Geologists are Warning of a Mega Eruption of Merapi

I mean c'mon really? One volcano will not cause havoc around the world. Can we just calm down a bit? At least in our times they have affected air travel and astronomy observatories but volcanoes only have a big impact in their respective neighborhoods. When Krakatoa exploded it caused massive devastation to surrounding islands because of its massive pyroclastic flow.
Even though if Mount Merapi blows its load, at least we will get nice reddish sunsets out here in Arizona. Not to be insensitive to the recent victims, but when the government tells you to leave the area of danger.....LEAVE!!

Originally posted by blamethegreys
Originally posted by Sky watcher


Yup, Krakatoa is considered the loudest noise on earth in recorded history. There were reports of the sound from 3000 miles away. en.wikipedia.org...

I wonder how loud the Toba event was with a caldera complex 62 mile long and 13 miles wide.
en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by Kratos40


I have to disagree with you.

Anyone that has studied volcanology realizes the HUGE potential for a planet-wide event due to volcanic activity.

All you have to do is some reading on the historic records about known eruptions. True, merapi is not Yellowston or Toba, but IF it has the potential spoken of in the OP, than yes...it could have a global impact.

How do you think the very land you walk on was formed? The massive power involved here is too big to even really grasp. Please don't underestimate her.

Why is Obama going there again?

Oh, yeah, economy, family, and such.

reply to post by Kratos40


.......the eruptions that are happening now are nothing compared to what has happened in our planets history if one volcano blows its top for real it can very well cause global temperature drops as well as crop failures among many other problems just because it has not happened in out lifetimes does not mean that it is not possible. our lifespans are merely a blink in comparison to global/universal timelines.

I don't normally believe in the hype an event like this could produce, but for some reason my gut tells me otherwise. Remember the Mayans believing us to be in the 5th Human Age which would be cleansed by fire... Also the Timewave and Web Bot predictions. Hopefully nothing catastrophic occurs, pray for the people living in the region.

Originally posted by westcoast
reply to post by Kratos40

 

I have to disagree with you.

Anyone that has studied volcanology realizes the HUGE potential for a planet-wide event due to volcanic activity.

All you have to do is some reading on the historic records about known eruptions. True, merapi is not Yellowston or Toba, but IF it has the potential spoken of in the OP, than yes...it could have a global impact.

How do you think the very land you walk on was formed? The massive power involved here is too big to even really grasp. Please don't underestimate her.

I see your point, but when Mount Saint Helens erupted in the 80's it didn't affect us much down here in Arizona. And Mt. St. Helens was a powerful sideways explosion. What I am worried about is the caldera in Yellowstone. I have plans of building a home in the "area", and I'm considering this as a threat.
The land that I walk on currently was formed billions of years ago. At least in the area where I live it was under water for millions of years, and then was above above water for several millions of years. Hence, why we have strange flora known as saguaros and other vegetation.
What I think you are talking about is when Earth was cooling down and life was not formed yet.

Originally posted by Kratos40

Originally posted by westcoast
reply to post by Kratos40

 

I have to disagree with you.

Anyone that has studied volcanology realizes the HUGE potential for a planet-wide event due to volcanic activity.

All you have to do is some reading on the historic records about known eruptions. True, merapi is not Yellowston or Toba, but IF it has the potential spoken of in the OP, than yes...it could have a global impact.

How do you think the very land you walk on was formed? The massive power involved here is too big to even really grasp. Please don't underestimate her.

I see your point, but when Mount Saint Helens erupted in the 80's it didn't affect us much down here in Arizona. And Mt. St. Helens was a powerful sideways explosion. What I am worried about is the caldera in Yellowstone. I have plans of building a home in the "area", and I'm considering this as a threat.
The land that I walk on currently was formed billions of years ago. At least in the area where I live it was under water for millions of years, and then was above above water for several millions of years. Hence, why we have strange flora known as saguaros and other vegetation.
What I think you are talking about is when Earth was cooling down and life was not formed yet.

