Rapidly Inflating Volcano Creates Growing Mystery

ironsides

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Feb 13, 2009
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I know some worry about a asteroid colliding with the Earth, Global warming, storms etc., but volcanism is more of a hazard than any of these. The Earth has a way of cleansing itself, this is a big volcano and it is about to blow. Maybe not a Yellow Stone super volcano, but who knows.

Should anyone ever decide to make a show called "CSI: Geology," a group of scientists studying a mysterious and rapidly inflating South American volcano have got the perfect storyline.
Researchers from several universities are essentially working as geological detectives, using a suite of tools to piece together the restive peak's past in order to understand what it is doing now, and better diagnose what may lie ahead.
It's a mystery they've yet to solve.
Uturuncu is a nearly 20,000-foot-high (6,000 meters) volcano in southwest Bolivia. Scientists recently discovered the volcano is inflating with astonishing speed.
"I call this 'volcano forensics,' because we're using so many different techniques to understand this phenomenon," said Oregon State University professor Shan de Silva, a volcanologist on the research team.


Rapidly Inflating Volcano Creates Growing Mystery - Yahoo! News
 

Mowich

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Dec 25, 2005
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I would worry about the size and extent of the ejecta, Ironsides. Depending on the amount, we could be looking at darkening skies and cooler conditions for some parts of the world if this is as big as think it might be.
 

ironsides

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Feb 13, 2009
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I would worry about the size and extent of the ejecta, Ironsides. Depending on the amount, we could be looking at darkening skies and cooler conditions for some parts of the world if this is as big as think it might be.

It sure would put the brakes on global warming for a couple of years. Looks like it could be a tremendous explosion.
 

Goober

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Jan 23, 2009
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It sure would put the brakes on global warming for a couple of years. Looks like it could be a tremendous explosion.

How Volcanoes Work - volcano climate effects

KRAKATAU (1883) -- Eruption of the Indonesian volcano Krakatau in August 1883 generated twenty times the volume of tephra released by the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Krakatau was the second largest eruption in history, dwarfed only by the eruption of neighboring Tambora in 1815 (see above). For months after the Krakatau eruption, the world experienced unseasonably cool weather, brilliant sunsets, and prolonged twilights due to the spread of aerosols throughout the stratosphere. The brilliant sunsets are typical of atmospheric haze. The unusual and prolonged sunsets generated considerable contemporary debate on their origin.They also provided inspiration for artists who dipicted the vibrant nature of the sunsets in several late 19th-century paintings, two of which are noted here.
 

petros

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Nov 21, 2008
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It's location is critical as well. Being equatorial is a biggie for dispersal and it's impact on weather.