Tag Archives: volcanoes

Nepal’s Missing Volcanoes

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Last month’s devastating earthquakes in Nepal were caused by the collision of the Indian subcontinent crashing into and (partly) under the bulk of Asia. The Himalayas are being created by the collision of tectonic plates. So, where are the volcanoes? … Continue reading →

Posted in Geology, How Geophysics Works, Oceans, Plate Tectonics | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Mount St. Helens Day

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Today is one of those trigger dates that remind me of how small I really am, a day that invokes memories of my life in younger years. Somewhat like September 11, 2001. (I was on Crowchild, heading towards work in … Continue reading →

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Isostasy Man

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Since it was Major Clarence Dutton’s 174th birthday yesterday, I thought I’d give him a nod for creating a simple geological concept that almost every geo-freshman finds impossibly confusing. Isostasy should be as easy to understand as a melting iceberg … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Geology, History | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

200 Years of Volcanic Legacy

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Ron Miksha

I am rather pleased when my favourite non-science journal explains a bit of science – and gets it right! I’ve been reading The Economist ever since I discovered the world, and the magazine has seldom let me down. Here is … Continue reading →

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Yummy. Buffon’s Pi.

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Ron Miksha

As I write this, pi day is happening. On our local (Mountain Savings Time) clocks, it will soon be 3.14.15 (month-day-year) then 9:26:53. We use the American month-day-year for this event (rather than day-month-year as the rest of the world … Continue reading →

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Tonga Shakes. Again.

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Tonga. It’s an archipelago for the seismic history books. Tonga is in the news again, this time the submarine volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai was spotted by NASA satellites because the eruptions discoloured the Pacific waters amidst the island kingdom’s 176 … Continue reading →

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Shutting Down the Plumes?

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Near an Indian Ocean island that regularly exhausts smoke and lava, a group of scientists are trying to unravel one of the great mysteries of the Earth. Their riddle involves the planet’s largest basalt field, dinosaur extinction, and the birth … Continue reading →

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Hot Ash

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday’s news out of Japan was the unexpected eruption of a volcano. Hikers – some of them weekend strollers taking pictures of fall colours – were overtaken when the sleeping volcano expelled its nasty breath. Witnesses said that they thought … Continue reading →

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Mud Flood

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Mud at 100 kilometres an hour? It happens. Mount Shasta, in northern California, let loose this afternoon with one heck of a mud flood, apparently caused by a sudden melt of one of its glaciers. Probably not at a hundred … Continue reading →

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What’s that Smell?

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday’s odoriferous eruption of Iceland’s Bárðarbunga volcano got me thinking about the nasty stuff just below our feet. The volcano has begun gassing smelly poisons and the scent of Iceland’s rotten eggs has been whiffed as far away as Finland. Why … Continue reading →

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