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The world gone mad!
Boston.com's awesome "Big Picture" blog has a series of huge photos of recent volcanic activity. The planet... it's aliiive.
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Residents fret in shadow of Chile's Llaima volcano
Living in the shadow of Chile's sporadically erupting, snow-capped Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, local residents like Eduardo Mendoza are paying a heavy price.
Evacuated from the ski station where he works after the government imposed a red alert when Llaima began spewing lava earlier this month, Mendoza and dozens like him have lost their livelihoods and are having trouble feeding their families.
This is the second ski season in a row interrupted by the volcano, which towers near Chile's lake region about 435 miles
south of the capital Santiago.
"People can't go to work because of the danger," he said, a cloud engulfing the majestic volcano behind him, black scars on its white slopes betraying where lava has flowed and cooled.
"Our source of work has been stopped and we depend on it to sustain our families. We can't go on like this," he added, showing a video clip on his mobile phone of the volcano spewing a jet of hot pyroclastic rock 1,300 feet into the air before dawn on Thursday.
That flurry of activity in turn came a week after lava spewed down one of its sides.
Aside from hot rock and gas, or lava flows, that have emanated from the crater, another major worry is that snow on the volcano's sides could melt and that a nearby river could overflow and flood nearby communities.
The volcano erupted violently on New Year's Day, forcing the temporary evacuation of some tourists and residents from the surrounding Conguillio National Park. It belched ash and lava in February. Much of the park is off limits again.
The government this month ordered a 9-mile "red zone" around the 10,253-foot (3,124 meter)-high volcano, and has now evacuated around 60 people from nearby.
FUTURE ACTIVITY
Experts say there is no knowing how the volcano, the second to erupt in Chile in as many months, will continue to behave.
"The activity is going up and down very fast," said Hugo Moreno, a geologist and volcano expert with state mining and geology service Sernageomin, who is based in the town of Melipeuco, on the fringe of the exclusion zone.
"It is oscillating, so it is very difficult to make a medium-term forecast," he added. "It will most likely continue to oscillate, until it stabilizes at some point."
Llaima's current eruptive cycle began in May last year. Cycles have lasted anything from one minute to three years or more, Moreno said.
In the sleepy town of Cherquenco, 11 miles from the base of the volcano, Agriculture Minister Marigen Hornkohl sought to reassure worried farmers.
They complain are only allowed into the exclusion area to tend to their animals two hours a day, and are worried they'll die, be stolen, or be eaten by puma.
"We have to take this one minute at a time," Hornkohl told residents and evacuees assembled in the rear of the local fire station. "Now, when we want to be able to go home, the worst thing we can do is to take the wrong decisions," she said.
LLaima's renewed activity comes after Chaiten volcano, 760 miles south of Santiago in Chilean Patagonia, erupted on May 2 for the first time in thousands of years, spewing ash, gas and molten rock.
Ash from Chaiten, which initially soared 20 miles into the stratosphere, swelled rivers in the area and caused floods that damaged dozens of wooden houses, sweeping some off their foundations.
Chile's chain of some 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second-largest after Indonesia's. Around 50 to 60 are recorded to have erupted, while 500 are deemed potentially active. Living in the shadow of Chile's sporadically erupting, snow-capped Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, local residents... more -
Alaska volcano erupts, flinging ash 30,000 feet high
"A volcano has erupted with little warning on an island in Alaska, sending an ash cloud at least 30,000 feet high. The Okmok Caldera erupted late Saturday morning. Seismologists at the Alaska Volcano Center detected a series of small tremors hours before.
Okmok is located on one of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, 60 miles west of the busy fishing port of Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island. Jerry Lucas, a spokesman for PenAir, the primary airliner serving the area, says two planned flights from Unalaska were canceled in response to the eruption.
