The Savage Earth: Earthquakes and Volcanos II

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Friday 10th February 2012
Lokon Volcano, Indonesia
Lokon volcano, Indonesia erupted on 10th February 2012. Ash emissions reached a height of 2 km. A 2.5 radius exclusion zone was placed around the volcano. The volcano has been on level 3 alert (out of a maximum 4) since July 2011.
More on Lokon volcano...
Volcanoes of Indonesia...

Friday 10th February 2012
Mt Etna Volcano, Italy
A paroxysmal eruption occurred at SE crater of Mt Etna volcano on 9th February 2012. The eruption came after 12 days of moderate strombolian activity. The paroxysm lasted for 5 hours. A lava flow reached the Valle del Bove and stopped before reaching the bottom of the valley.
More on Mt Etna volcano...

http://www.volcanolive.com/news.html

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Update time = Sat Feb 18 12:54:45 UTC 2012


MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP 2.8 2012/02/18 12:47:06 61.211 -150.272 160.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 2012/02/18 10:36:10 38.812 -122.793 3.4 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 2012/02/18 09:01:22 61.231 -149.986 96.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.8 2012/02/18 08:45:18 35.944 -117.644 3.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 2012/02/18 04:50:23 -5.310 151.463 71.6 NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/18 03:43:36 40.436 -124.781 5.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 2012/02/18 03:37:27 35.801 -121.422 9.8 OFFSHORE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 2012/02/18 02:59:26 0.252 122.315 192.4 MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
MAP 4.7 2012/02/18 02:06:29 -34.762 -71.865 42.0 LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE
MAP 4.7 2012/02/18 01:59:11 41.870 142.454 50.7 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.6 2012/02/18 01:48:47 36.471 -121.043 1.4 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.8 2012/02/18 01:38:05 15.608 -95.404 47.2 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 5.3 2012/02/18 01:34:23 15.530 -95.373 29.7 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.5 2012/02/18 00:38:38 35.545 140.782 33.8 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.1 2012/02/18 00:28:26 34.479 -5.542 10.1 MOROCCO

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP 4.4 2012/02/17 22:31:59 -26.834 -178.007 192.1 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 2.8 2012/02/17 20:16:56 19.116 -67.723 31.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.7 2012/02/17 19:42:55 -7.529 128.333 156.5 KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.7 2012/02/17 19:20:31 51.631 -175.274 41.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/17 18:21:26 18.898 -67.549 92.2 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 2012/02/17 17:50:52 19.061 -67.760 51.7 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.2 2012/02/17 17:27:49 59.588 -152.900 72.2 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/17 17:06:14 59.776 -153.348 125.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.8 2012/02/17 16:52:23 71.681 -2.328 10.0 JAN MAYEN ISLAND REGION
MAP 2.6 2012/02/17 16:02:11 63.514 -147.854 0.2 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 2012/02/17 15:44:26 32.373 82.833 42.8 WESTERN XIZANG
MAP 2.6 2012/02/17 14:52:09 32.209 -117.667 10.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 2012/02/17 14:49:45 32.200 -117.668 6.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 2012/02/17 14:28:21 54.597 168.886 34.7 KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION
MAP 2.7 2012/02/17 13:43:33 19.427 -155.328 7.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.6 2012/02/17 12:52:40 -17.689 167.251 6.3 VANUATU
MAP 4.2 2012/02/17 12:30:46 -21.106 -68.733 98.8 TARAPACA, CHILE
MAP 5.0 2012/02/17 11:26:49 -14.816 166.860 33.8 VANUATU
MAP 4.6 2012/02/17 09:33:00 38.590 43.221 26.6 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 4.3 2012/02/17 08:50:27 -17.164 -179.161 491.2 FIJI REGION
MAP 4.4 2012/02/17 08:17:55 -22.628 -65.994 224.5 JUJUY, ARGENTINA
MAP 4.3 2012/02/17 08:05:06 37.752 23.040 17.1 SOUTHERN GREECE
MAP 4.8 2012/02/17 08:01:18 -37.171 -73.911 11.4 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
MAP 3.1 2012/02/17 07:47:41 41.471 -126.059 24.2 OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 2012/02/17 07:47:20 -2.300 119.007 18.5 SULAWESI, INDONESIA
MAP 4.6 2012/02/17 07:24:20 1.822 128.156 83.8 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.5 2012/02/17 06:03:17 44.893 -67.537 5.1 MAINE
MAP 2.6 2012/02/17 05:52:24 44.904 -67.536 4.9 MAINE
MAP 3.0 2012/02/17 04:58:16 40.067 -119.575 14.8 NEVADA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/17 04:10:03 58.792 -153.989 205.8 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.3 2012/02/17 02:38:00 19.526 -66.444 43.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 5.1 2012/02/17 01:57:32 -19.488 168.886 50.5 VANUATU
MAP 4.8 2012/02/17 00:23:00 0.649 -29.033 10.1 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP 2.7 2012/02/16 22:33:50 40.366 -124.375 14.1 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 2012/02/16 21:29:35 54.783 -160.658 13.2 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.7 2012/02/16 21:25:17 18.808 -155.209 11.2 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.6 2012/02/16 20:51:03 49.288 -119.685 0.0 BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
MAP 4.9 2012/02/16 20:14:41 14.650 -92.455 73.5 OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO
MAP 2.8 2012/02/16 18:36:07 32.197 -117.663 10.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 3.5 2012/02/16 17:13:21 38.078 -122.234 8.3 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 2012/02/16 15:21:31 31.416 -115.505 6.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 2012/02/16 12:19:05 34.568 26.613 36.7 CRETE, GREECE
MAP 2.5 2012/02/16 11:25:19 51.649 -177.793 69.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.7 2012/02/16 11:12:47 -8.325 118.367 85.5 SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 4.6 2012/02/16 11:01:06 38.651 37.413 10.0 CENTRAL TURKEY
MAP 2.8 2012/02/16 10:35:28 38.787 -122.778 1.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.1 2012/02/16 08:20:58 39.621 -111.531 0.1 UTAH
MAP 2.7 2012/02/16 08:05:13 32.907 -116.222 7.3 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.7 2012/02/16 06:37:34 49.093 -127.519 10.1 VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA REGION
MAP 4.5 2012/02/16 05:09:41 38.515 142.094 53.5 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.5 2012/02/16 05:05:19 59.081 -154.194 123.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 2012/02/16 05:04:17 51.661 -177.805 67.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.2 2012/02/16 04:15:14 53.254 -160.644 41.4 SOUTH OF ALASKA
MAP 5.1 2012/02/16 02:20:28 -17.851 65.596 10.1 MAURITIUS - REUNION REGION
MAP 4.6 2012/02/16 02:09:44 -24.704 179.749 557.1 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 3.5 2012/02/16 02:09:14 38.077 -122.233 8.8 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.0 2012/02/16 01:36:10 51.429 -179.344 112.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.0 2012/02/16 01:25:02 19.230 -66.499 16.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 2012/02/16 00:42:52 59.880 -152.960 93.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 2012/02/16 00:07:14 43.727 -126.996 11.3 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON

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MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP 2.7 2012/02/15 23:07:02 51.621 -177.785 60.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.2 2012/02/15 23:03:49 51.673 -177.915 76.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.7 2012/02/15 21:59:28 -7.817 105.921 42.3 JAVA, INDONESIA
MAP 4.2 2012/02/15 18:34:25 23.862 114.513 18.7 GUANGDONG, CHINA
MAP 5.1 2012/02/15 18:31:57 6.349 92.998 29.9 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 4.5 2012/02/15 14:54:47 7.557 -78.213 9.0 PANAMA
MAP 4.7 2012/02/15 14:08:45 -35.190 -73.957 6.8 OFF THE COAST OF MAULE, CHILE
MAP 5.6 2012/02/15 14:07:51 -7.506 146.929 8.2 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.5 2012/02/15 13:01:51 37.587 -118.458 10.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/15 12:58:31 18.175 -67.369 15.0 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 2.9 2012/02/15 12:45:10 66.367 -149.785 11.7 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.6 2012/02/15 10:49:31 19.582 -66.058 102.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 2012/02/15 08:41:46 51.916 -171.417 40.0 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 2012/02/15 08:28:03 51.755 -176.412 54.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.9 2012/02/15 08:25:42 19.427 -63.568 43.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 2012/02/15 08:19:04 37.591 -118.454 11.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.9 2012/02/15 06:28:36 37.772 141.552 50.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.5 2012/02/15 06:23:04 52.956 -167.377 25.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.5 2012/02/15 05:53:56 -22.576 -66.876 179.5 JUJUY, ARGENTINA
MAP 2.5 2012/02/15 05:05:19 64.669 -146.907 8.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/15 04:56:20 56.015 -156.956 8.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.9 2012/02/15 04:31:16 32.121 -115.163 14.5 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 6.0 2012/02/15 03:31:21 43.536 -127.381 10.0 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
MAP 2.7 2012/02/15 02:36:13 18.520 -67.460 10.4 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

[gr8tful1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qpE-2mCiz48



Really beautiful and powerful.

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http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/17/2030841/cleveland-volcanos-lava-dome-is.html



Cleveland Volcano's lava dome is growing, could blow soon




A lava dome is growing at Cleveland Volcano as its current slow eruption continues, a sign that the restless Aleutian volcano could pop at any moment, the Alaska Volcano Observatory says.

Satellite images show the lava dome has expanded from about 50 meters to 60 meters across in the past week. The hardening lava still only occupies a small part of the roughly 200-meter crater, the observatory says.

The 5,676-foot volcano makes up the western half of Chuginadak Island about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage. If Cleveland's eruption turns explosive -- perhaps blasting ash up thousands of feet, into trans-Pacific flight paths -- it could disable the engines of airplanes that fly through it.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/17/2030841/cleveland-volcanos-lava-dome-is.html#storylink=cpy

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46223403/ns/technology_and_science-science/


Magma may provide signal for super-volcano eruptions


Crystals from a giant eruption linked to the legend of Atlantis may reveal ways to predict future super-volcano eruption, researchers say.

Each of the world's roughly one dozen super-volcanoes is capable of spewing out thousands of times more magma and ash than any eruption ever recorded in human history.

For instance, when Mount Toba on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted some 74,000 years ago, a staggering 700 cubic miles (2,800 cubic kilometers) of magma and a thick layer of ash were released over South Asia. In comparison, the explosion of the Indonesian island of Krakatoa in 1883, one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, released about 3 cubic miles (12 cubic km) of material.

"These are catastrophic eruptions," said researcher Tim Druitt, a volcanologist at the University of Blaise Pascal in France, who with his colleagues examined crystals from the Greek island of Santorini to try to learn about the behavior of the magma reservoir beneath a powerful volcano.




Analyzing an ancient eruption
Some super-volcanoes, including the Yellowstone Super-Volcano, are on land, while others lie at the bottom of the sea. Since the long build-up phase leading to the eruption of a super-volcano has never been monitored, the pre-eruption events taking place miles under the Earth's surface are not well understood.

To learn more about how super-volcanoes operate, scientists analyzed crystals from volcanic rocks of Santorini. Although the volcano at Santorini is not a super-volcano – which is loosely defined as one capable of erupting more than 120 cubic miles (500 cubic km) of magma at once – Druitt said, "All these giant eruptions are the same kinds of events, with the same sorts of processes leading up to all of them."

The cataclysmic Santorini eruption of 3,600 years ago, which spewed forth about 9.5 to 14.3 cubic miles (40 to 60 cubic km) of lava, may have inspired the legend of the lost city of Atlantis.

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http://www.alaskapublic.org/2012/02/20/kanaga-volcano-acting-up/



Kanaga Volcano Acting Up

By Alexandra Gutierrez, KUCB - Unalaska | February 20, 2012 - 5:53 pm






For months, scientists have been on watch for a possible eruption at Mount Cleveland. Now, another Aleutian volcano is acting up, too.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory issued an advisory for Kanaga Volcano after it experienced tremors and released a small ash cloud on Saturday. Kanaga lies just 16 miles west of Adak, but so far there are no reports that this weekend’s explosive activity has affected residents. The community suffered disruptions to air travel when the volcano last erupted in 1995.

The aviation warning for Kanaga is at code-yellow, while Cleveland remains at orange. Both volcanoes are located along major international flight paths.

