VolcanoWatch Weekly [6 August 2009]

Volcanic Activity Report: 29 July – 4 August 2009

VOW: Kizimen

55°08’ N, 160°20’ E, summit elevation 2,375 m

Kizimen volcano is a Holocene edifice situated in Shchapina graben, on the southeastern edge of the Central Kamchatka Depression. The volcano is cut by NE-strking faults and deep gullies, which expose the whole suite of its rocks. The only historic eruption of the volcano (“fire flames and black smoke”)  was reported by local hunters in 1928, however, it should have been a weak one since no deposits of this age are seen at the foot of the volcano. Copyrighted photo by Vikto Dvigalo. Caption:  Holocene Kamchataka volcanoes; http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/volcanoes/holocene/main/main.htm

Kizimen is an isolated, conical stratovolcano that is morphologically similar to Mount St. Helens prior to its 1980 eruption. The summit of Kizimen consists of overlapping lava domes, and blocky lava flows descend the flanks of the volcano, which is the westernmost of a volcanic chain north of Kronotsky volcano. The 2376-m-high Kizimen was formed during four eruptive cycles beginning about 12,000 years ago and lasting 2000-3500 years. The largest eruptions took place about 10,000 and 8300-8400 years ago, and three periods of long-term lava dome growth have occurred. The latest eruptive cycle began about 3000 years ago with a large explosion and was followed by lava dome growth lasting intermittently about 1000 years. An explosive eruption about 1100 years ago produced a lateral blast and created a 1.0 x 0.7 km wide crater breached to the NE, inside which a small lava dome (the fourth at Kizimen) has grown. A single explosive eruption, during 1927-28, has been recorded in historical time. USGS

New activity/unrest:

Source: Global Volcanism Program (GVP) – SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

• Kizimen, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)
• Kliuchevskoi, Central Kamchatka (Russia)

Notes:

On 2 August, KVERT reported that seismic activity from Kliuchevskoi had gradually increased since 30 July, and continuous seismic tremor was detected. A strong thermal anomaly was seen in satellite imagery at night.

On 31 July, KVERT reported that seismic activity from Kizimen had increased since 11 July. Several tens of shallow earthquakes per day were detected. (Source: GVP)

Ongoing Activity:

• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Colima, México
• Ebeko, Paramushir Island
• Fuego, Guatemala
• Galeras, Colombia
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Nevado del Huila, Colombia
• Pacaya, Guatemala
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu
• Santa María, Guatemala
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan)

Recent Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE Wednesday, August 5, 2009 7:39 AM HST (Wednesday, August 5, 2009 17:39 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)
19°25’16” N 155°17’13” W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH

Activity Summary for past 24 hours: The Halema`uma`u Overlook vent remained dark; sulfur dioxide emission rates from Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents were elevated; lava from the TEB vent, on the east rift zone, flows through tubes to the Waikupanaha ocean entry west of Kalapana; surface flows are active on the pali.

Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: No lava or glow has been visible within the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent since the July 4 DI event. This morning, the plume is white and opaque and is blowing toward the southwest. Tephra production by the vent has been very low over the past several weeks, mostly characterized by ash-sized rock dust from small wall collapses in the vent. No rock falls or gas rushing sounds were heard at the vent during this morning’s ash collection. (HVO)

Related Links:

• U.S. Volcano Status Map
• Elevated Activity Page
• U.S. Volcano Webcams

FEWW Links:

• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes

Global Volcanism, Volcanic Activity Report, Volcano Hazard, VolcanoWatch, volcanism, volcanoes. Tagged: Batu Tara, Kīlauea, Sakura-jima, Sarychev Peak, Suwanose-jima.

Another Airbus Caught Fire?

Airbus Engine Catches Fire in Orly, Paris

Eight people were injured when 165 passengers on an Airbus 310 stampeded toward the emergency exists after an engine suddenly caught fire as the plane prepared for takeoff.

Vueling Flight 9127, was preparing to take off from Orly Airport in Paris, France, heading toward Alicante in southeastern Spain when the engine caught fire at 10:36 am, on Wednesday.

“Before getting out, everybody was panicking inside the plane. When people heard about the incident, everybody was pushing each other to get out and eventually everybody went down the emergency slides,” a passenger told Associated Press.

“Jose Luis Casado, a representative of the Spanish carrier Iberia, which owns nearly half of Vueling, said that a ground employee spotted liquid leaking from one of the engines as it was starting. The employee sounded an alert, but the fire broke out soon after.”

The management decided to use the emergency slides to evacuate the passengers, Casado said.

“Of course, it is a very spectacular procedure because we use the emergency slides, we make the usual announcements, asking people to take off their shoes and leave their luggage on board the plane. It’s quite a traumatic experience for the passengers.”

