[bd476]

Esther Ruth sounded the first alert about this volcano. The above news story and the one below are links she quickly found :

From Australian Volcanologist John Seach:

Tuesday 1st February 2005

"The paroxysmal eruption of Manam Volcano reached the stratosphere where there is a warming of air temperatures. One hour after the initial eruption, the ash cloud reached a diameter of 180 km and an altitude of 21-24 km.

The estimated sulphur dioxide emissions on 28th January was 140 kilotons.

The volcano is at stage 3 alert. Further large eruptions are possible."

* * * * *

Report by John Seach:

4.10 S, 145.06 E, summit elevation 1807 m, Stratovolcano

Monday 31st January 2005

"Further information has been received about the large eruption of Manam volcano in Papua New Guinea.

Thirteen people have been injured and one is missing, presumed dead after Friday's eruption.

The eruption was larger then the eruptions of last October and November.

Falling debris and lava burnt several people who were taken to Madang hospital for treatment. An elderly man from Warisi village was missing, possibly buried under his collapsed house. Two thousand people had returned to the island, which was evacuated last November, and are now pleading to be evacuated.

Several houses have burnt down from hot emissions from the volcano, and others have collapsed under the weight of ash and cinders. People are resorting to shielding themselves using palm leaves..."(End excerpt. Link follows.) Volcano News from Australian Volcanologist John Seach

[bd476]

Manam Volcano in Papua New Guinea - thank you Esther Ruth!

[Strategerist]

Eh, I heard about this on the Smithsonian listerv two days ago.

A demonstration of how you can have really large eruptions that go unnoticed in the mainstream media, and this happens all the time.

The problem comes when people begin to go really out of their way to find these, and then when they do, they function under the mistaken impression that there's been a sudden recent increase in them.

[Lijahsbubbe]

"We believe he was buried by a lava flow,"

EEK. What a way to go....

[najida]

Eeek!
I watched the Pompeii special on Discovery Sunday night and then another documentary on the History channel last night.

I have a very new and profound respect for volcanoes.

[bd476]

Image Source: NASA Space Shuttle STS093-709-51, Cropped Date: 25 July 1999 Comments: These two superb NASA images show a plume from Manam Island, north of the mainland. The shadow of the plume is visible over the water on the above image. (North is to the left)
Observatory and summit of Manam volcano Photo courtesy of: Professor James Jiro Mori Resarch Center for Earthquake Prediction Disaster Prevention Research Institute Kyoto Univeristy

[Don Simmons]

It's Bush's fault. Well, his and Halliburton's!

Damned global warmers! /sarcasm off/

[P-Chan Penny]

I have some friends working as missionaries in Papua New Guinea. They love it there, the people, the culture, doing God's work, the whole nine yards. Please pray for Steve and Celine and their family, that they are all right and that they are unaffected by this volcano.

Thank you!

[DB]

Well perhaps the guy will have the honors of being dug up in 10,000+ years as a representative of this age...