Fire Earth

Earth is fighting to stay alive. Mass dieoffs, triggered by anthropogenic assault and fallout of planetary defense systems offsetting the impact, could begin anytime!

Archive for October 26th, 2009

Crater in Mazsalaca, Latvia

Posted by feww on October 26, 2009

Image of the Day:

The Mazsalaca Impact Crater, Latvia

crater
Authorities in Latvia said the 15-m crater near the northern town of Mazsalaca was probably caused by a meteorite.  Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.


A Hoax?

Geologist Dainis Ozols of North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve says “the object in Mazsalaca, thought to be a meteorite, is merely smoky ember of chemical elements” and that   the wide crater formed around it is man-made.

Not a Hoax!

Uldis Nulle, the head of geology department at Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center believes that a meteorite created the crater,  a report said.

To solve the mystery, two geologists and two astronomers have since traveled to the Mazsalaca site to examine the crater.

Posted in Mazsalaca Impact Crater, meteorite | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

VolcanoWatch Weekly [26 Oct 2009]

Posted by feww on October 26, 2009

FEWW Volcanic Forecast

On April 21, 2009 in Sumatra’s Mt Kerinci Erupts FEWW made the following forecast

FEWW Volcanic Forecast:

1. The Loyalty – New Hebrides  Arc Collision. Intense volcanic activity should be expected throughout 2009 and beyond along the New Hebrides arc, the Vanatu region (also to the north to include Solomon Island and Santa Cruz Island), possibly continued along the New Hebrides Trench (to include Matthew and Hunter Island). Volcanoes that are located in the above-described area include:

  • Savo (Solomon Island)
  • Tinakula (Santa Cruz Island – SW Pacific)
  • Suretamatai
  • Motlav
  • Gaua
  • Mere Lava
  • Aoba
  • Ambrym
  • Lopevi
  • Kuwae
  • North Vate
  • Traitor’s Head
  • Yasur
  • Eastern Gemini Seamount
  • Matthew Island
  • Hunter Island

2. Pacific Plate subduction beneath the Okhotsk Plate. Subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Okhotsk Plate continues to create Intense volcanism. Starting 2009, however, a much greaterthan the average number of volcanoes located on the Kuril Islands island arc, Kamchatka volcanic arc and Japan trench to the south may erupt with renewed intensity.

And the following on June 5, 2009, having first introduced Mt Kaba earlier on Weekly Volcano Watch: 16 April 2009

FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast:

FEWW Moderators forecast  new volcanic activity/ unrest at 50 or more volcanoes throughout the rest of 2009.

List of the volcanoes to watch this year [and in 2010] includes:

Barcena (0.8), Socorro (0.8), Curacoa (0.99), Atitlán (0.65), Vesuvius (>0.6), Bazman (0.6), Mount Shasta (>0.5), Kaba (>0.5), Bandai (>0.5), Eastern Gemini Seamount or Mathew Island volcano (0.65), Fonualei (0.65), Mount Rainier (>0.5), Jan Mayen (>0.6), Thule (0.4), Sibayak (>0.5), Volcán Guallatiri (0.65), Taveuni (>0.4),  two or more volcanoes on the island of Hokkaido (0.65), E-san (0.7), Oshima-Oshima (0.7), Komaga-take (0.65)

SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 14-20 October 2009 listed both  Kaba and Gaua Volcanoes as erupting:

On 13 October, Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory confirmed that Gaua’s Mount Garat was erupting based on fieldwork done by scientists during 3-7 October. Seismic records showed multiple explosions, and a gas flux measurement of 3,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide was detected on 3 October. The Alert Level was raised to 2 (on a scale of 0-5).

And

On 20 October, CVGHM reported that seismic activity from Kaba increased in August and remained elevated in September and October. Inflation was also detected. When weather permitted, diffuse white plumes were seen rising 25-50 m above the crater rim and drifting E. Based on the deformation and increased seismicity, CVGHN raised the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1-4).

SI /USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report
(14 October – 20 October 2009)

New activity/Unrest:

Ongoing Activity:

Related Links:

FEWW Volcanic Activity Forecast

Other Related Links:

Recent Posts on Chaitén:

Posted in Chaiten, Ebeko, Kizimen, Kliuchevskoi, Nevado del Huila, Piton de la Fournaise, Soufrière Hills | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »