Author Topic: New Zealand Volcano Eruption  (Read 1600 times)

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Offline galfert

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New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« on: December 10, 2019, 01:19:00 PM »
Dreadful what some tourists witnessed with the volcano eruption on White Island in New Zealand.

Apparently some didn't make it.

As I understand an eruption can suffocate and expose you to poisonous gasses (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide.) The air (what little there is) is hot and burns your body and lungs. I always thought as a kid, volcano...eh, no problem, just run faster than the lava or in a different direction. Now seeing those videos, it's no joke and how quickly that cloud spreads. Pompeii now makes a lot more sense.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2019, 02:01:57 PM by galfert »
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Offline Waimarie

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2019, 02:51:38 PM »
I know one of the Paramedics who was first in there and he said it was like a scene out of Chernobyl (if you saw the TV mini-series).  The ash was really deep in places and the gases made breathing really difficult even an hour after the big eruption.

He is a really tough guy, but he was really affected by what he saw there. 

I just heard another tourist died from severe burns.  Police won't allow anyone back on the island yet even though some of the chopper crews want to give it a go.  It's just too dangerous right now and there are obviously only bodies to retrieve.
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Offline waiukuweather

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2019, 03:36:27 PM »
there is a lot of sulphur deposits and vents emitting sulphur dioxide normally in the crator on this volcano anyway
the super heated steam eruption made all that and layers of ash from old eruptions get spewed up and out..and so you would have had a horrible mixture of super heated steam (i,e way above the boiling point of water) and sulphur and suplhur dioxide gases and ash all mixed together...horrible

Offline Mattk

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2019, 03:39:30 PM »
Adventure tourism gone mad. Prior to the eruption no vulcanologist would step foot on that island (for obvious reasons) yet tourism was allowed, go figure?   

Offline Waimarie

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2019, 03:47:39 PM »
Adventure tourism gone mad. Prior to the eruption no vulcanologist would step foot on that island (for obvious reasons) yet tourism was allowed, go figure?

The almighty dollar.  Sad  :sad:
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Offline Bushman

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2019, 04:53:27 PM »
And it will become even more popular now: "Disaster Tourism" it is called.  You used to be able to get to Chernobyl in a few days, now it could be months.  No marshrutkas, it is all huge tour buses now, too.
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Offline CW2274

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2019, 05:01:19 PM »
"Disaster Tourism" it is called.
Over here it's called "Storm Chasing"...

Offline waiukuweather

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2019, 05:08:43 PM »
It's only the 4th time its erupted like this in the last
100 years and tours to the island have been going for 30 years
It's been through heightened activity periods with nothing
Happened in the past
Its Russian roulette though

Offline galfert

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2019, 05:27:43 PM »
To our two fellow New Zelanders so far in this thread....can you see the ash clouds? Or are you too far? Has it affected anything for you? Air travel?
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Offline waiukuweather

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2019, 07:52:28 PM »
there was not a lot of ash, only what was dislodged by the steam explosion
and most of it fell back on the island
some was carried and fell over the water and a minor amount was modeled to make it to and isolated area of land
Air travel has been disrupted and house roofs have had to be replaced after eruptions from other volcanoes in NZ in the past though

Offline Waimarie

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Re: New Zealand Volcano Eruption
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2019, 07:54:10 PM »
No real ash clouds.  It was mainly steam.  Also no aviation warnings so I guess its gone pretty quiet.

From Geonet .... "Eruption hazards near vent. Note: ash, lava flow, and lahar (mudflow) hazards may impact areas distant from the volcano.*     Geonet
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