Dormant volcano erupts after 400 years

[Moose.]

Thousands of Indonesians have been forced to flee after a volcano erupted on the island of Sumatra.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11123...

I've flown over Mount Sinabung loads of times in the last year. Here's what it used to look like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/indo_pilot/4424842888...

Hope it doesn't develop any further and start effecting flights...

[turbobloke]

Not wishing to detract from the reality of this situation and its potential impact, but surely all we need to do is slap some tax or other on the damn volcano.

[groucho]

We know what caused it, don't we?

[Pesty]

groucho said:

We know what caused it, don't we?

The CIA ?

[NismoGT]

groucho said:

We know what caused it, don't we?

MMGW? Simon Cowell? Volcano pixies?

[ShadownINja]

NismoGT said:

groucho said:

We know what caused it, don't we?

MMGW? Simon Cowell? Volcano pixies?

All of the above.

[ZeeTacoe]

Have Topgear been filming there as well?

[sinizter]

NismoGT said:

groucho said:

We know what caused it, don't we?

MMGW? Simon Cowell? Volcano pixies?

MMGW primarily, being helped a little bit by Autotune.

[Moose.]

Just erupted again today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11127...

and is now starting to effect flights at Medan Polonia Airport. KL and Singapore aren't too far away either....

[ShadownINja]

Polar bear terrorists hitting back at the melting of their own habitat.

[siscar]

<pedant mode>

It's affecting flights, not effecting them.

</pedant mode>

[ShadownINja]

siscar said:

<pedant mode>

It's affecting flights, not effecting them.

</pedant mode>

Maybe they're talking about gliders circling over the volcano and riding on the heat.

[zakelwe]

You can forget that, now that Eyjafjallajokull has died down in Iceland Katla has now started showing signs of wakening. It normally goes up in sympathy and this time shows no exception

http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/earth...

All the earthquakes used to be on Eyjafjallajokull, but now they are migrating eastwards.

Andy

[Getragdogleg]

400 years is not dormant.

4000 barely qualifies.

The volcano that made Arthurs seat is what I class as dormant.

[Einion Yrth]

Getragdogleg said:

The volcano that made Arthurs seat is what I class as dormant.

Most would consider that extinct I think.

[Scraggles]

zakelwe said:

Katla has now started showing signs of wakening. It normally goes up in sympathy and this time shows no exception

during the last volcano hassle, read that we were really lucky that katla had not gone up as the last time that happened, the uk was covered in thick cloud that made noon seem like dusk at the best of times, crop failures etc....

[Puggit]

Scraggles said:

zakelwe said:

Katla has now started showing signs of wakening. It normally goes up in sympathy and this time shows no exception

during the last volcano hassle, read that we were really lucky that katla had not gone up as the last time that happened, the uk was covered in thick cloud that made noon seem like dusk at the best of times, crop failures etc....

Yet this page linked from the page above clearly states Katla is doing diddly-squat.

[Getragdogleg]

Einion Yrth said:

Getragdogleg said:

The volcano that made Arthurs seat is what I class as dormant.

Most would consider that extinct I think.

I still don't 100% trust it.

[crmcatee]

Personally I think all the problems only started when the Chinese started building the Three Gorges Dam.

I mean storing and retaining all that water in one place must have adjusted the balance on the earths rotation somewhat.

Can we tax them ?

[lestag]

You want an eruption.. here's one...

If you have ever been to New Zealand and been to Lake Taupo.. its a dormant volcano...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taupo_Volcano

"Tephra from the eruption covered much of the central North Island with ignimbrite up to 200 metres deep. Most of New Zealand was affected by ash fall, with even an 18 cm ash layer left on the Chatham Islands, 1,000 km away. Later erosion and sedimentation had long-lasting effects on the landscape, and caused the Waikato River to shift from the Hauraki Plains to its current course through the Waikato to the Tasman Sea."