If what they are describing were to happen, it's going to be much bigger than Mt St. Helens. You have to look at the bigger picture, you can't just not worry because it won't directly affect you, it very well might, if crops fail, it will raise prices everywhere including your little spot in Arizona.

Originally posted by xalaran
reply to post by Kratos40

 

.......the eruptions that are happening now are nothing compared to what has happened in our planets history if one volcano blows its top for real it can very well cause global temperature drops as well as crop failures among many other problems just because it has not happened in out lifetimes does not mean that it is not possible. our lifespans are merely a blink in comparison to global/universal timelines.

edit on 5-11-2010 by xalaran because: (no reason given)

We have the advantage of being warm blooded beings compared to the cold blooded reptiles from millions of years of ago. We have the means to grow underground crops with artificial light and hydroponics in subterranean facilities. It is being done as we write.
There was more volcanic activity during the Jurassic, Triassic, Cambrian and Pre-Cambrian periods because the Earth was still very hot. And guess what? It is still pretty hot nowadays.

Kind regards,

Kratos

It has already erupted I guess. Sorry for a Blogspot link. It posts source in it plus video.

Merapi Disaster

reply to post by Kratos40


Merapi is not a planet killer. Don't worry about the end of the world from any possible eruption that might occur. But worst case scenario Merapi would blow like Krakatoa did in Aug 1883.

First effect would be the massive life lost in the immediate area. Hopefully they will evacuate folks in a large radius around the volcano.

Second effect would be potential tsunamis. Krakatoa blew apart completely, and was bordering the ocean, creating Tsunami waves rolling over islands at 100' tall. Merapi is ~25 miles inland, so I would imagine tsunami effects would be much less severe. I hope so, because if we had tsunamis today on par with Krakatoa we would be measuring loss of life in the millions.

Third, the power of the explosion blew so much material into the atmosphere that you got this:

The Skies Change
In the weeks following the eruption, fine fragments of tephra and dust that were propelled kilometers into the stratosphere began to make a ring around the equator. They would remain suspended there for years causing remarkable solar effects and atmospheric hazing as they bent the incoming light. Also the enormous volumes of sulfur dioxide gas molecules that were ejected into the atmosphere combined with water to make sulfuric acid. These acidic aerosols sufficiently blocked enough sunlight to drop the Earth's temperature by several degrees for a few years. There presence in the atmosphere also created spectacular effects over 70% of the Earth's surface. Effects such as halos around the sun and moon, and amazing sunsets and sunrises were seen. For years these particles would remain suspended in the atmosphere being the final reminder of the massive and fatal blast that occurred in Sundra Straits. At least for a time...

www.earlham.edu...

So we will feel the effects all over the world, mostly in a weak/nonexistant summer and a harder winter, but that's about it.

Go ahead and get that land near yellowstone. If that one goes you won't hardly notice it, and you won't have to get all mad max to survive the aftermath

This might be somewhat of a summary of what you all havebeen posting here already, but here's the info about Merapi's state that I have gathered for my blog. It's translated with google translate from swedish so there might be some spelling mistakes:

Merapi volcano in Indonesia is once again active and started on the 26th October to new outbreaks after having been quiet since 2006. It calmed down for several days after the initial outbreak, and experts said that the worst was over, but it has now in November had more outbreaks with renewed vigor. The death toll is now 122 and rising. Most victims were required today, Friday and reporting on whole villages destroyed.

German Der Spiegel interviewed Birger Luhr, volcano scientists at GFZ in Potsdam, Germany, today published his observations. He said that during Merapi is a lava-reserve that is three times larger than the volume of lava that the volcano Tambora spat out in its giant eruption, on April 10, 1815. Tambora in 1815 is the most powerful volcanic eruption on Earth in the last 10 000 years storm and was so enormous that the global climate was affected. The following year (1816) is called in history books "The year without summer".

"Merapi is one of the most dangerous volcanoes," also says Volker Steinbach at Germantown Federal Administration for Geoscience and Raw Materials (BGR), in today's Der Spiegel.

