My mom, who is 75, wants to go up to teeny tiny town near Rapid City,
to see her sister, who is 80. They live in a house in the boonies and
have no internet.
I'll be back online on Monday the 24th and promise not to miss another day.
Please bear with me, your patience is appreciated!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Colombia volcano erupts, prompts evacuations
From Reuters: Colombia volcano erupts, prompts evacuations
(Reuters) - Colombia evacuated people from communities close to the Nevado del Ruiz volcano after an eruption on Saturday that spewed smoke and ash from its crater, bringing back memories of avalanches that in 1985 buried tens of thousands under rocks.
President Juan Manuel Santos said on his Twitter account that the area around the Nevado del Ruiz, in the central spine of Colombia's Andean mountain range, had been put on red alert and people should leave the area.
Even as volcanic activity began to subside, emergency services urged 4,800 residents in Caldas and nearby Tolima province to get to safety, according to Carlos Ivan Marquez, who heads the security effort. The volcano is about 110 miles west of the capital Bogota.
"It's fundamental that communities near to the volcano follow all security recommendations; that means preventative evacuations and that people remain calm," Marquez said.
Communities around the volcano, also known by the indigenous name Kumanday, usually heed government warnings to flee as memories remain fresh of the 1985 tragedy that killed as many as 25,000 and injured 5,000.
Back then, as the 17,400-feet (5,300-metre) volcano erupted, mud, rocks and lava exploded from the mountain and collapsed onto the valley town of Armero as residents slept, killing almost all who lived there.
(Reuters) - Colombia evacuated people from communities close to the Nevado del Ruiz volcano after an eruption on Saturday that spewed smoke and ash from its crater, bringing back memories of avalanches that in 1985 buried tens of thousands under rocks.
President Juan Manuel Santos said on his Twitter account that the area around the Nevado del Ruiz, in the central spine of Colombia's Andean mountain range, had been put on red alert and people should leave the area.
Even as volcanic activity began to subside, emergency services urged 4,800 residents in Caldas and nearby Tolima province to get to safety, according to Carlos Ivan Marquez, who heads the security effort. The volcano is about 110 miles west of the capital Bogota.
"It's fundamental that communities near to the volcano follow all security recommendations; that means preventative evacuations and that people remain calm," Marquez said.
Communities around the volcano, also known by the indigenous name Kumanday, usually heed government warnings to flee as memories remain fresh of the 1985 tragedy that killed as many as 25,000 and injured 5,000.
Back then, as the 17,400-feet (5,300-metre) volcano erupted, mud, rocks and lava exploded from the mountain and collapsed onto the valley town of Armero as residents slept, killing almost all who lived there.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Cascades Volcano Observatory watches more than NW
From Seattle Times: Cascades Volcano Observatory watches more than NW
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Cascades Volcano Observatory's name suggests an entirely Northwest focus. The file cabinets in John Ewert's office suggest otherwise.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Cascades Volcano Observatory's name suggests an entirely Northwest focus. The file cabinets in John Ewert's office suggest otherwise.
A handwritten label on one drawer simply reads "Colombia." Another points to the southwest Pacific. Ecuador. Peru. Each refers to a far-away place the observatory's scientists have watched over the years, often traveling to support local authorities when a potentially dangerous volcano starts acting up.
Of course, Cascades Volcano Observatory scientists also keep a constant, close eye on the mountains in their own backyard. To walk the halls of the observatory's Vancouver headquarters is to be surrounded by a visual history of each volcano, particularly the Northwest's most famous, Mount St. Helens. This month, Washington marks Volcano Awareness Month as the anniversary of the mountain's catastrophic May 18, 1980, eruption approaches.
"It really started modern volcanology," said Ewert, the observatory's scientist-in-charge.
When the Cascades are relatively quiet - as they are now - volcanoes generally don't land high on people's list of day-to-day concerns, said John Pallister, chief of the observatory's Volcano Disaster Assistance Program. But that doesn't mean communities shouldn't be ready, he said. An active volcano may only give a few days' warning before waking up.
"It's important to have established monitoring systems before a crisis," Pallister said. "That can be a tough sell if there hasn't been a crisis in a while."
The Cascades Volcano Observatory is one of only five volcanic observatories operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. It and other facilities combine a variety of disciplines to keep a finger on the pulse of mountains near and far, and advance ongoing research to better understand them. Among the Vancouver office's 55 or so staff are geologists, seismologists, hydrologists, petrologists and others.
