Sunday, November 27, 2011

Largest Underwater Volcanoes

From Silicon India News: Largest Underwater Volcanoes
Bangalore: Volcanoes have been a threat to human life and other species existing in the environment as they are unexpected. In the world there are many volcanoes that are active and eruption takes place anytime. Like them there are underwater volcanoes that cause heavy damage to the marine life when erupted.


As technology has developed these volcanic eruptions can be measured before and instructions are passed to avoid further life or property loses. Here are 10 Largest Underwater Volcanoes that are ready to snatch away lives as much as possible with their hot and poisonous gases.

Kolumbo, Santorini Island
This is one of the largest and active underwater volcanoes in the world. This volcano has not seen any major eruptions for long time but is said to be one of the most dangerous one. The active submarine volcano is located in Aegean Sea which is 8km northeast of cape Kolumbo of Santorini Island.


The diameter of the volcano is about 3 km with crater 1.5 km across. The last explosion happened in 1650 where the lava reached the surface of the sea and spread to the shores of Santorini which led to the death of about 70 people and several animals.

Mt Marsili, Europe
Europe’s largest submarine volcano is an active one, the scientists have stated. Mt Marsili is one of Europe’s largest submarine volcanoes which is active according to scientists who have been monitoring it continuously. This mountain rises to an altitude of 9800 feet from the Tyrrhenian Sea bed and can cause large tidal waves in southern Italy if there is an eruption.

Mount Marsili is a 3000-metre high seamount beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea, 150 km south-west of Naples. Marsili is active and recent research has indicated signs of restlessness.

Aleutian Islands, Alaska
The Aleutian Islands are a chain of rugged, volcanic islands curving 1,900 kilometer west from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula and approaching Russia's Komandorski Islands, separate the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean. Alaska has 43 of the nation's 53 historically active volcanoes.

The 2,500 km long Aleutian arc is a chain of large calc-alkaline, strato volcanoes with huge calderas. It is responsible for nearly all the historical volcanism of Alaska. Volcanoes on the Aleutian Islands, on the Alaska Peninsula, and in the Wrangell Mountains are part of the "Ring of Fire" that surrounds the Pacific Ocean basin.

There are more than 80 potentially active volcanoes in Alaska, about half of which have had at least one eruption since 1760, the date of the earliest written record of eruptions.

Morro Rock in California
Morro Rock is one of a line of ancient volcanic intrusions or sometimes called the Seven Sisters or The Nine Morros, depending on how many of the peaks are included in the count. They are a unique set of landmarks between the city of Morro Bay and the City of San Luis Obispo in California.

Morro Rock and indeed all of the Seven Sisters or The Nine Morros, are all volcanic necks, the rock that solidified in the "piping" of the volcano. It is a 576 feet tall plug of a volcano and is one of the series extending for many miles inland.

Heimaey, Iceland
Heimaey is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar group. An eruption began at Heimaey in 1973. A curtain of fire erupted 300-400 metres from Kirkjubair, the most easterly houses in the town. In six months a cone 225meter high was formed and 360 houses buried which is said to be a worst and impactable.

The 1973 eruption on the island of Heimaey is a classic example of the struggle between man and volcanoes. With a large effort the people of Iceland saved the town of Vestmannaeyjar and the country's most important fishing port.

Brothers volcano, New Zealand
Brothers is an active submarine caldera volcano in the Kermadec Arc, 400 km north east of White Island. It is an oval shape about 13 kilometer long and 8 kilometer wide. The 3 kilometer wide summit caldera has very steep walls 300-500 metres high.

The caldera floor is 1850m below sea level, and has a 350 meter high dome within it. The eruptive history, including that of any recent eruptions is still unknown. The crater walls reveal layers of dacite lava flows from which a later eruption has blown out a caldera.

Undersea volcanoes are not monitored by GNS Science, however they are a focus of current exploration. The spectacular minerals and marine life found around active undersea volcanoes may have economic and biotechnology benefits for New Zealand.

Kick ‘em Jenny, Caribbean Sea
Kick 'em Jenny is an underwater volcano 8 kilometer off the northern coast of the island of Grenada in the Caribbean. She has erupted at least 10 times since discovery in 1939 and has provided scientists with a rare opportunity to learn about the growth and gradual development of submarine volcanoes into islands.

