31.   The long-abandoned capital lies in ruins, destroyed a week ago by a tide of volcanic ash and superheated gas.

32.   The Mexico City airport, closed Monday night because of the peril volcanic ash poses airplane engines, reopened Tuesday morning.

33.   The most reliable means of dating such ancient material is to determine the age of volcanic ash in the sediments, but none is associated with the Solo specimens.

34.   Train conductors used to point out the piles of volcanic ash and mud that line the banks of the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers.

35.   Uranium, arsenic, selenium and other elements from the volcanic ash leached down and concentrated in the bedrock.

36.   Walter is a geologist who was in charge of dating the jaw, based on an analysis of volcanic ash just above it.

37.   Volcanic ash from the Soufriere Hills volcano has rained down on islands as far away as St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands.

38.   When the hatchlings emerge from the volcanic ash, they have to scramble to avoid hawks that are patrolling the area like supermarket shoppers.

39.   Passenger jeeps kicked up volcanic ash, farmers rode water buffalos to fields.

40.   Previously, most Montserratians lived and worked in the once-verdant south, which is now buried under volcanic ash.