Geophysicist Steve McNutt says the 3,500-foot volcano last erupted in 1997. He says the volcano has shown signs of increased activity during the last few months." "A volcano has erupted with little warning on an island in Alaska, sending an ash cloud at least 30,000 feet high. The Okmok Caldera ... more -
40 Foot Lava Wave
The Kilauea Volcano is erupting in Hawaii. Molten hot lava is spurting high into the air while lava flows from the mountain. Staying true to its Hawaiian setting the volcanoes lava "wave" has an estimated height of 40 feet. The Kilauea Volcano is erupting in Hawaii. Molten hot lava is spurting high into the air while lava flows from the mountain. Staying t... more
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Hawaii eruption spews 12m high 'fountains' of lava
Great spurts of Lava up to 12 meters high are errupting from Hawaii's Mount Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This giant 'shield volcano', located on the southernmost of the Hawaiian island chain, has been continually producing lava for longer than any volcano on earth; the Kilauea 'caldera' where the eruption takes place (seen in the flyover in the video) is a popular destination for scientists and tourists alike.
This latest large eruption is not however on the scale of the great 1984 event, which caused significant damage to local towns; officials say that there is "no immediate danger to residents living nearby."
The Hawaiian volcanoes are something of a rarity, in that they do not occur next to a 'plate boundary': a meeting point between two of the various large rocky plates which make up the surface of our planet. Most volcanoes are created when one plate 'subducts' beneath the other, releasing hot magma which then errupts at the surface (eg. in Japan).
Hawaii however, is thousands of miles away from any plate boundary, sitting as it does in the middle of the vast 'Pacific plate'. Here, volcanoes are thought to be the result of a 'hotspot': a rising 'plume' of heat, which causes melting to occur near the surface. It is this which created the hawaiian island chain, and is one of the most easily recogniseable geological features on the planet: just look at a map of the islands, and you can easily see the path which the moving pacific plate has taken over the stationary hotspot in the past few million years. Great spurts of Lava up to 12 meters high are errupting from Hawaii's Mount Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Th... more -
Volcano surfing: Lava waves in Hawaii
Even for the hardened adventurer, surfing in boiling waters just 20 feet from the flowing lava of an active volcano is pushing the boundaries of extreme sport.
But for professional surfer CJ Kanuha the thrill of a challenge was too good to pass up.
Hovering above in a helicopter, a photographer captured the moment he edged as close as possible to the molten lava of Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Kirk Lee Aeder, who took the shots, said: "It was one of the most thrilling photo shoots I have ever had in my life.
"One day I was talking to my pro-surfing friend, CJ and we began discussing the idea of him surfing, or should I say, stand up paddle surfing close to where the lava enters the ocean and that I would shoot it from a helicopter."
"We both knew it would make for an amazing shot if we could pull it off," the 49-year-old added. Before attempting the stunt, the surfer left an offering for the mythical Hawaiian goddess of fire known as 'Pele' on a nearby beach.
"Not leaving an offering could have resulted in bad luck, a value that most native Hawaiians strongly believe in," Mr Aeder said.
Mr Kanuha, 24, was helped into position by canoeist and a jet ski, before paddling as close as he could.
He said "I was tentative to get too close at first, and for good reason, the boiling water there is well over 200 hundred degrees in some spots, super hot, and it quickly melted the wax on the surfboard."
The surfer, who suffered peeling skin on his legs from the boiling water, added: "It was an amazing feeling to get so close to the power of the lava from the volcano." Even for the hardened adventurer, surfing in boiling waters just 20 feet from the flowing lava of an active volcano is pushing the bou... more -
Rare volcano eruptions caught on camera
Amazing volcano eruptions caught on camera from around the world showing the amazing power of nature and how fragile our planet Earth is.
Visit the website to see the full collection of volcano eruptions caught on camera. Amazing volcano eruptions caught on camera from around the world showing the amazing power of nature and how fragile our planet Earth ... more -
Arctic Volcanoes Found Active at Unprecedented Depths
Explosive volcanic eruptions were not thought to be possible at depths below the critical pressure for steam formation, or 2 miles (3,000 meters). The deposits, however, were found at seafloor depths greater than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers).
"This kind of implosive seismicity is rare anywhere on Earth," said study author Robert Sohn, a geophysicist at the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The study appears today in the Journal Nature.
Anatomy of a Mid-Ocean Ridge
Seismic activity was previously detected in the same region in 1999, along the Gakkel Ridge—a 1,200-mile-long (2,000-kilometer-long) mid-ocean mountain range north of Greenland.
Hundreds of earthquakes were observed over a nine-month period, with magnitudes between 4 and 6.
This earthquake swarm was the largest in recorded history along a spreading mid-ocean ridge and prompted researchers to return to the area for further investigation.
