But then a few weeks ago, this started. The volcano is erupting, and some scientists say it could last for more than a year. That's about how long it went the last time this happened，that was back in the 1820s. This time, the impact is being felt all across Europe. Here, you see London's Heathrow airport: planes on the ground, where you don't see them is in the sky. The UK is not alone in this. More than half a dozen countries cancelled flights yesterday. Up to 6,000 total across the European continent.

The problem is ash. When the volcano erupted, it sent this huge cloud of smoke and ash high up into the air. If a jet were to fly through that, it could cause the plane's engines to shut down. So, that's why there are so many cancellations. Rob Marciano looks at how weather and winds are playing a part in all of this.

The way the weather pattern is set up right now,and Iceland, obviously, to the north, but we've got this funky upper air pattern about 30,000 feet, which is where that ash went to and where .the jets fly. And it's scooting around towards Scandinavia,back through parts of the UK and also into other parts of Western Europe.

Here is the, here it is the infrared satellite picture. You see it right there,kind of heading this way,that's the,that's the cloud.