Comment

Volcano Monitors Unite!

526
Almost_Honest2/25/2009 10:04:56 pm PST

Why should anyone care about monitoring those pesky volcanoes that small Redoubt thing up in Alaska can’t matter unless you were on board an international aircraft flying from Amsterdam to Anchorage in 1989 when it encountered a volcanic ash cloud that shut all 4 engines down. That eruption resulted in a nearly catastrophic encounter between airborne ash and the Boeing 747 jet aircraft. Redoubt may blow again with equal or greater force but who cares. If you are interested you can check on it here:
Alaska Volcano Observatory
Of course there is that pesky volcano Cumbre Vieja. Geologists are concerned that an unstable flank of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canaries is in danger of sliding into the sea.
If shaken loose by a volcanic eruption, the huge slab of rock would send a tsunami more than 150 metres high racing across the Atlantic at the speed of a jumbo jet.
Within three hours, the wave would swamp the west coast of Africa, within five hours it would reach southern England and within 12 it would hit America’s east coast.
New York, Washington, Boston and Miami would be hit by successive waves abound 20 metres high. Tens of millions of people could die.
Just another pesky volcano, who cares.