Volcanic ash is a mixture of rock, mineral, and glass particles expelled from a volcano during a volcanic eruption., Volcanic ash is not the product of combustion, like the soft fluffy material created by burning wood, leaves, or paper, but rather consists of fragments of rocks, minerals, and volcanic glass ranging in size from sand to clay-like (from 2 mm (1/12 in) to less than 0.004 mm (1/256th in) in diameter)., Megadrought Reveals Volcanic Ash at Lake Mead, Giving Us a Better Look at the Lake's Past Learn more about the volcanic ash researchers found in the sediment around Lake Mead’s now exposed shoreline, and how it could help us in the future., Volcanic ash refers to unconsolidated particles of rock, glass, pumice, and crystals <2 mm ejected into the air during volcanic eruptions., Ash endangers aviation and infrastructure Ashfall rarely endangers human lives, but it can have devastating effects on the things that we rely upon from day to day. As a result of its fine-grained abrasive character and widespread distribution by wind, ashfall and volcanic ash clouds are a major hazard to aviation. The primary hazard from Alaska volcanoes is ashclouds impacting aviation and , .