Pitt expert keeps eye on second volcano in Iceland Lightning can
be seen amid the lava and ash erupting from the vent of the
Eyjafjoll volcano in central Iceland in April. Dr. Michael
Ramsey, a University of Pittsburgh volcanologist, keeps tabs on
volcano eruptions around the world from his Pittsburgh office.
Share with others: As the Icelandic volcano that shut down
European airports for a week last month continues to calm down,
attention has turned to a neighboring mountain that is
potentially much more devastating. From his lab in Oakland,
University of Pittsburgh volcanologist Michael Ramsey is helping
to monitor the situation by aiming a thermal infrared camera on
a NASA satellite at the volcanoes, providing data crucial to
understanding what is going on and what might happen. With the
Eyjafjoll volcano cooling down -- a fact in part confirmed by
the thermal images -- "the most critical thing right now is
watching the other volcano and making sure there's no hot spot
there," said Dr. Ramsey, who is the d