The name Kick 'em Jenny is probably a reference to the force with which she erupted in 1939. Then, sizeable rocks were thrown as high as 300meter above the sea's level. Kick 'em Jenny is part of a chain of volcanoes known as the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc.

This arc is associated with a subduction zone at the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Plate. It is the southern-most active volcano in this arc, and is also the only active submarine volcano there. The summit of Kick 'em Jenny lay at 180-190meter below sea level.

Barren Island, Andaman Sea
Barren Island is an effusive as well as explosive stratovolcano in the Andaman Sea, northeastern Indian Ocean. It is the northernmost active volcano of the great Indonesian arc. The volcano is 3 km in diameter, has restricted public access, and no regular monitoring.

The volcano is known to have been active from 1787, when it produced basalt and basaltic andesite tephra and lava flows from a cinder cone located in a 2 km diameter caldera. The lavas flow into the sea through a breach in the caldera wall on the western side.

Barren Island is the only active volcano in the Indian Subcontinent, located 135 km east of Port Blair, in east Andaman Sea and is a part of Andaman Nicobar chain of islands in the Indian Ocean. The Barren Island lies on the inner arc extending between Sumatra and Myanmar. The volcano consists of a caldera open towards the west, with a central polygenetic vent enclosing at least 5 nested tuff cones.

South Pacific – Vailulu’u
Beneath the waves of the South Pacific lies a volcanic realm. It sits within the crater of a gigantic underwater mountain rising more than 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) from the ocean floor near the island of Samoa. The seamount, called Vailulu'u, is an active volcano, with a 2 mile wide (3.2 kilometer wide) crater.

The volcano rises up more than 16,400 feet from the seabed to within 2,000 feet of the ocean's surface. It is located 45 km east of Ta'u, the easternmost island of the Samoan chain. Vailulu'u is the youngest volcano in the Samoan volcanic chain and it contains an active hydrothermal system.

The volcano's base lies in 4800 m of water and summit is 590 m deep. The total volume of the volcano is 1050 cubic kilometer.

The Rumble III, New Zealand
The 2300meter Rumble III forms part of the Kermadec Ridge, a chain of 30 large underwater volcanoes that ascend from the ocean floor between New Zealand and Tonga. This area has the highest activity of submarine volcanoes. The Rumbles consist of five volcanoes, Rumble I to V.

The Rumble III seamount, the largest of the Rumbles seamount group along the South Kermadec Ridge, rises 2300 meter from the sea floor to within about 200 meter of the sea surface. Rumble III sits on the southern ridge of the Kermadec Arc of about 100 submarine volcanoes.

Rumble III has been the source of several submarine eruptions detected by hydrophone signals. Early surveys placed its depth at 117 meter, and later depths of about 200 meter, 140 meter, and 220 meter.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Colombia Raises Alert On Possible Galeras Volcano Eruption

From Bernama.com: Colombia Raises Alert On Possible Galeras Volcano Eruption
BOGOTA, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Colombia's National Geological System (SGN) on Friday has raised the alert level for the Galeras volcano located in the southern province of Narino after several quakes, reported China's Xinhua news agency.

The SGN also has ordered the evacuation of residents living in the vicinity of the slopes of the 4,276-meter high volcano, which sits close to the Colombian border with Ecuador, saying the series of quakes reported during the last 24 hours could be an indicator of an eruption.

SGN Director Martha Calvache said that SGN had raised the alert to level 2, which means that an eruption could happen in the next 48 hours.

In Aug 2010, the volcano erupted and spewed gases, ashes and rocks through a series of explosions.

The Galeras, which is just 9 km from Pasto, the provincial capital of Narino, has been active for years. It turned deadly in January 1993 when a group of geologists who were inspecting one of the craters were all killed by a sudden eruption.

Monday, November 21, 2011

New posting schedule

Sorry for the long delay in posting - had some family issues.

The posting schedule for this blog - starting this Wednesday, Nov 23, will be Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Thanks for your patience!

Friday, November 11, 2011

New amphitheater at Mount St. Helens observatory


From the Seattle Times: New amphitheater at Mount St. Helens observatory
ONGVIEW, Wash. —

Work on an amphitheater at the Johnston Ridge Observatory is nearly completed, just as the volcano visitors' center prepares to shut down Oct. 30 for the winter.

The Daily News reports the amphitheater is part of $600,000 in improvements to the Forest Service observatory this year.

