The past week has seen a significant level of seismic unrest across the globe.
In Iceland, the volcano Bárðarbunga hit the headlines worldwide but so far only a minor eruption of lava has taken place; however earthquake activity around the site continues.
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Our beleaguered climate is enough trouble without the effects of any other destabilizing factors; however, another huge volcano is predicted to erupt and unleash clouds of volcanic ash into the atmosphere in the very near future.
The volcano, one of the largest in Iceland, has been showing signs of awakening since August 16th since a spate of significant seismic activity – more than 3000 earthquakes in its locality – was detected by the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
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Unknowncountry has been monitoring the increased earthquake activity at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, and considering the potential effects of a Super-volcano eruption. The National Park is perched on top of a simmering Super-volcano which has been responsible for some of the largest and most cataclysmic volcanic eruptions in known history.
Last week’s ‘Weekender’ feature documented an increase in earthquake swarms around the Yellowstone area – over 130 in September alone – and a 3 inch swell in the volcano’s caldera every year for the past three years suggesting that the magma underneath is rising. The cause of the tremors has not yet been determined, but could be influenced by planetary alignments according to some experts and peer-reviewed studies.
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If the world ends, will it be water (again) or fire? When volcanoes erupt, the devastation is short-lived, but violent. Magma creeps up through a crack in the Earth’s crust and mixes with water, setting off a series of explosions–as many as a few each hour for several weeks. When the action stops, a crater-topped, rock-filled fracture called a diatreme is left behind.
If volcanologists could understand how to predict these volcanoes, they could not only save lives, they could find DIAMONDS.
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