The facility's operations room offers a real-time look at Northwest mountains' constant rumblings. Sixteen flat-screen monitors display seismic readings from several Washington and Oregon peaks, mounted around a pair of digital clocks.
At first glance, the readings may look more dire than they actually are. That's because outside forces such as wind, footsteps or helicopters can kick up "noise" on the graphs. A sort of cheat sheet on the wall shows how to recognize them.
"After awhile, you kind of train your eye to see these things," said Carolyn Driedger, an observatory hydrologist and outreach coordinator.
Seismologist Seth Moran is one of the scientists responsible for monitoring Northwest volcanoes' activities daily. It's no surprise that Mount St. Helens is the best equipped with monitoring gear, but Moran said he'd like to see better investments and equipment at some of the Northwest's other peaks - Oregon's Mount Hood and Washington's Glacier Peak among them.
Like other observatory scientists, Moran tackles regular research and projects as part of his day-to-day work. But when a Northwest volcano does something out of the ordinary - as Mount St. Helens did during its last eruptive phase between 2004 and 2008 - that changes.
"Everything drops," Moran said.
Outside the Northwest, the Cascades Volcano Observatory's international efforts remain active. Several local scientists were recently dispatched to Indonesia for "infrastructure building" to help authorities there monitor volcanic threats. Another group traveled to Colombia to help keep tabs on Nevado del Ruiz, a volcano recently showing signs of a possible eruption.
Both locations are familiar hot spots. Indonesia is among the most geologically active places in the world, and a densely populated landscape only adds to the risk of disaster, Pallister said. It's also been the site of success stories - as recently as 2010, an evacuation ahead of a major eruption saved thousands of lives, he said.
Colombia's Nevado del Ruiz helped spur international action more than two decades ago, after a 1985 eruption and subsequent mud and debris flow that killed more than 23,000 people. The Volcanic Disaster Assistance Program started the following year.
Volcanic activity doesn't always result in that kind of calamity. Many events are much more docile. But just because a mountain isn't erupting doesn't mean it's not talking, Moran said.
"Volcanoes are constantly chattering away," Moran said. "And when they're chattering, we have to pay attention."
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Volcano monitoring battery stolen
From the Philippines Star: Volcano monitoring battery stolen
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – A 22-year-old man was arrested for possessing a battery used to power a station monitoring Mayon volcano.
Albay police director Superintendent William Macavinta said Jomar Ramirez, a resident of Barangay Sto. Niño in Sto. Domingo, Albay, had offered to sell the battery to a junk shop.
Suspecting that Ramirez could be one of those reported in the media to have stolen batteries and other gadgets installed at the foot of Mayon volcano, the junk shop owner reported the matter to the police, he added.
Macavinta said a police team immediately went to the residence of Ramirez, where they found him in possession of the battery.
Volcanologist Alex Baloloy identified the battery as having been stolen a week ago, he added.
Macavinta said Ramirez remains in the custody of the Sto. Domingo police for further investigation. “We hope that he would pinpoint who are his accomplices,” he said.
Meanwhile, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the Bicol Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had already passed a resolution urging classification of monitoring instruments around Mayon volcano as vital to be included as government properties to be closely safeguarded.
Salceda said they also recommended that the theft of such instruments be non-bailable, an amendment to the existing penalty of P50,000 fine and imprisonment of six years and below.
“If this is the only way to make sure that these very important gadgets would be spared by thieves, we have to do it,” he said.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Health fears for volcano refugees
From CathNews India: Health fears for volcano refugees
The health of hundreds of people who fled the slopes of Mount Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara province in Indonesia last week as a result of increased volcanic activity is becoming a major cause of concern, a Church official has warned.
Over 500 people in Lembata district left their homes in 10 villages after the Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center raised Mount Lewotolok’s alert status on January 2.
“We are doing all we can to provide aid but there are many refugees who have started suffering from acute respiratory infections,” Father Philipus da Gomez has said.
Many refugees are staying with relatives while the rest are staying at Our Lady of Banneux Church, the St. Damien Leper Hospital and the Ankara Loan Cooperative, in the town of Lewoleba.
The episcopal-vicar of Lembata says Bishop Fransiskus Kopong Kung of Larantuka has appealed to all Catholics in the town to help local government in taking care of the refugees.
