Posted on 10/14/2011 2:45:42 PM PDT by blam
Iceland’s Katla Volcano Eruption Imminent: Could Surpass Last Year’s Eruption
October 14, 2011 2:16 PM EST
Iceland's Katla Volcano, which has a magma chamber that is ten times the size of Eyjafjallajokull, is showing signs of an imminent eruption.
Experts are saying that should Katla erupt, the consequences could be disastrous for Europe as it could spew an ash cloud that will turn day into night. In comparison to last year's Eyjafjallajokull's eruption which grounded planes last year and cost the aviation industry nearly $2 billion dollars, Katla's could wreak havoc across Europe.
The last time Katla erupted in 1918 it spewed ash for more than a month, killed off livestock and flooded surrounding farmlands from the melted ice-sheet that covered the volcano.
Now, scientists have detected small earthquakes around Katla and seismologists are warning the population to brace for the eruption. The earthquakes have been steadily growing in strength, just last week a magnitude 4 earthquake was detected. Katla usually has a large eruption twice in a century. It is long overdue for another one, seismologists say.
"It is definitely showing signs of restlessness," said Pall Einarsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland.
Government officials already have evacuation procedures in place for communities near Katla but should the volcano erupt, people living in those areas will only have an hour to escape before the volcano erupts.
The aviation industry meanwhile remains optimistic that an eruption wouldn't put airlines out of business.
"It would take a closure greater than last May's to put people out of business," said David Henderson, spokesman for the Brussels-based Association of European Airlines.
"Everything depends on the magnitude of the eruption."
Ordinary Icelanders remain unruffled about any imminent eruption. Volcanoes have done more good than harm in Iceland being the source of cheap geothermal energy that citizens use every day. Until Katla decides to blow, Iceland is going to play a waiting game with nature's fieriest phenomenon.
I’ll drink to that.....
I’ll drink to that.....
Must have something to do with underground magma passages, that ‘Jokull goes off followed by Katla when there’s a surge of that stuff.
If the energy in that magma could be tapped, it would be awesome. It would light up Iceland without even trying. We’re talking tides of molten rock here, and scarcely anything is known to man that would withstand it. Some very refractory ceramics and tungsten, and that’s about it. If for production of work (e.g. electricity) there would need to be a heat sink to dump waste heat to, out of thermodynamic necessity. Perhaps to the ocean, but the global warmists would have a kitten.
help me out here, what, where are they?
help me out here, what, where are they?
Where’s the rest of her??
I just wish we'd start working on it, I'm sure it could be done.
I'll drink to that!
I know, it'll prolly take alot of drinkin' , at risk I'm willing to take.
"Who's with me?!"
The ones that were smashed by the tsunami in Japan. Most of the contamination is confined to a small area of Japan, but it’s still a concern.
there was a special on one of the Discovery Channels the other night about Eyjafjallajokull.
Stunning in HD!!!
I suppose I thought maybe they'd be able to know if it was ...like, IMMINENT imminent, ... say, in the next 24 to 48 hours. I guess they still can't say any better than what they've already said -- which is basically, "some time within the next 12 months ..... maybe."
The plants in Japan were never intended to be able to withstand the kind of tsunami that struck them. Before the tsunami, Japan already had plans to replace these aging reactors with new reactors of a less hazardous design. The tsunami beat them to the punch.
“Eyjafjallajokull?”
Hey! “Eyjafjallajokull” is my middle name!
Just in time for the London 2012 Olympics?
of course it is............
Fukushima, Japan. The fuel has melted through the containment structures and is thought to be residing in water filled basements or have gone further down through the basements and are feared heading to the water table but nobody knows. They are generating large amounts of contaminants around the clock. And there are signs that criticality is resuming now and then (presence of short half life isotopes). The Japanese claim that they brought one molten lump of corium to ‘cold shutdown’ status because a measurement they took somewhere under the reactor read less than 100 degrees. This hasn’t stopped the reactor from releasing contaminants. Japan promises to bring all three lumps of corium to ‘cold shutdown’ status by the end of the year. http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/search/label/cold%20shutdown
What, she’s not enough?
Actually there are some reports by workers that pipes were damaged by the earthquake before the Tsunami hit. The plant was built on a seismically active area and TEPCO ignored warnings by researchers about the potential for a massive tsunami and vulnerabilities of its plant design (e.g., location of fuel tanks for back up generators) with respect to Tsunamis.
These are geologists. They think in terms of ten thousand years or more. But it could happen tomorrow. We are in a culture which expects no change and the question is whether we have lost the ability to adapt.
The ones that were smashed by the tsunami in Japan. Most of the contamination is confined to a small area of Japan, but it’s still a concern.
__________________________________________________
It’s not really a small area of Japan. Officially the figure is 3% but that number will have to grow as reality sets in. Both Tokyo and Yokohama (the two largest cities in Japan) have officially acknowledged cesium and strontium contamination of samples take from roof tops and landscaping. Tea crops 245km from the plant have been heavily contaminated. The area is larger than Japan is willing to admit. I wonder what percentage of Japan the Tsunami destroyed? Prayers for the people of Japan.
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.