Experts agree that the area where Merapi is probably the area in the world where the next mega-eruption will occur, but few want to spread fear by now consider Merapi as a giant disaster in the making.


The experts on the ground in Indonesia is not as restrained in his statements.

"It's the worst outbreak Merapi has had for over 100 years. It is in a critical condition, "said R. Sukhyar, Chief Geologist at the Energy and Mineral Resource Ministry in Indonesia, the Jakarta Post today.

Indonesian experts also warned that several other volcanoes in the area started to show increased activity. For instance, Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java on Thursday started to spew out 100 feet high askpelare in the sky and in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, the authorities have issued an alert after the eruption of Mount Egon on Wednesday started pouring out thick ash cloud from the crater .

Although volcanoes Rokatenda and Lewotobi in East Nusa Tenggara have shown increased activity in recent days.

This is not looking good friends. I will for one keep an close eye on the events in Indonesia the next few days.
Be safe everyone!

merapi has a magma chamber three times bigger than Tambora had when it blew in 1815.

Not to be overly doomy or anything, I think it might be enough for two years with no summer.

But then again I am one of ATS's leading Doomologists, and this is a recipe for serious doom.

Let's not forget Laki

Laki or Lakagígar (Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure situated in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and the small village Kirkjubæjarklaustur, in South-East Iceland. Lakagígar is the correct name as the Laki mountain itself did not erupt, but fissures opened up on each side of it. Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system, centering on the Grímsvötn volcano and including the Thórdarhyrna volcano.[1][2][3] It lies between the glaciers of Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull, in an area of fissures which run in a south-west to north-east direction.

The system erupted over an 8 month period during 1783-1784 from the Laki fissure and the adjoining Grímsvötn volcano, pouring out an estimated 14 km3 (3.4 cu mi) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous hydrofluoric acid/sulfur-dioxide compounds that killed over 50% of Iceland's livestock population, leading to famine which killed approximately 25% of the population[4].

The Laki eruption and its aftermath has been estimated to have killed over six million people[5] globally, making it the deadliest volcanic eruption in historical times. The drop in temperatures, due to the sulfuric dioxide gases spewed into the northern hemisphere, caused crop failures in Europe, droughts in India, and Japan's worst famine.

en.wikipedia.org...

Also caused The French Revolution

there's been a lot of stuff going on lately, lots of predictions, but also lots of events also.

Waiting and praying for the best...

reply to post by Kratos40


I dont think you really understand volcanoes, first of all, Mt. Saint Helens was a very weak volcano in comparison with most, it was just covered a lot because it happened in America, second, just because we are warm blooded doesnt mean a huge volcano explosion wont affect us, for example, Toba reduced the human population to almost 5000 when it exploded 70000 years ago. If Merapi erupts at its fullest extent, it would probably be a few notches under Krakatau.

*and as a poster above me pointed out, Laki killed 6 million people.
Humans are not immune to geological events.

Originally posted by ShadowKingpin
It has already erupted I guess. Sorry for a Blogspot link. It posts source in it plus video.

Merapi Disaster

edit on 11/5/2010 by ShadowKingpin because: (no reason given)

Yep, it does. Here's a link for NY Daily News.
Mount Merapi Spews Lave

So if these things do blow, and it cools the earths temperature, what are the governments going to have to say then about global warming?
Probably nothing because they'll all be in their underground condo bunkers drinking martinis

reply to post by Kratos40


I think you give us humans WAAAAAY too much credit. We need to understand that we are, always have been and always will be at the mercy of mother nature. We kid ourselves if we think we can outsmart or out manuver her.

I am not saying that I believe Merapi is a planet killer or anything. I am saying that IF it leads to an eruption of the magnetude described in the OP it could affect most of us in one way or another. YES...it could.

As someone else said, Helen's was small in comparison.

Also, a good portion of the land mass today was NOT formed billions of years ago. Much more recently, actually. Check out THIS article. It'll make ya think. After you read it, keep in mind that there were multiple extremely deep (rather rare) quakes in the MORO gulf.....all around 600km deep.