It will seat more than 100 for outdoor presentations about the volcano.

http://mountsthelens.com/

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Teens take science lesson at Mount St. Helens

From Seattle PO: Teens take science lesson at Mount St. Helens
LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Keith Reitz woke up at 4 a.m. Tuesday, eager for the chance to visit Mount St. Helens for the first time.

Five hours and two bus trips later, the Naselle High School sophomore was standing near the banks of Coldwater Lake, testing nitrogen levels of water samples taken from the 200-foot deep water body the volcano created 31 years ago.

He seemed indifferent to the swirling winds, the driving rain and the fact that the volcano was completely hidden by the clouds.

"It's kind of cool thinking how much this place has changed in this little amount of time," the 15-year old said.

Reitz and about 30 other students from a half-dozen local high schools are participating in a pilot program that introduces them to science-related careers. Paid for by a federal grant and organized by the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, the program mainly targets students who have shown an interest in careers in science, math or technology. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates demand for workers in those fields will increase 70 percent in just three years.

Reitz, who is taking biology this semester at Naselle, said he's considered pursuing a career in ecology, possibly studying rivers.

"Science has always been my strong suit," Rietz said. "I wanted to come out here and see what scientists do and see if that's what I want to do as a career."

That's one of the messages that scientists, rangers and volunteers were hoping to get across Tuesday, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Ken Sandusky. The Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Mount St. Helens Institute teamed up to offer about six hours of teaching and hands-on activities in the blast zone.

Tuesday was day one of the two-day program. Students will gather at a Lower Columbia College science lab to study soil and water samples taken from the volcano blast zone and to compare them with samples collected from the Longview area.

At Coldwater Lake, Forest Service Ranger David Butler showed students how to test water samples to indicate whether water might be suitable for drinking or agricultural use, or whether a lake might sustain a healthy fish population.

Just off the Hummocks Trail, Forest Service scientist Peter Frenzen described how plant life has rebounded near the trail, which traverses billions of tons of debris that tumbled off the volcano during its eruption on May 18, 1980. He showed students how to study a plot of land to accurately determine the density of a particular type of plant.

"They learn about science concepts in high school, but they don't really see where it applies," said Mary Brown, the workforce council's director of strategic initiatives. "This shows them what you can do."

Nearly one-third of the students were visiting Mount St. Helens for the first time, organizers said.

The event was funded with a portion of a $2 million Department of Labor grant the workforce council received in 2009. It is aimed at preparing workers for jobs that require science, technology, math or engineering skills. Last year, the group organized a technology-focused workshop at Lower Columbia College. The grant money is spread out to offer programs at high schools throughout Southwest Washington and parts of Oregon.

The three-year grant runs out after this year, but the workforce council hopes to find other funding to make the program an annual offering, Brown said.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to continue this," she said.

For Reitz, the Naselle student, the experience gave him a different view of science and scientists.

"I'm seeing that they're not always just sitting in labs," he said.

Canary Islands: Two New Eruptions Observed in Subsea Volcano

From International Business Times: Canary Islands: Two New Eruptions Observed in Subsea Volcano
Two new volcanic eruptions were confirmed on Wednesday (Oct 11) off the south coast of the Canary Island of El Hierro.

Nearly 600 people from the southernmost village, La Restinga, remained out of their homes Thursday after they were evacuated on Tuesday.

Seismologists have found two separate fissures less than 2.3 miles and 1.7 miles from La Restinga.

"I confirm the existence of two points of volcanic eruption at El Hierro," Laura Otero, a spokeswoman for the local authorities, told AFP.

The first eruption occurred at a depth of 700 meters (2,300 feet) and the other at a depth of 200 meters (655 feet).

Scientists from ING, CSIC, and the University of Cadiz are trying to determine if the subsea volcanic vent is widening and, if so, if it is widening in the direction of El Hierro.

Geophysicist Carmen Lopez confirmed that there is a single eruption with two points of emission of underwater nature, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.

Must Read
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Italy Borrowing Rates Surge to Record High; End of Berlusconi?
U.S. Budget$4 Trillion Debt Reduction Goal: Does Congress Sense the Bond Vigilantes?
Sponsorship Link

Like us on Facebook

Authorities detected a sulfur odor in the area and have also spotted numerous dead fish floating on the surface. Scientists said the fish were likely killed by gas escaping from the subsea volcano.

A spokesman for a volcanology institute, David Calvo, told Spanish National Radio on Thursday that while authorities remain vigilant, there was no cause for alarm.

