New Zealand volcano

Bealman · December 09, 2019, 10:09:54 AM

Just seeing on the news that White Island in the Bay of Plenty has erupted. One fatality confirmed, and from what I'm seeing, there was a bunch of tourists walking down in the crater at the time. They wouldn't have a chance!

I love NZ, but it's not called the shakey isles for nothing!

njee20 · December 09, 2019, 10:11:53 AM

BBC reported 5 fatalities and more unaccounted for. Not good for all involved.

Newportnobby · December 09, 2019, 10:36:11 AM

Grim news indeed, and set to become more grim as time goes on

railsquid · December 10, 2019, 03:23:44 AM

Tragic of course, but at the risk of sounding callous, did it not occur to anyone that it might be a tad risky to inspect a known active volcano close up?

Bealman · December 10, 2019, 03:50:04 AM

Yer pays yer money and takes yer chances, I guess, but apparently there had been signs of increased activity recorded recently. If that's the case, then people should not have been allowed on the island.

Bealman · December 11, 2019, 12:05:27 AM

Latest is many of the folks in the NZ burn units are in critical condition. No hope is held for those still on the island. In fact helicopter sorties have seen bodies.

I visit NZ quite often and on one trip actually thought about taking a tourist boat out there. These folk did, at the wrong time.

However, if the geologists were aware of fresh seismic activity, there should have been warnings.

railsquid · December 11, 2019, 12:22:25 AM

Quote from: Bealman on December 11, 2019, 12:05:27 AM
However, if the geologists were aware of fresh seismic activity, there should have been warnings.

Apparently there were:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/118073305/whakaariwhite-island-eruption-why-were-tours-still-operating

I'm not a vulcanologist, but in my humblest of opinions anyone who's not an actual vulcanologist needs their head looking at (or possibly autopsied) if they go wandering around on a volcano, unless it's been dormant for a century or two at least, as these things have an unfortunate habit of going "POP!" without much warning.

See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Mount_Ontake_eruption

Bealman · December 11, 2019, 12:56:16 AM

Yeah, a mate of mine was on the summit of Vesuvius a month or two ago, which impressed Bealman no end, but it has to be remembered that it buried Pompeii and Herculaneum!