In 2007 Sohn and his team stumbled across the glassy pyroclastic rock deposits while searching for hydrothermal vent fields in the Gakkel Ridge.
Powerful eruptions sent a plume of carbon dioxide, helium, and liquid lava up into the Arctic waters. When the material cooled, rock debris fell to the ocean floor, he explained.
Mid-ocean ridges are formed as hot molten material from inside Earth seeps into and fills the opening between two spreading tectonic plates. The Gakkel Ridge is considered an ultraslow spreading ridge because its plates spread at a rate of 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) a year. Explosive volcanic eruptions were not thought to be possible at depths below the critical pressure for steam formation, or 2 miles (3,... more -
Poking Lava on Volcano Pacaya in Guatemala
This is movie i made when i went up Pacaya, it was great fun and i got to cook marshmellows in the lava
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Undersea Eruption Now in Stereo
Discovery-News.com: What lives 1,800-feet underwater, spews molton rock and sounds like a rumbling tractor trailer? The erupting Brimstone Pit in the North Pacific, recently recorded by NOAA. Discovery-News.com: What lives 1,800-feet underwater, spews molton rock and sounds like a rumbling tractor trailer? The erupting Brims... more
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SUNSET SOUL SING
FILMED IN CALABRIA, ITALIA, 'STROMBOLI' VOLCANO WIITH THE SUN SETTING BEHIND. JUST LOVELY!
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Chaiten Volcano active since May 6th
Chaiten Volcano in Chile continues to erupt, after its recent eruption on May 6th, - its first activity in over 9,000 years. (12 crazy ass photos in total) Chaiten Volcano in Chile continues to erupt, after its recent eruption on May 6th, - its first activity in over 9,000 years. (12 crazy... more
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This is maybe the scariest thing I have ever seen
1. These are pictures of a volcano in Chile erupting.
2. HOLY CRAP LOOK AT THAT LIGHTNING.
3. We now know what the end of the world looks like. 1. These are pictures of a volcano in Chile erupting. 2. HOLY CRAP LOOK AT THAT LIGHTNING. ... more -
Fresh fears over Chilean volcano
There have been reports of further activity in the Chaiten volcano in Chile, which began erupting on Friday for the first time in some 9,000 years. There have been reports of further activity in the Chaiten volcano in Chile, which began erupting on Friday for the first time in some... more
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Volcano in Chile catches government by surprise
A volcano has erupted in southern Chile, scattering ash over the surrounding area and forcing more than 4,000 people to leave their homes. The eruption of the Chaiten volcano caught local authorities by surprise, as experts say it has been dormant for at least 450 years. A volcano has erupted in southern Chile, scattering ash over the surrounding area and forcing more than 4,000 people to leave their ho... more
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Colombian volcano erupts, thousands flee
Authorities are evacuating thousands of people after a volcano in Colombia erupted in a shower of hot ash...
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Guate Mania!
Guatemala is an amazing country, the people, culture, food etc. It's the gem of Central America, even if tourists get robbed there all the time. We had a great time, until we got attacked by locos with machetes. But even then, Guatemala didn't lose it's charm. Guatemala is an amazing country, the people, culture, food etc. It's the gem of Central America, even if tourists get robbed there al... more
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Scientists discover evidence of volcanic eruption under Antarctica's ice
There is an active volcano under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that erupted 2000 years ago and remains active today. Scientists claim that the heat generated from the volcano creates melt-water beneath the ice sheet that lubricates the base and increases the flow towards the sea, accounting for some of the accelerated flow of ice towards the ocean. But, they maintain that this does not explain the more widespread thinning of the West Antarctic ice -- the heavily reported 'ice loss' -- that are contributing to rising sea levels. This more pressing problem is still attributed to warming ocean temps. There is an active volcano under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that erupted 2000 years ago and remains active today. Scientists claim t... more
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8,000 evacuate Colombia volcano
A volcano erupted in southwestern Colombia on Thursday night, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of about 8,000 people.
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Fleeing a Volcano
Hundreds of residents and tourists fled a national park in southern Chile when the Llaima volcano began producing a huge column of smoke and spewing lava. Hundreds of residents and tourists fled a national park in southern Chile when the Llaima volcano began producing a huge column of smo... more
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