April Volcano Update

The VOG (volcanic fog) is so thick, and Im on Maui.

Had VISION 18 years ago, when I was pregnant and got stuck up on Haleakala.
In the middle of the night I kept feeling earthquakes and then the mountain spoke. SHE said she would blow right where I was (pPlipoli), and to Get SEEDS.

the Get SEEDS baffled me.

since then Haleakala has been classified inactive (from dormant).

and yeas, Ive been getting seeds.............................

Geogal : What are the chances that there is an underwater volcano off the Oregon coast? Say the Blanco ridge?

Also, Nevada quakes, there seems to be 4-5 shallow, surface quakes and then a 16km depth, at fairly regular intervals. What does this mean?

Volcano activity 16 km down?

The Juan de Fuca Plate subducting under the northerly portion of the western side of the North American Plate and lifting part of it. It create stress in the parts of N. California and Nevada. Results are EQs we can see lately. And it does not look it will stop for some time.

:1JuandeFuc:

Tell me about it... I've been watching the Indonesian area for a while... closely since the last decent sized ones (earthquakes) off coast of Australia a week or so back. Worried a bit about the area, but it's a serious active subduction zone.

eyes throat and lungs hurt from the VOG.

plants and flowers are dying from it too...................

Hawaiian update

Sorry haven't answered until now... it's been a busy day.

Basically, the info from the ship that went out to study the area isn't complete yet. But, there's no initial indication of volcanics...
"4/22/2008 Update:
CTD casts conducted at East Blanco Depression, Cascadia Depression (CD)and half-way between swarm center and CD. Although the realtime sensors on the CTD do not show any evidence of hydrothermal emissions from the seafloor, only shore-based measurements will provide definitive analyses of the water samples. Ship ahead of schedule allowing further CTD operations. Hydrophone will not be recovered on this expedition."
[link to www.pmel.noaa.gov]

I assume you know that Blanco Ridge is a crescent shaped ridge that they really don't know a lot about. It COULD be a volcano, and it could just be an underwater mountain. They don't know for certain. If it is a volcano, it's REALLY hard to get all the info together like they can on land. There isn't enough coverage of those areas. Remember, JdF is about the size of California and we have seismic stations all over the place to cover every little event. Water also can deaden the waves and energy of an earthquake for us to be able to properly record what's happening. With that in mind as a background. Mt St Helena (not helens) in california is an old inactive volcano associated with Clear lake area. Clear lake was a pretty huge volcano until it blew and left a big crater (caldera) in the ground, pretty similar to what happened to Tahoe and Yellowstone. Anyhow, it's considered inactive but yet it still has a least one low level tremor a day and geysers. If you look on USGS it's listed as Geysers, sometimes Clear lake. These low level tremors we really can't measure all that well on the JdF, due in part to coverage and what I listed. there are know volcanoes at the JdF, but mostly at the rim near the pacific plate.

If you are thinking that it could just blow and suddenly create an island... well, it's fun to imagine something like that, but it also is pretty unlikely. It's more likely to go in reverse... one day there's a nice island, the next a big caldera... it normally takes many thousands of years to build an island. As for it turning out to BE a volcano and becoming active (again??), that is possible. Inactive (moah) just means sleeping in hawaiian. As to should you panic if you live near that coast. It'd have to do the big Yellowstone thing to really do a lot of damage to the coast, and then it would only likely affect a few hundred feet in from the shore, max, with flooding, and obvious worse right at the shore.

Which grouping of earthquakes are you referring to in Nevada? the earthquakes in Wells? or Reno? or South and east of Reno? What it means is highly dependent upon which area specifically. If it's near a geothermal/volcanic area could mean a number of things. If it's just a fault area, could mean that the constraints aren't as accurate as they'd like. When you check the earthquake listing for the specific event (not the 7 day listing), but this for example: [link to earthquake.usgs.gov]
you will note often under "location uncertainty" that there's a +/- listed for depth and epicenter and stuff. The one I sent you to have the "fun" "error estimate not available"... which is always annoying, but ... sometimes you don't get all the green M&M's in life... sigh... but, click on "location uncertainty" and it gives a good explanation as to why of depth. Likely, my guess is that each one has up to +/-8km error, which could put them at all the same level.