Source: ucanews.com
The health of hundreds of people who fled the slopes of Mount Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara province in Indonesia last week as a result of increased volcanic activity is becoming a major cause of concern, a Church official has warned.
Over 500 people in Lembata district left their homes in 10 villages after the Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center raised Mount Lewotolok’s alert status on January 2.
“We are doing all we can to provide aid but there are many refugees who have started suffering from acute respiratory infections,” Father Philipus da Gomez has said.
Many refugees are staying with relatives while the rest are staying at Our Lady of Banneux Church, the St. Damien Leper Hospital and the Ankara Loan Cooperative, in the town of Lewoleba.
The episcopal-vicar of Lembata says Bishop Fransiskus Kopong Kung of Larantuka has appealed to all Catholics in the town to help local government in taking care of the refugees.
Source: ucanews.com
Friday, January 13, 2012
Activity increases as Nicaragua’s Masaya volcano
From the Extinction Protocol: Activity increases as Nicaragua’s Masaya volcano
January 10, 2012 – NICARAGUA – There is no incandescence currently as part of the wall near the vent collapsed into it. Local people are expecting an eruption to clear it. One can hear churning and avalanches and there is quite a bit of gas; you better put the mask on or you can only stay 10-15 min on lookout. The dormant crater next door looks like has a small lava dome in it which is slowly rising. The trees and plants don’t grow properly maybe because of CO2 in this crater? –Volcano Discovery
Restless large caldera: Masaya is a shield volcano located 20 km south of Managua, Nicaragua. It is Nicaragua’s first and largest National Park, and one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua. The volcanic complex is composed of a nested set of calderas and craters, the largest of which is Las Sierras shield volcano and caldera. Within this caldera lies Masaya Volcano sensu stricto, a shallow shield volcano composed of basaltic lavas and tephras. This hosts Masaya caldera, formed 2500 years ago by an 8-km³ basaltic ignimbrite eruption. Inside this caldera a new basaltic complex has grown from eruptions mainly on a semi-circular set of vents that include the Masaya and Nindiri cones. Although the recent activity of Masaya has largely been dominated by continuous degassing from an occasionally lava-filled pit crater, a number of discrete explosive events have occurred in the last 50 years. Masaya’s last eruption occurred in 2008. –Wikipedia
January 10, 2012 – NICARAGUA – There is no incandescence currently as part of the wall near the vent collapsed into it. Local people are expecting an eruption to clear it. One can hear churning and avalanches and there is quite a bit of gas; you better put the mask on or you can only stay 10-15 min on lookout. The dormant crater next door looks like has a small lava dome in it which is slowly rising. The trees and plants don’t grow properly maybe because of CO2 in this crater? –Volcano Discovery
Restless large caldera: Masaya is a shield volcano located 20 km south of Managua, Nicaragua. It is Nicaragua’s first and largest National Park, and one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua. The volcanic complex is composed of a nested set of calderas and craters, the largest of which is Las Sierras shield volcano and caldera. Within this caldera lies Masaya Volcano sensu stricto, a shallow shield volcano composed of basaltic lavas and tephras. This hosts Masaya caldera, formed 2500 years ago by an 8-km³ basaltic ignimbrite eruption. Inside this caldera a new basaltic complex has grown from eruptions mainly on a semi-circular set of vents that include the Masaya and Nindiri cones. Although the recent activity of Masaya has largely been dominated by continuous degassing from an occasionally lava-filled pit crater, a number of discrete explosive events have occurred in the last 50 years. Masaya’s last eruption occurred in 2008. –Wikipedia
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
NASA Radar to Study Hawaii's Most Active Volcano
Color-enhanced UAVSAR interferogram images of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, taken between January 2010 and May 2011. The images show the east rift zone of Kilauea, about 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) from the summit caldera. Lava has been flowing from the east rift zone, the most active part of Kilauea, since 1983. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
From the Jet Propulsion Laboratory: NASA Radar to Study Hawaii's Most Active Volcano
An airborne radar developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., has returned to Hawaii to continue its study of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii's current most active volcano.
The Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar, or UAVSAR, mounted in a pod under NASA's G-III research aircraft from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., returned to Hawaii's Big Island on Jan. 7. The one-week airborne campaign will help scientists better understand processes occurring under Earth's surface at Kilauea.