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http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/16984541/scientists-eye-threat-of-pacific-northwest-megaquake

Scientists eye threat of Pacific Northwest megaquake


- Scientists say there are parallels between recent earthquakes and ground movement in the Pacific Northwest and what happened in Japan before last year's devastating quake and tsunami.

The research was discussed over the weekend at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach are well aware of the new research.

The disaster in Japan occurred because of stress from the Pacific tectonic plate sliding below Japan. The plates locked together, slowly pushing Japan westward, and then released, resulting in the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands. Japan moved about ten to 15 feet eastward in the quake.


Scientists said the same thing is now in the works off the coast of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, as the Juan de Fuca plate moves beneath the Pacific Northwest.


"The Pacific Northwest is being deformed because the plates are locked together, and the shoreline is sinking and the rest of the thing is being bent. We can see that," said Dr. Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist with the warning center. "It's just like Japan, only a mirror image."

According to Fryer, the last big earthquake in the Pacific Northwest happened in January 1700. Like the Japan quake, it also was a magnitude 9.0, and sent a destructive Pacific wide tsunami that reached Japan.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-missouri-earthquake-20120221,0,3174526.story


New Madrid zone earthquake felt in Missouri, 8 other states


The New Madrid zone is considered one of the younger earthquake areas in North America, stretching some 150 miles through five states. The potential impact is larger, however, including the states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.

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http://www.livescience.com/16679-science-photos-week-oct-22-2011.html


Tambora – Indonesia - 1815

The explosion of Mount Tambora is the largest ever recorded by humans, ranking a 7 (or "super-colossal") on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, the second-highest rating in the index. The volcano, which is still active, is located on Sumbawa Island and is one of the tallest peaks in the Indonesian archipelago. The eruption reached its peak in April 1815, when it exploded so loudly that it was heard on Sumatra Island, more than 1,200 miles (1,930 km) away. The death toll from the eruption was estimated at 71,000 people, and clouds of heavy ash descended on may far-away islands.




Krakatoa – Sunda Strait, Indonesia – 1883



The rumblings that preceded the final eruption of Krakatoa (also spelled Krakatau) in the weeks and months of the summer of 1883 finally climaxed into a massive explosion on April 26 - 27. The explosive eruption of this stratovolcano, situated along a volcanic island arc at the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian plate, ejected huge amounts of rock, ash and pumice and was heard thousands of miles away. The explosion also created a tsunami, whose maximum wave heights reached 140 feet (40 meters) and killed about 34,000 people. Tidal gauges more than 7,000 miles (about 11,000 km) away on the Arabian Peninsula even registered the increase in wave heights. While the island that once hosted Krakatoa was completely destroyed in the eruption, new eruptions beginning in December 1927 built the Anak Krakatau ("Child of Krakatau") cone in the center of the caldera produced by the 1883 eruption.



Novarupta - Alaska Peninsula – June, 1912


The eruption of Novarupta — one of a chain of volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire — was the largest volcanic blast of the 20th century. The powerful eruption sent 3 cubic miles (12.5 cubic km) of magma and ash into the air, which fell to cover an area of 3,000 square miles (7,800 square km) more than a foot deep. The blast was so powerful that it drained magma from under another volcano, Mount Katmai, six miles east, causing the summit of Katmai to collapse to form a caldera half a mile deep. The above photo shows a glacier sitting on Novarupta.


Mount St. Helens – Washington state, United States – 1980


Mount St. Helens, located about 96 miles (154 km) from Seattle, is one of the most active volcanoes in the United States. It's most well-known eruption was the May 18, 1980 blast that killed 57 people and caused damage for tens of miles around. Over the course of the day, prevailing winds blew 520 million tons of ash eastward across the United States and caused complete darkness in Spokane, Wash., 250 miles from the volcano. The stratovolcano blasted a column of ash and dust 15 miles (24 km) into the air in just 15 minutes; some of this ash was later deposited on the ground in 11 states. The eruption was preceded by a magma bulge on the north face of the volcano, and the eruption caused that entire face to slide away — the largest landslide on Earth in recorded history. In 2004, the peak came back to life and spewed out more than 26 billion gallons (100 million cubic meters) of lava, along with tons of rock and ash.