On the other hand, if it's a know volcanic area, that could indicate one of 2 major things, and a TON of minor ones... but, it could just simple be a fault at the volcanic area is moving and the above description applies. Or it could be an indication of magma moving up the chamber in preparation for a POTENTIAL something. Magma moving in the chamber doesn't immediately indicate it's gona blow, but it's a pretty common sign that it's likely.

Does that answer? or confuse?

I seen this on the History Channel about Krakatoa ...this would be a great buy for anyone if they havent seen it. Very eye opening. Krakatoa is not an ordinary volcano. It is a super volcano. Many dont know that.

[link to store.aetv.com]

I'm on the big island of Hawaii and the vog here is thick and causing physical problems like headaches, eye watering and sinus difficulties. There are people who say this is how it was before Mt St. Helens errupted. I'm on the northern tip, the opposite end from the volcano and we're getting vog heavy up here as well. No fear, just awareness.

I found a few site for interest regarding MSH with before and after description and pictures. The second has some interesting stories.
[link to volcano.und.edu]
[link to www.olywa.net]

Kilauea is actually erupting and has some of the worst sulfur dioxide problems they've seen in it's history, including sulfur that glows at night. I'm not sure if they've found what is causing it, you may have heard being there.

But, it is a pretty big danger. Right where the lava is flowing is a rift zone, you likely know about it, but I'll explain for others that may read this. A rift zone is a spreading center and can do stuff kinda like in the TV movie "10.5". I haven't seen it but I've read about it. Most rift zones are in the ocean and create new ocean floor. But a few are on land and this is where the land pushes apart and magma can come up, normally in the form of new volcanoes. The rift on Hawaii is different, in that it already IS a volcano and it's island based. The land that pushes away has no place to go but into the ocean. If this happens, there is enough mass to reproduce the 1960 Chile Tsunami. [link to www.geophys.washington.edu]
(BTW California does have a rift zone at Baja, but not far inland. 10.5 movie isn't possible in CA)

So far, the magnitude earthquakes they guess aren't indicative of this being imminent. But, all the cards are in place, right now. Low level earthquakes, magma in the caldera, moving magma in the chamber....

I wish you the best and the safest, right now. Kilauea is on an orange level watch. No, no need to worry. They believe it will happen fairly slowly until it becomes obvious it will go.
[link to www.ingentaconnect.com]
[link to hvo.wr.usgs.gov]
I hope they are right. My mom goes back and forth from Hilo a few times a year. I'll let her know about the vog problem, in that, last time she was there, it wasn't that bad. What part of the island?

Hi Star
here's a list of known huge (aka super) volcanoes that are known:
-Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand - Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago (1,170 km³)
-Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia - 75,000 years ago (2,800 km³)
-Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming, United States - 2.2 million years ago (2,500 km³) and 640,000 years ago (1,000 km³)
-Tambora's eruption in 1815 (160 km³), which was the largest eruption in recorded history.
-Aira Caldera, Kyūshū, Japan - 22,000 years ago (110 km³)
-Aso, Kyūshū, Japan - four large explosive eruptions between 300,000 to 80,000 years ago (Total volume 600 km³)
-Kikai Caldera, Ryukyu Islands, Japan - 6,300 years ago (150 km³ (bulk volume))
-Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand - Hatepe eruption 181 AD (120 km³)
-Long Valley Caldera, California, United States - 760,000 years ago (600 km³)
-Valle Grande, New Mexico, United States - 1.12 million years ago (~600 km³)
-Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming, United States - 1.3 million years ago (280 km³)
-Bennett Lake Volcanic Complex, British Columbia/Yukon, Canada - 50 million years ago (850 km³)
-Bruneau-Jarbidge, Idaho, United States - 10-12 million years ago (>250 km³) (responsible for the Ashfall Fossil Beds 1,600 km to the east[10])
-Campi Flegrei, Naples, Italy - 12,000 years ago (Could be as much as 300 km³)
[link to en.wikipedia.org]

Super volcano is not defining it as a non-normal volcano. Each super volcano also falls into the normal naming categories (like shield, etc) but it's got the additional definition of "super" only meaning it's had a very large eruption in the past. When they calc or on TV shows present a huge explosion in todays world, it's only indicative of the LARGEST possibility, not what really will happen. Every "super" volcano also has very normal activity, much like what's happening on Kilauea right now. And normal activity can release pressure for the potential event.

