Forecasting resuspended ash clouds in Iceland at the London VAAC

Explosive volcanic eruptions can leave behind widespread ash deposits that can subsequently be remobilised during strong winds. The London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), based at the Met Office UK, provides forecasts for resuspended ash clouds in southern Iceland. In this article we consider a significant resuspended ash event on 24 April 2017, which was captured by the London VAAC forecast. We examine the meteorological observations and NWP data from the event and identify specific synoptic conditions conducive to significant remobilisation of volcanic ash in southern Iceland. These criteria will help forecasters to predict resuspended ash events in the future.