UAVSAR uses a technique called interferometry that sends pulses of microwave energy from the sensor on the aircraft to the ground to detect and measure very subtle deformations in Earth's surface.
The radar will collect data over Kilauea from an altitude of about 41,000 feet (12,500 meters). UAVSAR previously studied the region in January 2010 and May 2011. Those two sets of observations successfully imaged the surface deformation caused by the March 2011 fissure eruption in Kilauea's east rift zone.
Flights this month will trace the same path as the two previous years to measure deformation of the volcano since the March 2011 eruption and as part of future studies of the volcano's changing deformation patterns due to volcanic activity.
For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/kilauea_2012.html . For more on UAVSAR, visit: http://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html .
JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Which Volcanoes Will Erupt in the New Year?
From Discovery News: Which Volcanoes Will Erupt in the New Year?
After 50 days of silence, Sicily’s Mt. Etna rang in the New Year with a new eruption the morning of January 5. Plumes of black ash and lava rose 5,000 meters high in a style reminiscent of the volcano’s 18 eruptions last year.
Etna was not the first volcano to wake up in the first days of 2012 (scroll down for our Top Five New Eruptions of 2012), but it was certainly the most spectacular. Etna's snow-capped slopes enhanced the beauty of these latest fireworks; the snow also made the eruption smokier than some.
Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, Etna got its explosive start about half a million years ago as a series of submarine eruptions off the ancient coastline of Sicily. The restless mountain rose to its current grandeur via the accumulation of layer upon layer of erupted debris.
A similar process is just getting underway off the coast of El Hierro in Spain's Canary Islands, where ongoing eruptions are just beginning to break the ocean surface:
This past week’s report from the Smithsonian/USGS Global Volcanism Program listed nine ongoing eruptions from last year, including El Hierro and Kilauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Note that Germany's Laacher See was NOT on the official list of new activity, despite a recent Daily Mail story suggesting otherwise.
TOP 5 NEW ERUPTIONS OF 2012
1. Etna (Italy): Plumes of black ash and lava began erupting in the early morning hours of January 5.
2. Lewotolo (Indonesia): Earthquakes intensified on January 2, following a month of white plumes rising 50 to 250 meters above the mountain’s summit; local officials raised the alert level from 1 to 3 in response to this change in activity.
3. Tungurahua (Ecuador): A plume of gas and steam plume rose 200 meters above the crater on January 3. Explosions the previous week blanketed nearby villages with ash 2 to 4 millimeters deep.
4. Galeras (Colombia): A webcam showed gas emissions, with steam rising from three separate craters.
5. Callaqui (Chile): A pilot reported an ash plume above the volcano on January 2, but scientists could not confirm the presence of ash in satellite imagery under clear skies.
After 50 days of silence, Sicily’s Mt. Etna rang in the New Year with a new eruption the morning of January 5. Plumes of black ash and lava rose 5,000 meters high in a style reminiscent of the volcano’s 18 eruptions last year.
Etna was not the first volcano to wake up in the first days of 2012 (scroll down for our Top Five New Eruptions of 2012), but it was certainly the most spectacular. Etna's snow-capped slopes enhanced the beauty of these latest fireworks; the snow also made the eruption smokier than some.
Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, Etna got its explosive start about half a million years ago as a series of submarine eruptions off the ancient coastline of Sicily. The restless mountain rose to its current grandeur via the accumulation of layer upon layer of erupted debris.
A similar process is just getting underway off the coast of El Hierro in Spain's Canary Islands, where ongoing eruptions are just beginning to break the ocean surface:
This past week’s report from the Smithsonian/USGS Global Volcanism Program listed nine ongoing eruptions from last year, including El Hierro and Kilauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Note that Germany's Laacher See was NOT on the official list of new activity, despite a recent Daily Mail story suggesting otherwise.
TOP 5 NEW ERUPTIONS OF 2012
1. Etna (Italy): Plumes of black ash and lava began erupting in the early morning hours of January 5.
2. Lewotolo (Indonesia): Earthquakes intensified on January 2, following a month of white plumes rising 50 to 250 meters above the mountain’s summit; local officials raised the alert level from 1 to 3 in response to this change in activity.
3. Tungurahua (Ecuador): A plume of gas and steam plume rose 200 meters above the crater on January 3. Explosions the previous week blanketed nearby villages with ash 2 to 4 millimeters deep.
