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Super Volcano News

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by Gatorhead, Jun 22, 2023.

  1. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    A couple of days after Blue Lagoon opened after decreased seismic activity, the volcano finally erupted

    Grindavik (Fagradalsfjall) - Live from Iceland (youtube.com)

    Volcano erupts in Iceland weeks after thousands were evacuated from a town on Reykjanes Peninsula (msn.com)

    STOCKHOLM (AP) — A volcanic eruption started Monday night on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, turning the sky orange and prompting the civil defense to be put on high alert.

    The eruption appears to have occurred about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the town of Grindavík, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. Webcam video from the scene appears to show magma, or semi-molten rock, spewing along the ridge of a hill.
     
  2. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    I knew Blue Lagoon was a controversial movie, but I didn't think it would cause a volcano to erupt.
     
    • Funny Funny x 2
  3. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    geothermal heated mineral infused water formed into a big lagoon amongst the lava. there are geothermal plants nearby. pay your fee, get a wrist band, go to your locker, change, shower, walk out to slope walkway into steamy hot mineral water. swim up bar, facial mud masks are part of price of admission, stay as long as you wish, shower, dress, leave. not far from the airport, great thing to do right after or right before you have to deal with airport. very relaxing, meet fellow travelers, overpriced but unique and well done. we did it upon arrival after early am flight from the UK. im sure it is closed again now

    [​IMG]default by bluewaterfever, on Flickr

    [​IMG]20230909_132847 by bluewaterfever, on Flickr

    [​IMG]20230909_131619 by bluewaterfever, on Flickr
     
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  4. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    • Informative Informative x 1
  5. GatorJMDZ

    GatorJMDZ gatorjack VIP Member

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    Wow. On top of everything else, this won't help the glacier situation.
     
  6. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    A huge fissure (2.5 miles long) has opened up at the volcano in Iceland, and a wall of lava is spraying up to 330 feet high from it. Sounds serious.

    NASA Images Show Huge Fissure Opening Up in Iceland

     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  7. AndyGator

    AndyGator GC Hall of Fame

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    well, some good news from the article:

    The fissure is estimated to be around 2.5 miles long. Despite initial fears that the eruption had occurred in what could have been an especially disastrous location, the Icelandic Met Office is now forecasting a more optimistic outcome. This type of eruption was fortunate because it doesn't release nearly as much ash into the air. And though the lava could continue to flow for weeks or even months, it's thankfully heading away from Grindavik.
     
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  8. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    More on what Iceland is doing with volcanic energy. They have managed to drill into a volcanic magma chamber, in the hopes of tapping into a nearly unlimited energy source. It did not cause the volcano to erupt (apparently, it's a different volcano than the one that erupted). It seems somewhat dangerous to me. As soon as the magma chamber pressures up for whatever reason, it has a built-in weak point for an eruption.

    The next question is how do you interface with the magma to recover heat and convert it into useful energy? Most metals will melt at those temperatures. You don't want to dump water into the magma chamber, as that would cause an explosion.

    Scientists Drilling Into Magma Chamber for Potentially Unlimited Energy

     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  9. tampagtr

    tampagtr VIP Member

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    Metaphor alert

     
  10. tampagtr

    tampagtr VIP Member

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    • Informative Informative x 1
  11. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    Both Hawaii (the big island) and California experienced multiple earthquakes on Friday. The Hawaiian earthquake struck first, at 5.7 on the Richter scale, after several smaller quakes. The California quake (4.6) struck a few hours later. I wonder if there is any chance that the Hawaiian quake could lead to an major eruption of Kilauea.

    Multiple earthquakes rattle California and Hawaii on Friday

     
  12. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    U.S. is about to get its own volcano eruption this year, but most people nearby will probably not notice it. It's an underwater volcano off the coast of Oregon. It's the most active volcano on the west coast.

    One Of the Most Active Volcanoes In the World Is About to Blow.

     
  13. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    How will that impact the tectonic plates when all that pressure is released? Earthquakes?
     
  14. chemgator

    chemgator GC Hall of Fame

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    Volcanoes typically have small earthquakes associated with them, but no one notices because the volcano is so dramatic, and people tend to stay away from volcanoes when they are threatening to erupt. I don't think that this particular volcano has a history of major earthquakes associated with it, but it might be possible.
     
  15. demosthenes

    demosthenes Premium Member

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    It’s so far off coast and deep enough it won’t be noticeable except to seismic equipment.
     
  16. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    more thinking about how releasing all that pressure from the molten magna layer will allow rock shelves to drop
     
  17. oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    Yeah the cascadia fault is out there, it’s the most dangerous fault for the US, it can crank out a 9.or higher. It last went in 1700 so it isn’t due for a couple of hundred years, but the interval has been shorter than the current one in the past. It doesn’t need any encouragement.
     
  18. demosthenes

    demosthenes Premium Member

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    The Axial Seamount won’t have anything to do with an earthquake on the Cascadia fault; it’s on the complete opposite side of the Juan De Fuca plate and is erupting because the plates are pulling apart.