One slight flap of the wings of a butterfly in a South American tropical rain forest has the potential to cause a hurricane in a faraway country. This is the famous "Butterfly Effect". The concept has been obvious in the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland.

The most direct hit sector is aviation. About 95-thousand flights were canceled between April 15th to the 20th. Experts estimate the aviation sector has lost 1.7 billion US dollars. Meanwhile industries related to aviation have also been affected, like logistics, tourism, and exports.

Nissan suspended work at two of its Japanese plants because of air transport disruptions in Europe. The car maker says it could not obtain air pressure sensors from an Irish maker. On Wednesday, the 36th Exhibition of Inventions kicked off in Geneva, but few people attended.

Smoke billows from a volcano in Eyjafjallajokull April 14, 2010. [China Daily]