Because the eruptions eased pressure in the area, further evacuations were unlikely.

Several tourists along with the 570 residents of La Restinga were evacuated on Tuesday after a 4.3-magnitude quake the previous day.

El Hierro, the smallest of the Canaries, has experienced over 10,000 earthquakes since July 19, a signal that magma is rising toward the Earth's surface.

The volcanic eruption near El Hierro on Monday was Spain's first since the 1971 eruption of the Teneguia Volcano on the nearby island of La Palma.

Some took to message boards on Tuesday and Wednesday claiming that a landslide in the Canary Islands could cause a mega-tsunami that would devastate the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.

An infamous BBC documentary "Horizon" explained that if earthquakes or volcanic eruptions struck La Palma -- just north of El Hierro -- there was a possibility that a large part of the island would slide into the ocean and trigger a huge tidal wave that could travel across the Atlantic in six hours.

Findings by the scientists behind the claims have since been widely dismissed.

Reports came in on Monday from crews aboard four separate ships that noticed the presence of dead fish floating on the surface. Pointing to "uncertainty over the coming days," authorities raised the warning level to "red alert" on Tuesday for La Restinga, while the rest of the island remained just below that on "yellow alert."

After Spain's Instituto Geographico Nacional (IGN) confirmed that an underwater eruption was occurring about three miles off the southern coast, local authorities summoned everyone in the area to a local football field on Tuesday and announced that they would evacuate the residents and tourists in La Restinga because of the risk of another eruption closer to the coast.

"Facing a change in the seismic event that is affecting El Hierro Island, and as a preventative measure, we are carrying out the relocation of the population of La Restinga," a local government spokesman said in a statement.

La Restinga is the southernmost town in the Canaries.

Most of the evacuees found refuge with friend and relatives in other villages, though dozens of others, mostly tourists, spent Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in a student dormitory and a local gym.

78 people are in shelters, 31 of which are tourists, according to Typically Spanish News.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Canary Islands government said that although no specific changes have been observed since Tuesday evening, precautions remain in effect:

"Among the security measures to ensure the safety of the population remains the designation by the Maritime Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife maritime exclusion zone which is closed to shipping, fishing, diving, sports or recreation in the area within a radius of four nautical miles from the tip of La Restinga."

Ferry crossings to the island also remain suspended.

People were, however, allowed to return to their homes on Wednesday under the protection of civil safety officials to retrieve medicines, clothing, and other necessities.

El Hierro, which means iron is Spanish, was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve in 2000 with 60% of its territory protected. Although over 200 years have elapsed since the last eruption, El Hierro has the largest number of volcanoes in the Canaries with over 500 open sky cones, another 300 covered by the most recent outflows, and some 70 caves and volcanic galleries.

El Hiero is home to roughly 11,000 residents. It is currently the most volcanically active of the Canaries.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Watch out for that volcano: Mini golf Master's tournament being staged in SC

From The Republic: Watch out for that volcano: Mini golf Master's tournament being staged in SC
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Golfers in North Myrtle Beach are playing around a simulated volcano as the U.S. Pro Minigolf Masters tournament gets under way.

http://prominigolf.com/rumble.html

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports that 80 golfers from around the world are participating in the tournament that continues through Saturday.

It's being played at Hawaiian Rumble Golf that features a 40-foot tall simulated volcano that erupts every 20 minutes with flames shooting from the top.

Richard Lockner of Sweden is back to defend his title as is last year's runner-up Olivia Prokopva of the Czech Republic. The winner gets $4,000 and a green jacket.

Clue to Climate-Changing Super Volcanic Eruptions Found

From International Business Times: Clue to Climate-Changing Super Volcanic Eruptions Found
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) claim to have found the possible cause for "super-eruptions" in massive volcanoes on the Earth that occur every 100,000 years and are known to induce planetary climate change.

A model presented by researchers at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis suggest that a combination of temperature influence and the geometrical configuration of the magma chamber is a potential cause for these super-eruptions, OSU said in a news release Wednesday.

According to Patricia Trish Gregg, the lead author of the modeling study, the creation of a ductile halo of rock around the magma chamber allows the pressure to build over tens of thousands of years, resulting in extensive uplifting in the roof above the magma chamber and eventually causing eruption.

Researchers of the study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, said the super-eruption of major volcanic systems on the Earth could trigger climate change by inducing Ice Ages and other impacts.

