North Korea's nuclear test 'could jolt volcano back to life'

www.telegraph.co.uk ^ | 3:56PM GMT 18 Feb 2016 | By Julian Ryall, Tokyo

[Red Badger]

Experts say one of Mount Paekdu's previous eruptions was 'one of the largest explosive events in human history'

Seismologists have warned that North Korea's repeated nuclear tests could cause its highest mountain Mount Paekdu to erupt - and they add that one of the volcano's previous eruptions was "one of the largest explosive events in human history".

More than 9,000 feet high, the volcano straddles the border between North Korea and China and last erupted in 1903. Experts have warned of increasing seismic activity beneath the peak in recent years, however, including seismic uplift and rising levels of sulphur dioxide, suggesting that the magma chamber is expanding.

Just 72 miles from North Korea's Punggye-ri proving grounds - where satellite images suggest that Pyongyang may already be ready to carry out a fifth underground nuclear test - scientists believe another detonation could jolt the dormant volcano back into life.

In a paper published in Nature, four South Korean scientists, led by Hong Tae-kyung, stated, "Strong ground motions induce large dynamic stress changes that may disturb the magma chamber of a volcano, thus accelerating the volcanic activity.

"An underground nuclear explosion near an active volcano constitutes a direct threat to the volcano".

[Ozark Tom]

All erupting volcano have pressure release as a theme.

[Ozark Tom]

Drop an asteroid on it and see how that self-sealing tendency works out.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

It’s a long way from anything. Detonating every nuclear weapon in the world at the same time wouldn’t match the energy released in one volcanic eruption.