The Terror Awaiting the United States
We’ve had a basketful of large volcanic explosions and earthquakes in recent years. These thoughts were also brought about by my reading bits of Simon Winchester‘s excellent book on Krakatoa, whilst visiting my friend in hospital.
If we look at volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in modern times, we can see that they are by no means uncommon, but as we get more densely packed on Spaceship Earth, they cause more damage and loss of life. Especially as many of the most active areas are highly populated.
The Year Without a Summer, 1816, is a classic example of what can happen when a large volcano erupts. In this case it was Mount Tambora in modern-day Indonesia. In the post on Mount Tambora there is a list of the big volcanic explosions and it would seem that we get one every twenty years or so. The last big one was in 1991 and that was Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. It had a significant effect.
The effects of the eruption were felt worldwide. It ejected roughly 10 billion metric tonnes (10 cubic kilometres) of magma, and 20 million tons of SO2, bringing vast quantities of minerals and metals to the surface environment. It injected large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere—more than any eruption since that of Krakatoa in 1883. Over the following months, the aerosols formed a global layer of sulfuric acid haze. Global temperatures dropped by about 0.5 °C (0.9 °F), and ozone depletion temporarily increased substantially.
This just shows how what we can do to the planet are pinpricks compared to nature. Luckily, nature doesn’t vent its spleen too often.
But one threat from a volcano seriously threatens the United States. That is the volcano of Cumbre Vieja on the Canary Islands. If it fractures how Day and Ward predict, then there will a mega-tsunami that will wreak havoc in Florida and the Caribbean.
Living 30 metres up in Suffolk and at least 70 kilometres from the coast has its compensations.
The Balloon Wins It!
There was a farcical goal in the Sunderland Liverpool match yesterday, that won the match for the home side.
It will probably end up as one most watched videos on YouTube. There are quite a few copies there already.
Darren Bent took a shot and it cannoned off a beach ball, that the Liverpool supporters had thrown onto the pitch.
Brazilian Farce
I watched the qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix last night. What a farce!
But then has it ever been thus in the rain?
I went to motor racing a few times before I was married, although I didn’t actually see a Grand Prix until I went to Spa last year. That incidentally was a complete waste of time and money and I’d never bother to go again, unless I was paid to do it! It’s so much better on the television.
One race from that era stands out.
We all went to Brands Hatch to see the Sports Car Race called the Guards Trophy. It used to be run in something like Appendix J, but that wasn’t the real title. Basically the cars were driven by seven litre stock-block engines and had all enclosing bodywork. The primary exponent of this formula was John Surtees, who drove a Lola. This race was notable in that it was seeing the debut of the new Felday 5 four-wheel drive car with the bigger engine. Jim Clark was driving the older Felday 4 car with the two-litre BRM engine.
It should be noted that in those days, race meetings like these attracted all of the top Formula One drivers like Clark, Hill and Surtees.
And then it rained.
Heavily, too!
Cars went everywhere and eventually the race was abandoned and restarted. Except for the immaculate Surtees, who just drove round in an impressive display of how to drive in the wet. Clark was second fastest, despite being very much down on power.
The Anonymous Widower 