4. Galeras (Colombia): A webcam showed gas emissions, with steam rising from three separate craters.
5. Callaqui (Chile): A pilot reported an ash plume above the volcano on January 2, but scientists could not confirm the presence of ash in satellite imagery under clear skies.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Italy's Mount Etna erupts
From Digital Journal: Italy's Mount Etna erupts
Europe's biggest volcano, situated in Sicily, an island at the southern tip of Italy, has erupted spewing lava and an ash cloud which is reaching 5,000 metres into the air.
The Daily Mail reports that the Mount Etna, the most highly active volcano on the European continent, burst into life on Jan 6. Lava is flowing from a new crater on the southeast side of the summit.
Experts say that currently, the eruption poses no danger to people or property and flights into and out of the nearby Catania airport have not as yet been affected. Emergency procedures are always in place and evacuations can be quickly accomplished should it become necessary.
Volcano Live reports that Etna has the " longest period of documented eruptions in the world" The volcano erupts virtually every year. It is the tallest volcano in Europe currently 3,329 metres high. The circumference of its base is 140 kilometres. The Roman poet Virgil wrote of an eruption of the volcano in his work 'Aeneid' and it has been a big feature in Italian, and especially Sicilian, history.
2011 saw a large number of eruptions starting in July and this latest eruption may just be the first of 2012 with more to follow.
Europe's biggest volcano, situated in Sicily, an island at the southern tip of Italy, has erupted spewing lava and an ash cloud which is reaching 5,000 metres into the air.
The Daily Mail reports that the Mount Etna, the most highly active volcano on the European continent, burst into life on Jan 6. Lava is flowing from a new crater on the southeast side of the summit.
Experts say that currently, the eruption poses no danger to people or property and flights into and out of the nearby Catania airport have not as yet been affected. Emergency procedures are always in place and evacuations can be quickly accomplished should it become necessary.
Volcano Live reports that Etna has the " longest period of documented eruptions in the world" The volcano erupts virtually every year. It is the tallest volcano in Europe currently 3,329 metres high. The circumference of its base is 140 kilometres. The Roman poet Virgil wrote of an eruption of the volcano in his work 'Aeneid' and it has been a big feature in Italian, and especially Sicilian, history.
2011 saw a large number of eruptions starting in July and this latest eruption may just be the first of 2012 with more to follow.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Is a powerful sleeping volcano in Europe getting restless?
From City Ottawa CTV: Is a powerful sleeping volcano in Europe getting restless?
Could a sleeping volcano in the centre of Europe be waking up and preparing to shock the continent with a cataclysmic eruption of lava and ash?
Some would have you think so.
An article in a major U.K. daily paper described the "super volcano" under the Laacher See lake in Germany as a sleeping giant that has recently begun to show "worrying" signs of awakening.
The article reported that carbon dioxide has been bubbling up in the tranquil lake near Bonn, there has been recent seismic activity in the area, and it's been 12,900 years since the last eruption -- and therefore it's due to blow its top "any time now."
And if it were to do so, the results would undoubtedly be devastating.
When Laacher See erupted nearly 13,000 years ago it left a vast footprint on Europe, said Erik Klemetti, an assistant professor of geosciences at Denison University in Ohio.
"That was a fairly significant eruption," Klemetti told CTVNews.ca.
"It left ash all over a large portion of Europe, you find it all the way out into the Baltic and into Scandinavia and across England, so it was a fairly significant eruption."
A similar eruption today, he said, would be akin to plunking Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano down in the middle of Europe, when it was at the height of its ash and lava-spewing activity in 2010.
Millions of people would have to be evacuated if Laacher See erupted, air travel would likely come to a standstill and global temperatures would likely decrease slightly for several years due to the ash particulate sent into the atmosphere.
But there's absolutely no indication Laacher See is even the slightest bit restless, Klemetti emphasized.
The "worrying signs" mentioned in the article aren't worth worrying about whatsoever, he said.
Five years ago, when Klemetti visited Laacher See, he recorded video of carbon dioxide bubbling to the lake's placid surface -- something he believes has been happening for decades, possibly even centuries. Bubbles emerge, he said, when carbon and water particles, which are trapped in magma far below the Earth's surface, escape and make their way to the surface through cracks and fissures.
Though they do indicate the presence of magma, he said there would be a marked increase in their frequency if they were a sign of a pending eruption.
