Indonesian Volcanos Spit Lava, Dark Ash

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AP

MOUNT KELUD, Indonesia (AP) — Several Indonesian volcanos spewed hot ash, molten rock and clouds of dark smoke Monday, and scientists warned a violent eruption could come at any moment.

The most threatening was the deadly Mount Kelud on densely populated Java island, where a dome of magma was forming under a crater lake and soaring temperatures overheated monitoring equipment.

A few hundred miles away, Anak Krakatao, or the "Child of Krakatoa" in English, fired pumice and lava onto its slopes.

At least one other of Indonesia's approximately 100 active volcanoes sent bursts of ash showering down on nearby villages.

Experts said there was no connection between the heightened activity at the different volcanos along the tropical archipelago.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hSmdCNczM-0P30VFYtk5Twy-dj2wD8SNLRVG0

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Magma pushing through Indonesian volcano's crater

SUGIHWARAS, Indonesia, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia's steaming Mount Kelud volcano was dangerously close to an eruption on Monday as magma pushed through its blocked crater causing boiling water to spill down its sides, a volcanologist said on Monday.

Water levels in the crater lake have also fallen because of cracks on its surface, damaging essential equipment used to monitor Mount Kelud, which has been on the verge of an eruption for several weeks.

"Increased underground magma movement has built up pressure on the blocked entrance, causing the bottom of the lake to rise and crack," Saut Simatupang, an official at the Centre for Volcanology and Geological and Hazard Mitigation, told Reuters.

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An estimated 350,000 people live within 10 km (6 miles) of the volcano, which is about 90 km southwest of Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city and one of its busiest airports.

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Scientists have suggested that hardened lava from previous eruptions could be blocking the release of magma, and warn this could burst out once sufficient energy has built up.

http://wap.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK196487.htm

[Warpy]

1. Those volcanoes tend to go "boom"

and leave big holes in the ground.

I hope they can evacuate all those people before it happens.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. duh!

"Water levels in the crater lake have also fallen because of cracks on its surface, damaging essential equipment used to monitor Mount Kelud, which has been on the verge of an eruption for several weeks."

what did they expect?

[carly denise pt deux]

3. those poor people, hopefully they all get out before it explodes

Carly

[comtec]

4. Don't think me mean... but this is a good thing!

not for the people living there of course... but for the planet.
Whenever there is a major volcano blow (or fire) fine particulates float into the atmosphere, bouncing sunlight, causing things to get COLDER here... and we desperately need cold winters to suck up water back into ice and to freeze what ice is on the north and south poles back into hard ice.

It's terrible for the people there of course, but its good for everyone else overall imho.