Posted on 05/29/2006 9:25:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A lake atop a rumbling volcano on the South Pacific island of Ambae has changed color from blue to bright red, puzzling scientists.
Mount Manaro, one of four active volcanos on the island nation of Vanuatu, has been showing signs of erupting for only the second time in 122 years.
"We are still ... trying to understand this change of color in the lake from blue to red," Geology and Mines Department director Esline Garae said by telephone Monday from Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila.
She said two scientists on Ambae Island were monitoring Lake Vui as well as seismic activity on the 5,000-foot Mount Manaro.
If the change of color "comes from new activity in the ground or just chemical change in the lake — these are two things I want to know from those guys before I can say anything" about the danger posed by the volcano, she said.
Mount Manaro last erupted in November 2005, forcing half the island's 10,000 inhabitants to evacuate their villages. An 1884 eruption killed scores of villagers.
New Zealand volcanologist Brad Scott said Lake Vui's color was "quite a spectacular red," but what had caused it "is the $64,000-question."
He said water samples from the lake would help determine what was happening in the crater and below it.
The color change could be a chemical process or gas from molten volcanic rock or something else coming into the lake, he said.
Three other volcanos in Vanuatu — Lopevi, Yasur and a two-crater volcano on Ambryn Island called Marum and Benbow — have spewed rocks, ash, smoke and steam in recent weeks.
Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides Islands, is made up of 13 main islands located about 1,400 miles east of Australia.
An aerial view shows lava spewing at the top of the 2,361 metre (7,746 ft) Mt. Karthala near Moroni, the capital of the Comoros Island, May 29, 2006. Lava bubbled from a volcano in the Comoros on Monday, frightening thousands on the Indian Ocean archipelago's largest island who feared a full-blown eruption as they waited to see where the molten rock might flow. REUTERS/Peter Paxton
Is it me or are the volcanoes in that area of the world becomming more active than normal??
It's the 24 7 news cycle . ;-)
This is a living planet, after all.
Sure a lot of volcanoes going off right now.
It is caused by SUVs and carbon emissions.
Yeah, but there always is. Very active planet.
Wouldn't happen to have a link for that, would you?
Run a search on "Ring of Fire+Plate Tectonics."
With Volcanoes and real estate, it's all about Location, Location, Location
Lots of good stuff, very little garbage, and your questions will be answered.
So does this mean Vanuatu is going to go GOP in November?
Phenolphthalein?
Thankfully most of West Coast of the USA is not in a subduction zone.
I'm totally cerial!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.