Posted on 12/19/2005 12:53:37 PM PST by cogitator
It is 8 degrees above average for the month of Dec. Heat wave! 10 above zero right now. The traffic is insane as usual, but the roads are slick so some are driving under the speed limit and are allowed to get by with it.
The picture of the volcano on a quieter day is beautiful.
Do you know where the picture was taken from?
My spouse and I are getting ready to hit the road in our motorhome after Christmas. I would love to travel to that site.
ROTFL! Excellent!
Remember, that must be an evil Rebublican volcano that doesn't care about the environment or the caribou or anything.
I'm no expert, but I'm betting that little volcanic belch just spewed more crap into the air than all the evil SUV's ever made.
A lot more ash than a dirty diesel, but volcanoes don't emit much CO2. Most of the "gaseous" emissions from volcanoes are water vapor, followed by sulfur dioxide.
I'm pretty sure it was taken on the volcano; in summer. Augustine is sheathed in snow during the winter, as you can see in the space photo. And you'd need a boat -- and somebody you really, really trust running it. I'd not want to get dunked in Cook Inlet in January.
You're merging a lot of different gases there. Volcanoes don't release large amounts of carbon dioxide.
And SO2 causes acid rain.
Krakatoa emitted enough particulate matter into the atmosphere that the world experienced colorful sunsets for several years. Climate change is occurring but the actions of SUVs (Super Upheaval Volcanos) is not the cause. That's my point.
Thanks. I guess we should wait for our summer trip.
"Most of the "gaseous" emissions from volcanoes are water vapor, followed by sulfur dioxide."
If I remember by college chemistry correctly, sulfur dioxide aint all that healthy, greenhouse gas or not.
Having visited Rotorua,New Zealand (a very active volcanic "geyser" area on the North Island),I can attest to the fact that it don't smell too good,neither!
While volcanoes are truly immense sources of ash (and a big eruption as you noted can put it into the upper atmosphere, where it can affect climate for several years), the only gas that they are significant sources of, compared to anthropogenic sources, is SO2. And "belching cattle and farting spiders" implies methane, which volcanoes emit in tiny amounts, if any. So I just wanted to clarify what gases were "active" in this regard.
I think that would be prudent.
And actually, I think that if you can get there (it's pretty darned remote), it would be more interesting to visit Katmai NP. And if you do go... boy do I wish I could go with you! However, it's backcountry -- you have to take a plane and hike in (and there are LOTS of bears). Apparently, though, according to the NP Web site below, you can take a bus to the main volcanic feature, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and Novarupta.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.