Hope all is well with you.

Geogal : you are a well of information. Thanks.

I live near Vancouver BC and some years ago in another house, I would look out the bedroom window and see steam plumes coming out of Mount Baker. Baker is in WA state near the border, the 49th parallel.

Makes you think...

Now I live nearer the Mt. Meager and Garibaldi volcanoes.

Connected to the Mt. St. Helens, Rainier, Three Sisters, Shasta chain.

LOL, we are connected in many ways, seen and unseen. Volcanic is not my top choice tho!

OK, so what is your guess-timate?

Under increased pressure, will the Juan de Fuca plate crumble, break into pieces, or, will the JdF plate pressure cause the coastline to buckle upwards ?

And this would likely effect the San Andreas fault as well.

I include a short article:

Plate tectonics, volcanism and the lithosphere in British Columbia

R. A. STACEY

Earth Physics Branch, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OE4, Canada

THE most important feature of the present tectonic situation off the west coast of Canada is the ridge−trench−fault type triple junction between the Juan de Fuca, Pacific and American lithospheric plates near the continental margin, at approximately 51°N (Fig. 1). The half spreading rate for the Juan de Fuca Ridge, based on the magnetic lineation pattern, is 2.9 cm yr-1, and the calculated rate of motion along the Queen Charlotte transform fault between the American and Pacific Plates is 6 cm yr-1 (ref. 1). The main part of the Juan de Fuca Ridge is probably spreading parallel to the north−east trending Blanco fracture zone which marks the southern edge of the plate at approximately 43.5°N. The vector diagram for the relative motion of the three plates during the late Cainozoic suggests that the Juan de Fuca Plate is being thrust obliquely below the American Plate at 2.5 cm yr-1 in a direction of N 35° E (ref. 1).

------------------

Indonesia is always active. I think what is noteworthy are the quake swarms in Oregon, Reno and New Madrid.

These all portend future large activity.

Should the Juan de Fuca plate rip a good question is do any volcanoes go.

Welcome. I try to stay as informed as possible about geology related issues. But, there's TOO MUCH to know everything. I do love to run into stuff I don't know. It's fun for me to go research stuff.

Sounds like you like a place with a GEORGOUS view. I'm pretty much directly south of about where you are, in the eastern part of the San Francisco bay area.

Volcanics isn't my speciality, but it's one I love. So I enjoy reading about and visiting many different volcanoes. my favorite 2 are Kilauea and Crater lake.
[link to www.nps.gov]

Agreed on Indonesia... The volcanoes there are almost like a pearl necklace, pretty much like the Aleutians in Alaska.
[link to vulcan.wr.usgs.gov]

It was originally thought that the New Madrid fault and the other faults in this area were relics of mafic plutons about 200 million years old, and a possible deep buried rift.

[link to www.showme.net]

But as of May 2007, a new theory has been brought up with apparently good evidence behind it. The Farallon plate subducted a long time ago and is thought to be below the middle of the continent. It is what's thought to be the origin of the midcontinent faults and earthquakes. What this means? this means that there is a real reason for the earthquakes and that it's expected to continue like it has with occasional very large quakes from time to time. THe 1811-1812 and 1895 events are not the last nor were they the first.

I think that the M5.2 and following aftershocks took pressures off of this fault and bought a few more years before another large event. I also think that if New Madrid and area faults are associated with the Farallon plate so is Nevada and Yellowstone. [link to www.mala.bc.ca]
Line up the Farallon edge and I believe you get nearly under the edge of Yellowstone.... which could be extra bad in that a spreading center is being remelted below Yellowstone. One can only pay attention to the signs that the earth gives and hope for the least worst of any possible outcome.