"It's incredibly common and it is one of the ways you monitor for volcanic eruptions so if you see a big rise it would mean a lot of new magma coming into the area," Klemetti said.
Scientists haven't observed a recent increase in carbon dioxide emissions in the area. In fact, Klemetti said, the evidence suggests Laacher See has been venting CO2 for centuries. There are even stories of monks dying from asphyxiation due to carbon dioxide hundreds of years ago on the shores of the lake, he said.
And while there has been some recent volcanic activity in the region around Laacher See, there has been nothing to the degree that would be expected if an eruption was pending.
"If the Laacher See was building up to an eruption there are a lot more signals we would expect to see. We might expect to see deformation of the land surface, hundreds of earthquakes per day underneath the volcano, we'd expect to see a lot more carbon dioxide and the lake water heating up," he said.
Currently that evidence simply doesn't exist, and while Klemetti admits that as a volcanologist he is intrigued by the notion of a massive volcano rising out of a tranquil lake in the middle of Europe, he said it just isn't likely to happen.
"Saying that just because it's been a long time since the last eruption means that it's due, is very dubious because it could very well be that this thing isn't going to erupt again, or if it is it could be in another 10,000 years."
Could a sleeping volcano in the centre of Europe be waking up and preparing to shock the continent with a cataclysmic eruption of lava and ash?
Some would have you think so.
An article in a major U.K. daily paper described the "super volcano" under the Laacher See lake in Germany as a sleeping giant that has recently begun to show "worrying" signs of awakening.
The article reported that carbon dioxide has been bubbling up in the tranquil lake near Bonn, there has been recent seismic activity in the area, and it's been 12,900 years since the last eruption -- and therefore it's due to blow its top "any time now."
And if it were to do so, the results would undoubtedly be devastating.
When Laacher See erupted nearly 13,000 years ago it left a vast footprint on Europe, said Erik Klemetti, an assistant professor of geosciences at Denison University in Ohio.
"That was a fairly significant eruption," Klemetti told CTVNews.ca.
"It left ash all over a large portion of Europe, you find it all the way out into the Baltic and into Scandinavia and across England, so it was a fairly significant eruption."
A similar eruption today, he said, would be akin to plunking Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano down in the middle of Europe, when it was at the height of its ash and lava-spewing activity in 2010.
Millions of people would have to be evacuated if Laacher See erupted, air travel would likely come to a standstill and global temperatures would likely decrease slightly for several years due to the ash particulate sent into the atmosphere.
But there's absolutely no indication Laacher See is even the slightest bit restless, Klemetti emphasized.
The "worrying signs" mentioned in the article aren't worth worrying about whatsoever, he said.
Five years ago, when Klemetti visited Laacher See, he recorded video of carbon dioxide bubbling to the lake's placid surface -- something he believes has been happening for decades, possibly even centuries. Bubbles emerge, he said, when carbon and water particles, which are trapped in magma far below the Earth's surface, escape and make their way to the surface through cracks and fissures.
Though they do indicate the presence of magma, he said there would be a marked increase in their frequency if they were a sign of a pending eruption.
"It's incredibly common and it is one of the ways you monitor for volcanic eruptions so if you see a big rise it would mean a lot of new magma coming into the area," Klemetti said.
Scientists haven't observed a recent increase in carbon dioxide emissions in the area. In fact, Klemetti said, the evidence suggests Laacher See has been venting CO2 for centuries. There are even stories of monks dying from asphyxiation due to carbon dioxide hundreds of years ago on the shores of the lake, he said.
And while there has been some recent volcanic activity in the region around Laacher See, there has been nothing to the degree that would be expected if an eruption was pending.
"If the Laacher See was building up to an eruption there are a lot more signals we would expect to see. We might expect to see deformation of the land surface, hundreds of earthquakes per day underneath the volcano, we'd expect to see a lot more carbon dioxide and the lake water heating up," he said.
Currently that evidence simply doesn't exist, and while Klemetti admits that as a volcanologist he is intrigued by the notion of a massive volcano rising out of a tranquil lake in the middle of Europe, he said it just isn't likely to happen.
"Saying that just because it's been a long time since the last eruption means that it's due, is very dubious because it could very well be that this thing isn't going to erupt again, or if it is it could be in another 10,000 years."
Monday, January 2, 2012
Climbing Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador
From AZ Central: Climbing Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador
The conquering of Cotopaxi was a great introduction to mountaineering and was the most challenging of my trekking experiences.