Mount Pinatubo – Luzon, Philippines – 1991


Yet another stratovolcano located in a chain of volcanoes created in a subduction zone, the cataclysmic eruption of Pinatubo was a classic explosive eruption. The eruption ejected more than 1 cubic mile (5 cubic kilometers) of material into the air and created a column of ash that rose up 22 miles (35 km). Ash fell across the countryside, even piling up so much that some roofs collapsed under the weight. The blast also spewed millions of tons of sulfur dioxide and other particles into the air, which were spread around the world by air currents and caused the global temperatures to drop by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.5 degree Celsius) over the course of the following year.





Yellowstone Supervolcano – northwest corner of Wyoming, United States

The history of what is now Yellowstone National Park is marked by many enormous eruptions, the most recent of which occurred about 640,000 years ago, according to the United States Geological Survey. When this gigantic supervolcano erupted, it sent about 250 cubic miles (1,000 cubic kilometers) of material into the air. The eruptions have left behind hardened lava fields and calderas, depressions that form in the ground when material below it is erupted to the surface. The magma chambers thought to underlie the Yellowstone hotspot also provide the park with one of its enduring symbols, its geysers, as the water is heated up by the hot magma that flows underneath the ground. Some researchers have predicted that the supervolcano will blow its top again, an event that would cover up to half the country in ash up to 3 feet (1 meter) deep, one study predicts. The volcano only seems to go off about once every 600,000 years, though whether it ever will happen again isn't known for sure. Recently though, tremors have been recorded in the Yellowstone area. The midway geyser basin in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park, current day.


Thera – island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea - sometime between 1645 B.C. and 1500 B.C.

While the date of the eruption isn't known with certainty, geologists think that Thera exploded with the energy of several hundred atomic bombs in a fraction of a second. Though there are no written records of the eruption, geologists think it could be the strongest explosion ever witnessed. The island that hosted the volcano, Santorini (part of an archipelago of volcanic islands), had been home to members of the Minoan civilization, though there are some indications that the inhabitants of the island suspected the volcano was going to blow its top and evacuated. But though those residents might have escaped, there is cause to speculate that the volcano severely disrupted the culture, with tsunamis and temperature declines caused by the massive amounts of sulfur dioxide it spewed into the atmosphere that altered the climate. Above is how the volcanic island of Santorini looks now.


Mount Vesuvius – Pompeii, Roman Empire (now Italy) -79


Mount Vesuvius is a so-called stratovolcano that lies to the east of what is now Naples, Italy. Stratovolcanoes are tall, steep, conical structures that periodically erupt explosively and are commonly found where one of Earth's plates is subducting below another, producing magma along a particular zone. Vesuvius' most famous eruption is the one that buried the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in rock and dust in 79, killing thousands. The ashfall preserved some structures of the town, as well as skeletons and artifacts that have helped archaeologists better understand ancient Roman culture. Vesuvius is also considered by some to be the most dangerous volcano in the world today, as a massive eruption would threaten more than 3 million people who live in the area. The volcano last erupted in 1944.



Laki – Iceland – 1783


Iceland has many volcanoes that have erupted over the course of history. One notable blast was the eruption of Laki volcano in 1783. Above is the Laki island of Iceland, modern day. The eruption freed trapped volcanic gases that were carried by the Gulf Stream over to Europe. In the British Isles, many died of gas poisoning. The volcanic material sent into the air also created fiery sunsets recorded by 18th-century painters. Extensive crop damage and livestock losses created a famine in Iceland that resulted in the deaths of one-fifth of the population, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program. The volcanic eruption, like many others, also influenced the world's climate, as the particles it sent into the atmosphere blocked some of the sun's incoming rays.

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Saturday 25th February 2012
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
A seismic swarm continues on the Big island of Hawaii between Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. The Ka`oiki seismic swarm began on 21st February 2012 at a location 5km NW of Halemaumau crater. Between 21-24th February there were more than 100 earthquakes associated with the swarm. Between 23-24 February there were 74 earthquakes in the swarm, with two over magnitude 4. The earthquakes were felt at the Hawaii volcano observatory where books fell off the shelves. Minor damage occurred at residences in Volcano Golf Course subdivision, located about 3 km from the earthquake epicentre. This area experienced previous seismic swarms in 1990, 1993, 1997, and 2006, which lasted up to several weeks.
More on Kilauea volcano...
http://www.volcanolive.com/news.html