Is Volcano Activity Increasing????

Is Volcanic activity around the world on an increase??? Maybe it's just me, but I don't pay attention to volcanoes unless they made it to news. With two stories fresh in my mind regarding volcanoes, the Kilauea eruptions reaching the sea in Hawaii and Mount Awu in Indonesia showing increase activity. I started to wonder how common are these eruptions and if there has been any signifcant increase in activity and if it could be correlated at all to the venus transit. And if there is an increase in worldwide activity, could Yellowstone be affected and possibility for an eruption in that area more probable? I would appreciate any opinions from our science guys on this site. I've included a few links covering the current active volcanoes around the world.

SI/USG Weekly Volcanic Activity

Current Volcanic Activity

Villagers Evacuated as Indonesian Volcano Threatens Eruption

Originally posted by worldwatcher
Is Volcanic activity around the world on an increase???

Not particularly, according to what I read.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't pay attention to volcanoes unless they made it to news. With two stories fresh in my mind regarding volcanoes, the Kilauea eruptions reaching the sea in Hawaii and Mount Awu in Indonesia showing increase activity.

It's actually just the hysterical tone of the news lately (no, this isn't a "dis"... it's a good question, and the answer is that the overly dramatic news features tend to make everyone jumpy.)

My spouse and I are part of a rare breed of tourists -- "volcano tourists." We like to visit active volcanos... can't say we're widely visited globetrotters, but we've visited about six active ones, including Kilauea. Kilauea has been erupting continuously for the past 22 years or so. We got some nice footage of the eruptions back in August 2002 (they're not dramatic, just flowing hot lava. No fire fountains, but still great stuff.)

I started to wonder how common are these eruptions

Extremely. I don't think there's a day where some volcano somewhere on the planet ISN'T active. There's always constant earthquakes (too small to feel) and other activity. When we were in Arenal in Costa Rica (about six years ago), it was constantly spitting hot rocks into the air (one every few hours) and making groaning noises. Rather typical of an active Strombolian volcano.

And yes, they are dangerous (and the polite tourist goes where the park officials tell them to go and stays out of danger.)

... and if there has been any signifcant increase in activity and if it could be correlated at all to the venus transit.

No. Venus' gravitational tug on the Earth (or on any particular volcano) is about 1/100th the pull of the Moon. In fact, a Hummer (vehicle) has a bigger local gravitational effect than Venus does here on the surface of the Earth. Come to think of it, the gravitational field of my cat (yes, everything has a slight gravity field) is stronger than the gravitational impact of Venus.

So... putting Venus in front of the sun... I could get about the same gravitational impact as if I held my 15 pound cat over my head in the same direction as the sun. And although Xena might like to do her chainsaw massacre demo on my arms, I can assure you that the impact of holding her in front of the sun isn't going to start any volcanos erupting here or anywhere else.

And if there is an increase in worldwide activity, could Yellowstone be affected and possibility for an eruption in that area more probable?

Ehhhhhhhhh.... it would depend on what was active and where. Yes, earthquakes change Yellowstone's patterns to some degree. However, I'm not sure that even major movement along that fault line would set Yellowstone up.

Example: look at all the big earthquakes we've had on the California coast. NONE of them has caused Ranier to blow its top.

[edit on 7-6-2004 by Byrd]

BTW, those are great sites and ones we use when we're planning on visiting volcanos.

thanks byrd for responding and sharing your insight on the topic.
I wasn't sure about the increase or not, since as i mentioned above i really only pay attention to volcanoes when they make it into the news.

well another volcano made it into the news today
I feel really bad for the two people who died, i think burning by lava is a really awful gruesome way to die

Indonesian Volcano Erupts, Kills Two
Two volcanoes in separate parts of Indonesia shot forth plumes of smoke and showers of stones on Tuesday, killing two hikers and forcing the evacuation of 5,000 villagers, police and officials said.
The two hikers were killed when they were hit by hot rocks expelled by Mount Bromo in east Java, said vulcanologist Atje Purbawinata.

At least seven other hikers were injured by the blast, which sent a plume of smoke 9,900 feet into the sky, officials said.
In North Sulawesi, in the far northeast of the country, at least 5,000 villagers were evacuated from the vicinity of a second volcano, Mount Awu, after it spewed smoke and ash, local government official Barelang said.

The villagers joined about 7,000 other villagers evacauted to the nearby town of Tahuna. They had been there since Friday, when the mountain on Sangihe island first began rumbling.

"We are just waiting for the big explosion," said Barelang, who goes by a single name.