Cotopaxi is in the Andes Mountains just south of Quito, Ecuador. Its summit is 19,347 feet. My team consisted of four climbers and two guides. We began our ascent at 1 a.m. after a night of limited rest. Unfortunately, the sudden altitude change the day before gave us headaches on the morning of the climb.
After 20 minutes of ascent, however, we were faced with a more pressing dilemma: Brent and Danny had begun to break a sweat and requested that we continue at a slower pace. Perspiring as you climb is a mountaineering hazard because the moisture freezes during your brief rest periods. Rather than slowing everyone down, we split into two groups. Meghan and I were assigned to one guide and the three of us set a pace swifter than before. We passed countless other groups while never being passed.
However, we were tested farther up the volcano. At 16,400 feet, I had a misstep on a particularly narrow stretch (the trail was about 8 inches wide). Fortunately, I stopped the fall by forcefully striking my ax into the ice. Using the spikes on my boots and my ax, I climbed the 2 meters of icy slope necessary to rejoin my group.
Within 15 seconds of my recovery, we watched as the group in front of us slipped off the trail and slid down the mountainside. It was still dark and we were unable to see their bodies, only their headlamps as the glow of their lights became more distant. Their attempts to halt the plummet with their axes proved futile, and we stopped and waited as our guide set an anchor and climbed down for a rescue.
After rescuing them we continued the climb. The volcano teased us with a series of ridges that appeared to be the summit, but upon reaching the top of each one, we were confronted by another, steeper stretch of mountain. Our persistence bested the cruel illusion and we reached the summit just after 6:20 a.m. We gazed at Ecuador's volcanic peaks as the morning light began to appear. We forced oxygen-deprived breaths as we basked in the glory of being atop the volcano.
When the cold began to turn our hands red, our guide signaled for me to lead the descent. I gladly led the charge downward, and the morning light made for a scenic voyage. We could see all of the volcano's beauty: giant ice walls, large caves, untouched mounds of snow, 15-foot-long icicles, and other trekkers crawling on their hands and knees as they tried to equal our accomplishment.
Worldwide Volcano News - Jan 1, 2012
From Worldwide Volcano News - Jan 1, 2012
January 1, 2012
- Indonesia / Gamalama volcano (11:18 UTC) : The Lahar risk (mud/ash flows) continues along the slopes of the still erupting volcano. The bad weather conditions are the main responsible for this very dangerous situation. Pooring rain mixed with eruption ashes are converting the normal streams into torrential damaging flows at the lower part in the volcano. The video below (recorded on December 27) shows a Lahar stream when arriving at the lower end of the volcano slope.
- Indonesia / Lokon volcano (11:13 UTC) : The magmatic eruption of this Sulawesi volcano is still continuing and people are being told not to enter a 2.5 km radius along the crater. Mount Lokon alert level is Siaga or 3 (on 4).
- Canary Islands / El Hierro (11:08 UTC) : A lot of activity this morning. A swarm of 7 earthquakes occurred in between midnight and 10:00, by far the biggest number since many weeks. Additionally a big stain and wide stirring area are the signs of the strength of the magma below the island.
- Russia / Kamchatka : The following volcanos are in an Orange (aviation) alert status : Kizimen (ash explosions up to 10 km high are possible), Sheveluch (10 km) and Karymsky (6 km) – links are heading to the webcam (please remind it might be dark over there when you have daylight !)
- Indonesia / Ljen volcano : Local authorities are preparing evacuation camps in 3 counties close to the volcano. The camps and surrounding area will give space to at least 5,586 people and their livestock, in case an evacuation is imminent. Ljen volcano alert level has been raised to 3 (Siaga) on December 18. 16,000 masks have been distributed to the people. River banks will have to be cleared 100 meter at both sides to avoid fatal Lahar accidents.
Helicopter view of the Ljen volcano area at risk if a strong eruption occurs
- Indonesia / Marapi volcano : Office of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), reported that a thin layer of volcanic ash was ejected up to 500 meter high by Mount Marapi on Saturday afternoon. PVMBG warned that it is prohibited to enter a 3 km radius of the summit.
- Yemen / Zubair group : NASA Modis Terra satellite image shows no longer a medium sized eruption cloud
- Canary Islands / El Hierro : At 09:55 SLS (smoking Lava Stones) have been noticed by our readers. The SLS are probably coming from the main vent.
