RenoVous

 There is an active volcano underwater, off the coast of Oregon. The Axial Seamount is known for frequent eruptions and hydrothermal vents, and it has been a key area for studying volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges. It is currently showing signs of a pending eruption, potentially before the end of this year. The Ocean Observatories Initiative has been monitoring the seafloor, with real-time data on earthquake activity, seafloor deformation, and hydrothermal activity.  The Regional Cabled Array is a network of over 660 miles of undersea cables with more than 140 instruments. It has detected magma reservoir inflation and increased seismic activity. Any eruption is not expected to create tsunamis due to its depth and distance from shore. OOI

 The waters of Lake Natron in Tanzania have the ability to mummify animals that die within. Deposits of sodium carbonate - once used by Egyptians - flow into the lake from surrounding hills. This includes Ol Doinyo Lengai, which is the world's only active carbonatite volcano. The magma is rich in alkali elements, and those travel into the waters.  The lake has a pH as high as 10.5 But there is a thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, wetlands, tilapia, and algae.  Lesser flamingos nest here for breeding season.

 We attended a lecture last night at the Desert Research Institute and learned a bit about local activity. First up was a geoarcheologist whose work is focused on documenting the many Basque arborglyphs in Nevada.  She referred to a Summer Camp in the Black Rock Desert that we've driven past, but did not stop to look at the trees. And then we heard from a geochronologist, focusing on the volcanic activity in the Nevada area.  In her frame of thought, the "recent" explosions in Fallon are not ancient history. I feel like we may have touched on the Soda Lakes before, where maar craters remain after magma came into contact with groundwater. She showed us a graphic of how the plate tectonics have stretched the land that is now Nevada over the years, so the continental crust is somewhat thin.  I wondered if this explained our many hot springs as well. She went on to discuss the Luminescence Lab, and luminescence as a geochronometer. Simply put, the amount of light emitted...

  You may recall the area of Grindavik, where we touched down back in November , when activity from the Fagradalsfjalls volcano created cracks through town. The volcano first erupted in December, and then January, and now yesterday. Lava fountains were seen to be 165-260 feet tall with a plume reaching almost 2 miles.  Tephra, the frothy material that forms when lava cools quickly, fell into Grindavik. The above photo are the fountains from January. Back to the magma dike that was underground, researchers have analyzed the data and have determined the flow was "ultra-fast." We're talking 7,400 cubic meters per second, which is three Olympic swimming pools every second.  This sets a new record for fastest magma ever recorded. If I were you, I wouldn't be booking any trips to the Reykjanes Peninsula any time soon. IFLS

  Iceland is no stranger to volcanic and seismic activity, but recently a crack started to spread through the town of Grindavik.  It sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Fagradalsfjalls volcano is gearing up for an eruption. The cracking was caused by what's called a dike, a vertical sheet of magma within the crust.  Vincent Drouin, with the Icelandic Meteorological Office, says the dike has stopped propagating, but at the time was moving more than 2km an hour. As the magma cracks through and advances under the surface, it creates earthquakes.  Scientists had some idea of what would happen as they noticed some deformations and then a cluster of seismic activity in a repeated pattern. Researchers at the Global Seismographic Network (BORG) in Reykjavik have transformed seismic frequencies into audible pitches.  These recordings are from early November.

"Blue lava" erupting from the Kawah Ijen volcano in Indonesia - this is due to combustible sulfuric gases coming into contact with hot air. This volcano has extremely high quantities of sulfuric gases.  Exposed to oxygen and ignited by the lava, the gases readily burn.  This effect is only visible at night. Lava/sulfur flow.   This acid lake in the crater is colored turquoise because of the acidity and dissolved metal content. We can also see the "solfatara," the white plume where sulfur-rich gases escape through a vent. After the sulfur gas cools it combines with the lava to form a solidified rock, which miners brave the conditions to obtain and sell to the refinery.  Prolonged exposure can lead to throat and lung irritation, difficulty breathing, and a propensity for lung disease. Smithsonian Geology

The Kamchatka peninsula in Russia is in the Ring of Fire and has 160 volcanoes, 29 of which are still active.  There are also over 400 glaciers, so it is known as the Land of Fire and Ice. Seen above, an ice cave created by a hot water spring flowing beneath glacial ice fields. The Valley of Geysers - the second largest concentration of geysers in the world - were discovered as recently as 1941.  It is within the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, which was established in 1934. Over 750 plant species grow in the reserve and some of the largest brown bears in the world are protected there. Shiveluch volcano is the largest and most active in the area.   Indigenous people still live a traditional life on the peninsula - the most ancient being the Itelmens.  Along with the Ainu, Koryaks, and Chuvans, they are are referred to as Kamchadals - native peoples of Kamchatka. Their language is nearly extinct, as populations were assimilated ...