The closest volcanics to Reno is south of the city called Steamboat Springs.
[link to vulcan.wr.usgs.gov]

So of the active areas you mentioned, New Madrid area (and I include the Wabash fault that's showing the recent activity) seems the most unusual area. Reno has a fairly active and recently active history. Indonesia is always active. So, I'm still searching the web to see if the Wabash has anything new geologically to report.

JdF is a remnant of the Farallon plate (see above for New Madrid links). Buckle and crumble... hrmmm... unlikely, but not impossible. It's sorta "stuck" geologically speaking and is subducting more slowly than it's thought it should. I think the best way to describe an oceanic plate is to bring a food reference in. An oceanic plate is kinda like a big pie just out of the oven (pick your favorite), but it's already cut into a thousand pieces. These pieces shift and move together to their ultimate destination (in the JdF case to be shoved under the American continent). I said just out of the oven to imply that they still are kinda plastic and soft. It's also a pretty thin crust from bottom of the ocean to the top of the upper mantel, in comparison to continental crust, only about a 100 km or so, if I remember my figures right. Anyhow, like that warm, soft (tasty) pie crust, it's got all kinds of bumps and imperfections (Blanco Ridge is a good example). So, buckling, yeah sure, it's been doing that a long time. Crumbling... hrmmm... doesn't sound too plausible. Subducting more and forcing up the continent, most likely. More earthquakes, possible tsunami level like the 1700 one off of Washington? Low level like they've been getting is pretty much a given. Tsunami level, likely and almost certain, but not necessarily in our life time.

My best guesstimate. I could be wrong. One of my favorite lines from my husband is "Sometimes wrong but NEVER uncertain."

opps... missed a few of the older ones...

Monday, April 14, 2008
Protector Shoal Volcano, South Sandwich Islands -
A large earthquake (magnitude 6.0) occurred at Protector Shoal Volcano, South Sandwich Islands, today at 07:45 am local time. The earthquake focus was located 14 km SW of the volcano at a depth of 162 km. Protector Shoal last erupted in 1962 producing pumice which floated to New Zealand.

Sunday, April 13, 2008
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii -
Kilauea volcano in Hawaii continues to erupt from two locations. At the summit, steam and small amounts of ash are emitting from Halema`uma`u vent. Along the east rift zone lava from Pu`u `O`o enters the lava tube system under the TEB vent and and flows southeast to the ocean. At the coast two Waikupanaha and one Ki ocean entries were active on Friday.

Friday, April 11, 2008
Rabaul Volcano, Papua New Guinea -
A large explosion occurred at Turvurvur crater, Rabaul Volcano last night at 9:29 pm local time. The explosion rattled windows in Rabaul town and covered the cone with fragments of lava. This morning fine ash was falling on Matupit Island. A night glow was visible at the crater.

Thursday, April 10, 2008
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii -
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remained closed on Wednesday due to high levels of sulphur dioxide emission. The cruise ship Diamond Princess is scheduled to arrive in Hilo at 7:30 am Thursday with hundreds of passengers scheduled to visit the National Park. By mid-afternoon Wednesday 5 mph trade winds from the northeast began pushing gas emissions from the volcano away from the park's visitor center and Jaggar Museum. Civil Defense officials lowered the alert status in Volcano Village and surrounding areas from purple to yellow last night, indicating conditions were improving. This is the first time the entire park has been closed since 1982. Only a few people have evacuated from the communities around Volcano Village. Yesterday lava was entering the ocean at four locations at Waikupanaha and Ki ocean entries.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii -
High levels of sulphur dioxide emissions from Kilauea volcano in Hawaii have resulted in potential evacuations in Volcano Village area and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A change in winds later today (April 8, Hawaii time) is expected to bring conditions in neighboring Volcano to the highest warning level. Hawaii County Civil Defense issued a warning last night based on expected conditions today, advising evacuations as a precaution from Mauna Loa Estates, Ohia Estates, Volcano Village, Keauhou Ranch, and the Volcano Golf Course Subdivision. An evacuation centre has been opened in preparation. sulphur dioxide vog (volcanic smog) has already reduced visibility to half a mile in Hilo and parts of the lower Puna District. Sulphur dioxide from Kilauea volcano comes from two sources, Halemaumau Crater at the summit and Puu Oo on the east rift zone.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Ibu Volcano, Indonesia -
There has been an increase in volcanic earthquakes and emissions at Ibu Volcano in Indonesia. Ash emissions reached 150 m above the crater on 17th March, 300 m on 31st March, and 700 m on 5th April. Ibu volcano has been on level II alert since 1999, and the alert level may be increased if unrest continues. The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has advised local residents to remain calm and not believe rumours about potential eruptions. Visitors and tourists are not permitted to climb Gunung Ibu. Local resudents should take precautions not to inhale volcanic ash because of the effects on the respiritory system.

