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.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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