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Lahar fears on Mt. Ruapehu
Posted on Thursday, January 4, 2007 @ 9:18 pm by Dave Schumaker
A crater lake on top of Mt. Ruapehu, in New Zealand, that has been slowly rising as snow at the summit melts is starting to leak. The crater lake exists due to a tephra dam that formed during eruptions in 1995 and 1996. The fear is that this leakage can begin to rapidly erode the tephra dam and unleash a dangerous lahar flow down the mountain.
Scientists have noticed that the flow of water from the crater lake has increased the past few days and are concerned that the tephra dam may soon collapse, unleashing a lahar flow larger than one released in 1953 that was responsible for the Tangiwai Railway Disaster.
Interestingly enough, we got to visit this site and discuss those events on our field camp in New Zealand last year, run by Massey University.
Read on below for more.
Louisiana sliding into the Gulf of Mexico
Posted on Thursday, January 4, 2007 @ 1:32 pm by Dave Schumaker
Scientists at Louisiana State University analyzed 11 years of GPS measurements recorded in the state and have determined that the southern portion of Louisiana, along the Mississippi Delta is actually sliding into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of a few millimeters per year. The sliding is thought to be caused by deep underground faults that slip due to the massive weight of sediment that the Mississippi River deposits in the region. This sliding is in addition to previous evidence that suggests that the entire delta is also sinking as well.
These findings have big implications on engineers building new flood control systems in the region as they must now account for the sliding, as well as subsidence.
Man finds 2.37 carat diamond in state park
Posted on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 @ 9:35 am by Dave Schumaker
A man visiting the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas found a large 2.37 carat diamond while walking around the grounds this past weekend. Crater if Diamonds State Park is the only diamond bearing site in the world where visitors can search for gemstones and keep what they find.
This diamond is actually the 4th largest found at the park this year. Since its inception as a state park in 1972, over 24,000 diamonds have been found by visitors.