Sunday, April 06, 2008
Active Volcanoes on Venus -
European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft has detected sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere of Venus. This could be produced by active volcanoes, or created by an unknown mechanism affecting the upper atmosphere. Sulphur dioxide at high altitude should be destroyed rapidly by solar radiation, but it has been varying in concentration. Plans are being made to look for localised increases in sulphur dioxide that would indicate a plume of the gas from a volcano. Another method is to look for hot spots on the surface that can indicate recent volcanic activity.

I understand what you are saying but when you consider the fact that the whole Sunda Straight area was once a land bridge between Java and Sumatra island then you really understand the magnitude of Krakatoas eruption at one time. That is a huge piece of land missing and that video does talk about the eruption which created that Sunda Straight ...it is known in the Indonesia Book of Kings i believe it was called. It is really one of the best documentaries ive seen on tv in a while. Very eye opening.

I am going to buy that video. It is definitely a keeper.

KRAKATAU - Sunday, August 26, 1883

...and the volcano erupted. An explosive pillar of steam and a cloud of debris shot into the air, accompanied by an ear-shattering fusillade.

Within an hour the cloud had risen to seventeen miles, three times the height of Mount Everest. Steam and debris climbed in a thick column, mushrooming out in the shape of a gigantic Christmas tree with the waters of the strait with ominous sound effect. The natives who flocked together on shore were convinced that the end of the world had come. By 3:00 P.M. it had grown dark and the roaring of the volcano had become so relentless that the ground trembled underfoot. Terrifying detonations came every two or three minutes, and the air was charged with sulfurous fumes.

Captain Logan of the ship Berbice recorded in his log at sea:

Midnight – The ash shower is becoming heavier and is intermixed with fragments of pumice stone. The lightning and thunder became worse and worse. Lightning flashes shot past around the ship. Fireballs continually fell on deck and burst into sparks…. The sky was one second intense blackness, the next a blaze of fire.

Sea water rushed into the cauldron of seething rocks and magma and was instantly turned into steam. Up from the volcano huge rocks and clouds of dust, debris, and steam shot high in the air. This was Krakatau’s Big Bang!

A mighty blast roared from the volcano. The force of this explosion is estimated to have been twenty-six times greater than the largest hydrogen bomb ever detonated in an underground test.
[link to www.fascinatingearth.com]

With a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 6, it was equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT — about 13,000 times the yield of the Little Boy bomb (13 to 16 KT), which devastated Hiroshima, Japan.

I do understand the magnitude of that particular Volcano, as well as multiple others. I've been studying them for about 20 years. I'm not saying I'm better than or know more than whomever... I'm just simply stating I REALLY do understand the magnitude.

Here's another eye opener, the Hawaii chain is a single source that creates the islands as they pass over the hot spot. Some people know this... but, many don't know that the three other islands that make up Maui County ( Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai) used to be all 1 big island until it blew up one day. Similar with Santorini (aka Thera). Yellowstone is another great example as well as lake TOba (Indonesia) and Clear Lake California. Yes, I do understand how damn (I don't use that word lightly) powerful these things CAN be.

Ahhh.. Jarha. Satisfying my love of trivia! This is a really cool account! Thanks!