- Alaska / Cleveland volcano : The volcano did send ash 15,000 feet in the sky during a single explosion event on Thursday. The perfectly conical shaped Cleveland volcano is already sleepless for some months and now and then some explosions occur. As the volcano is located on animal populated only islands, news mostly get to us after study of satellite images or when airplanes flying that sector report ash clouds. In the meantime and due to the single explosive activity, the alert level of the volcano has again been downgraded.
January 1, 2012
- Indonesia / Gamalama volcano (11:18 UTC) : The Lahar risk (mud/ash flows) continues along the slopes of the still erupting volcano. The bad weather conditions are the main responsible for this very dangerous situation. Pooring rain mixed with eruption ashes are converting the normal streams into torrential damaging flows at the lower part in the volcano. The video below (recorded on December 27) shows a Lahar stream when arriving at the lower end of the volcano slope.
- Indonesia / Lokon volcano (11:13 UTC) : The magmatic eruption of this Sulawesi volcano is still continuing and people are being told not to enter a 2.5 km radius along the crater. Mount Lokon alert level is Siaga or 3 (on 4).
- Canary Islands / El Hierro (11:08 UTC) : A lot of activity this morning. A swarm of 7 earthquakes occurred in between midnight and 10:00, by far the biggest number since many weeks. Additionally a big stain and wide stirring area are the signs of the strength of the magma below the island.
- Russia / Kamchatka : The following volcanos are in an Orange (aviation) alert status : Kizimen (ash explosions up to 10 km high are possible), Sheveluch (10 km) and Karymsky (6 km) – links are heading to the webcam (please remind it might be dark over there when you have daylight !)
- Indonesia / Ljen volcano : Local authorities are preparing evacuation camps in 3 counties close to the volcano. The camps and surrounding area will give space to at least 5,586 people and their livestock, in case an evacuation is imminent. Ljen volcano alert level has been raised to 3 (Siaga) on December 18. 16,000 masks have been distributed to the people. River banks will have to be cleared 100 meter at both sides to avoid fatal Lahar accidents.
Helicopter view of the Ljen volcano area at risk if a strong eruption occurs
- Indonesia / Marapi volcano : Office of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), reported that a thin layer of volcanic ash was ejected up to 500 meter high by Mount Marapi on Saturday afternoon. PVMBG warned that it is prohibited to enter a 3 km radius of the summit.
- Yemen / Zubair group : NASA Modis Terra satellite image shows no longer a medium sized eruption cloud
- Canary Islands / El Hierro : At 09:55 SLS (smoking Lava Stones) have been noticed by our readers. The SLS are probably coming from the main vent.
- Alaska / Cleveland volcano : The volcano did send ash 15,000 feet in the sky during a single explosion event on Thursday. The perfectly conical shaped Cleveland volcano is already sleepless for some months and now and then some explosions occur. As the volcano is located on animal populated only islands, news mostly get to us after study of satellite images or when airplanes flying that sector report ash clouds. In the meantime and due to the single explosive activity, the alert level of the volcano has again been downgraded.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Scientists downgrade threat from Alaska volcano
From Boston.com: Scientists downgrade threat from Alaska volcano
The Alaska Volcano Observatory has downgraded the commercial airliner alert level for a volcano in the Aleutian Islands, a day after a small explosion sent ash 15,000 feet into the air.
Satellite images showed the ash cloud after remote Cleveland Mountain erupted early Thursday.
The observatory said Friday that no new explosive activity has been observed. The threat has been downgraded from orange, representing a minor eruption, to yellow, meaning elevated unrest.
Cleveland Mountain is a 5,675-foot peak on an uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage. Scientists have been monitoring volcano activity since July when they detected lava accumulating in a crater at the summit.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory has downgraded the commercial airliner alert level for a volcano in the Aleutian Islands, a day after a small explosion sent ash 15,000 feet into the air.
Satellite images showed the ash cloud after remote Cleveland Mountain erupted early Thursday.
The observatory said Friday that no new explosive activity has been observed. The threat has been downgraded from orange, representing a minor eruption, to yellow, meaning elevated unrest.
Cleveland Mountain is a 5,675-foot peak on an uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage. Scientists have been monitoring volcano activity since July when they detected lava accumulating in a crater at the summit.
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