Everyone is aware that the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull has caused havoc.  However, a nearby volcano, Katia, is showing signs of also becoming active.  If Katia erupts, this could lower worldwide temperatures by 2-3 degrees. If this causes further melting of Icelands icecaps, further volcanic action could occur. If this happens poisonous gases would be spewed into Iceland's atmosphere at unsafe levels, sulfuric acid would build up in the atmosphere which will affect weather and cause acid rain (similar to what happens in Hawaii) which will affect vegetation and livestock.

As it is, European Airlines have been immediately affected.  They are losing money through both, loss of flights and payments to stranded passengers.  Additionally, European tourism is affected.

Other economies, such as Africa, which exports flowers to Europe are being affected as flowers are literally stuck and rotting in warehouses.  Other exports to Europe from countries around the world are also affected.

Just curious what everyone thinks the worldwide effects on economy, and US economy, will be;

A). eruption of Eyjafjallajökul alone

B). If Katia also erupts

Looking for opinions from experts and ordinary people.

Sinthia

What a cheerful post. Hell, I was simply checking out the Chicago Board with anticipation of my volcanic eruptions scheduled for next week. Now I'm depressed.  If Katia erupts and STP doesn't I'm gonna be pissed !!

Artificial loss of demand for European products due to not being able to export/transport as many goods. Short the euro and the pound. Make money and see more providers.

Yes I agree it has hit the big business pretty hard but I can't help to think of the how that big money runs down the hill or should I say volcano?

It starts off large amount on the top but by the time it hits bottom there is nothing left for the people down ther!

All the families, children the small businesses they will hurt those worse than others, since few of the ppl in those contries are just seeing something better for their lives and now this disaster?

Since they started farming and learning a new way of life planting flowers, herding, coffee and whatever they grew, but now?

I know the black market will profit!  the animals were making small progress from being used as bush meat and thier body parts for you name it!
The poaching will be back up, that is if the plants and animals survive this one but if the other one goes, I don't know, think a lot will be destroyed and people will die.
The ice caps and such are just the tip of ice berg ha ha!
The devesation will last long enough with just this one but if the other more go, it will be absolutely horrid for all.
so much more will be lost than monies.

Spewing hot sticky liquid into the atmosphere.  Residents in nearby towns are warned to stay inside, or at least carry an umbrella!  

Dry cleaners are looking forward to an increase in business, and it won't be limited to blue silk dresses ala Monica!

Department of Streets and San have put on extra crews.

Outdoor recess will be cancelled at neighborhood schools to protect the children.  Window washers will be put on alert, squeegies in hand, to clean the thick gooey mess.

A mini-economic boom amongst the cleaning and sanitation industries is expected.  Servicemaster projects a $4 per share increase.  Buy low, sell high. Waste Management has biohazzard crews on standby.

Mayor Daley has stated, in a Press Conference, that Mount STP is unpredictable and building up pressure!  

This has been message from the Emergency Broadcast System!

Sin -
I'm somewhere between an expert and a civilian.  Modeling movement of particulate matter and gases in the atmosphere is extremely difficult.  In fact, we can barely do it.  Look at how much trouble we have with just one part of the atmosphere - the troposphere, where weather forms.  The meterologists where I worked basically laughed at themselves over their limitations.
My answer?  It's not good, no one knows how bad, but at least it won't be like Pompeii.

Katia is relatively close to the erupting volcano (avoiding its name, lol) and its cracks and fissures are stressed as well. Europe can ill afford another week of ash and air travel problems with three countries on the verge of bankruptcy already. The Iceland volcano hasn't affected American air travel nearly as much as northern Europe and that would likely be the case if Katia eventually erupts. Short term, not much of an effect on the US economy, long term it'll hurt us but not as badly as Europe.

Volcanic activity takes place daily, whether deep in the oceans or with the current phenomenon we are experiencing in Iceland. The change in temperature is not like that of a nuclear winter.  However, more from an economic perspective, the airlines are being cautious and as you mentioned that has had some effect on the economies of affected countries...slightly.  What is more likely to happen is a rise in insurance premiums because most of the economic losses are already underwritten. Yes, a quick blip in some prices, but there are still suppliers from other parts of the world that fill in the void.

More of an annoyance for travelers that a major economic issue.

It's the beginning of the end like Jack van Impe has been saying for 20 years! Perfect timing, since the anti christ has take the Presidency, (or so I remmeber the wacked out Christians claiming), and the Militia groups are getting  geared up. Armageddon here we come!!!!

Wait, that would mean that I can not pay the mortgage, see 2-3 providers per day, and have a great ending....doesn't sound so bad .

but I appreciate the image..LOL

The way the world works these days...

This will just be cause for another round of bailouts.  

Slow economies will stay slow...

As I cheated and checked before I posted.  Lol

At least in this context.

If Katia erupts like it has before once the volcano now erupting went off.  The effects of both volcano (Katia is much larger) will drastically affect Europe and Asia, including India and, perhaps, China.  Last year you may recall spectacular sunsets with vivid purples.  That was caused by a volcano central Russia that erupted the winter before last.  The current eruptions will bring us some marvelous sunsets.

When a volcano erupts, its ash reaches high into the atmosphere and can spread to cover the whole Earth. This ash cloud blocks out some of the incoming solar radiation, leading to worldwide cooling that can last up to two years after an eruption. Also emitted by eruptions is sulfur in the form of SO2 gas. When this gas reaches the stratosphere, it turns into sulfuric acid particles, which reflect the sun's rays, further reducing the amount of radiation reaching Earth's surface. The 1815 eruption of Tambora in Indonesia blanketed the atmosphere with ash; the following year, 1816, came to be known as the Year Without a Summer, when frost and snow were reported in June and July in both New England and Northern Europe.

The Year Without a Summer (also known as the Poverty Year, Year There Was No Summer and Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death[1]) was 1816, in which severe summer climate abnormalities destroyed crops in Northern Europe, the Northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Average global temperatures decreased about 0.4–0.7 °C (0.7–1.3 °F),[4] enough to cause significant agricultural problems around the globe.

Historian John D. Post has called this "the last great subsistence crisis in the Western world".

Most consider the climate anomaly to have been caused by a combination of an historic low in solar activity with a volcanic winter event; the latter caused by a succession of major volcanic eruptions capped off by the Mount Tambora eruption of 1815, the largest known eruption in over 1,600 years.

Volcano Eyjafjallajokul may cause even more distress, which is located 20 km Katla volcano, whose eruption may be 10 times stronger. This could be the worst scenario for the airline industry and travel the world.

Both volcanoes are located side by side in South Iceland and are probably related to magmatic network of channels. Therefore, regardless of reports that the activity of Eyjafjallajokul weakens, magma underneath moving and possibly killed elsewhere.

Katla erupting approximately every 80 years and the last time this happened in 1918 are currently no signs of this happening, but volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, it is difficult to provide state scientists. At the same time five medium-sized and smaller European airlines face bankruptcy after prolonged closure of European airspace due to the cloud of Icelandic volcano.

After the biggest crisis in air transport, which lasted over a week, European airlines have lost more than $ 200 million per day.

At the end of last week's loss to the airlines, accumulated over the closure of airspace over Europe, flew one billion dollars.

Some pretty horrific photos.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html