For a list of most recent air crashes and Airbus near misses click on the link below.

Related Links:

• Links index: Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …

FEWW: Alaska Earthquake Warning

A powerful earthquake could strike Alaska anytime

Based on the FEWW ‘EarthModel’ simulations, Moderators believe a powerful earthquake may strike Alaska anytime [probability of 0.8]

Previous FEWW Forecast

FEWW Forecast: An area within approximately 300-km radius of Anchorage would be one of the seismic zones in Alaska to experience continued intense seismic activity this year possibly including a magnitude MW 7.9 or larger quake close to Anchorage  (south of the city, north of Rugged Island).

FEWW Alaska Earthquake Forecast. Approximate location. Source of original map: Google Earth. Map may be subject to copyright.

Related Links:

• Earthquakes [Links Page]
• Magnitude MW 5.7 Quake Hits Southern Alaska

A few sobering shocks may be around the corner

submitted by a reader

Psychologists may be right!

Nothing short of a cluster of large scale disasters would wake people up—and keep them on their toes!

“Psychological barriers like uncertainty, mistrust and denial keep most Americans from acting to fight climate change, a task force of the American Psychological Association said on Wednesday.” Reuters reported in Psychological barriers hobble climate action.

What wasn’t addressed by the task force of the American Psychological Association, however, are the issue of mind control and culpability:

1. How many of those factors introduced into the human experience nexus are INTENTIONALLY added.
2. Which of their members are responsible for the mind control operations?
3. Which private/government organizations, special interest groups, corporate bodies foot the bill?

The Reuters report continues:

Policymakers, scientists and marketers should look at these factors to figure out what might prod people take action, the task force reported at the association’s annual convention in Toronto.

Did you have the feeling what was about to follow? The solution to the problem is one that must be [and can be]  found by policymakers, scientists and marketers [sic] within the existing framework of  global economy [sic.]

While most Americans — 75 percent to 80 percent in a Pew Research Center poll — said climate change is an important issue, it still ranked last in a list of 20 compelling issues such as the economy or terrorism, the task force said.

Any wonder why “economy” and “terrorism” are manipulated to the extent they are to keep the real issue, climate change [also depletion of resources and ecosystem collapse—ecocide] way down at the bottom of the pile?

Despite warnings from scientists that humans need to make changes now if they want to avoid the worst effects of climate change, “people don’t feel a sense of urgency,” the association said in a statement.

Don’t worry, they will!  A few sobering shocks may be around the corner.

Numerous psychological barriers are to blame, the task force found, including: uncertainty over climate change, mistrust of the messages about risk from scientists or government officials, denial that climate change is occurring or that it is related to human activity.

In a little while, all of the above could turn out to be academic. There are those forces of nature that are beyond the spinpower of Rand Corporation and the likes.

Other factors include undervaluing the risk. Even though an international study showed many people believe environmental conditions will worsen in 25 years, that could lead some to conclude that they don’t have to make changes now.

Do you smell FEAR? These psychologists have a very low fear threshold.

Some people believe anything they do would make little difference and they therefore choose to do nothing.

They may well be right. However, the difference is a “quantum” one. The observer action, regardless of the observer’s certainty in the perceived outcome, will determine her fate.

Habit is the most important obstacle to pro-environment behavior, the task force found.

Do consumption junkies stand a chance?

But habits can be changed, especially if changing saves money and people are quickly made aware of it. People are more likely to use energy-efficient appliances if they get immediate energy-use feedback, the task force said.

Do ethanol junkies stand a chance?

It identified other areas where psychology can help limit the effects of climate change, such as developing environmental regulations, economic incentives, better energy-efficient technology and communication methods.

So the whole thing is yet another spin. The “mother of all spins,” as it were, created by the shrinks because it’s packed with subliminal conditioning, laced with oxymoron like “economic incentives,” and shrouded in the vagueness of phrases like “better energy-efficient.”

If you thought lawyers were bad, you probably didn’t know the evil some shrinks get up to—and not just in their spare time.

Related Links:

• Fat Chance
• First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Future Scenarios
• Nuking Earth for Lifestyle

• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Energy: 286W
• Failing Ecosystems

• Drought and Deluge

• CO2e Links Page
• World CO2 Emissions
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• New York Cognitive Dissonance

• World Problems: The Root Cause Matrix
• Giga Trends

• Look me straight in the eye & tell me you can’t
• Protect Economy from Climate??!
• Blind scientists examining the economic elephant

• How Much Carbon Dioxide Does Your Money Make?
• Cosmic Scale Evil
• Index of Human Impact on Nature

• The Billionaires’ contribution to CO2 pollution
• Stop Burning Earth