"Short of a meteor impact, these super-eruptions are the worst environmental hazards our planet can face. Huge amounts of material are expelled, devastating the environment and creating a gas cloud that covers the globe for years," Gregg said.

Huckleberry Ridge eruption of present-day Yellowstone Park was one such eruptions that happened about two million years ago and was over 2,000 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington.

Gregg said that super-volcano eruptions had occurred from time to time throughout history and the magma reservoirs feeding the eruptions could be as large as 10,000 to 15,000 square cubic kilometers.

The Yellowstone eruption was one of the largest super-volcano events in history and it had happened several times but it didn't appear that Yellowstone was primed for another super-eruption anytime soon, though the slow process of volcanic uplift was taking place every day, she added.

Other super-volcano sites include Lake Toba in Sumatra, the central Andes Mountains, New Zealand and Japan.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Edinburgh, Scotland: Call for runners for special light event in Edinburgh

From BBC News: Call for runners for special light event in Edinburgh

The search has been launched for thousands of Scottish runners who will help light up Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

Speed of Light is one of four projects commissioned in Scotland to celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games.

Every night for three weeks next August, hundreds of runners in special lightsuits will run across the extinct volcano to create a light display.

The routes the runners will follow will be specially choreographed.

The company behind the project, Glasgow based public arts charity NVA, have now launched their search for participants.
Visual statement

Each runner must have the stamina to complete a 3-5km (2-3mls) hill run.

There is also a £10 registration fee.

In addition to runners, audience members, 800 per night, will be integral to the event.

Columbus, OH: Volcanos, waterfalls, tiki torches – Lessner’s latest downtown eatery boasts Polynesian flair

Everyone loves a volcano!

From Columbus Business First: Volcanos, waterfalls, tiki torches – Lessner’s latest downtown eatery boasts Polynesian flair
Elizabeth Lessner hopes her newest restaurant venture is a blast. The co-founder of the five-restaurant Columbus Food League is adding a sixth eatery to the portfolio.

The Grass Skirt seeks to revive the fire-and-tiki kitsch of tiki bars of yore with Polynesian fare and flair at 105 N. Grant Street in spring 2012. “We’re working on a volcano,” Lessner said. “We can’t promise it yet because it may not work.”

Also part of the South Pacific plans — steaming drinks, a waterfall, Spam, pineapples and maraschino cherries. “We all grew up loving the Kahiki,” she said of the once-popular Columbus restaurant that lives on as a frozen food brand. “We try to find niches. Our restaurant group goes for a fun vibe.” The venture includes the rest of the Columbus Food League team — Carmen Owens, Amy Brennick, Tim Lessner and Harold LaRue. One appeal of the old MadLab Theater and Gallery space was that it was a high-ceiling and open space — giving the business brain trust the freedom to be more creative, including not just the Polynesian decor but the ability to build the kitchen from scratch.

Menu details still are in the works, but pricing will be affordable, Lessner said.

The Grant Street location, which will be next door to the new downtown Hills Market, also hopes to be a lunch and dinner draw for students at nearby Columbus State Community College and the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Underwater volcano creates a brand new Canary Island

From Travel.aol.co.uk: Underwater volcano creates a brand new Canary Island

An underwater volcano near the Canary Islands has been releasing so much lava that it could protrude so far above the Atlantic Ocean it creates a brand new island.

It has been growing steadily over the last three weeks, and is already 100 metres above sea level. Another 150 metres would see it becoming the Canary Island's first new holiday hotspot for over a million years.

The volcano is situated off the coast of El Hierro, the most southern Canary Island, and is causing the ground to shake several times a day.

Experts say it currently only poses a risk to the immediate area around it, but a submarine taking pictures of the ocean floor is monitoring the situation.

However, a cloud of ash bigger than El Hierro itself is floating off the island, and schools of dead fish have been spotted on the sea surface.

Although it sounds scary, fresh magma flow is responsible for creating the archipelago, and is also a huge factor in protecting the Canaries from coastal erosion.

The Canary Island's local residents are already mulling over names for the potential new island, with some including The Discovery, Atlantis and The Best, according to the report in the Daily Mail.

The Canary Islands, located 100km northwest of the Africa's mainland, are a major tourist attraction.

Over 12 million holidaymakers flock to the islands every year to enjoy the subtropical climate, beaches and natural attractions, like the Teide National Park and Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain and the third tallest volcano in the world.