q about the 9.0 quake and something interesting

[Derek Ortt]

Just watching the history channel. The last super volcanic eruption occurred on Sumatra, where this quake occurred. I know we have discussed Yellowstone at times here. Is there any chance that this quake was magma triggered and this could be a prelude to something far worse?

[coriolis]

I'm no expert, but I think that volcanos are not located right at the edges of the plates, where earthquakes occur. So it seems to me that earthquakes of this type and volcanic activity are not directly related.

[Derek Ortt]

typically, earthquakes trigger or precede volcanic eruptions. I was wondering if magma movement was the cause of this quake, possibly being a warning for Toga getting ready to blow (which if it did, the Tsunami would be paradise compared to what would happen)

Toga is like Yellowstone, a super volcano. I know there are differences, but I'm no volcanologist so I am not well versed on the differences besides a magma chamber being involved

[Brent]

typically, earthquakes trigger or precede volcanic eruptions. I was wondering if magma movement was the cause of this quake, possibly being a warning for Toga getting ready to blow (which if it did, the Tsunami would be paradise compared to what would happen)

Toga is like Yellowstone, a super volcano. I know there are differences, but I'm no volcanologist so I am not well versed on the differences besides a magma chamber being involved

I'm sorry... I just cannot imagine THIS being paradise.

I have heard that though... afterall, why were they watching the earthquakes so much at Mount St. Helens when it was thinking about erupting back in October? Because the 1980 eruption was caused by a quake.

[Derek Ortt]

its hard to imagine the tsunami and quake being paradise, because what toga did last time was inconceivable. Discovery channel had a special on super volcanoes a couple of months ago when St Helen's was acting up and that show indicated that when Toga blew, humans decreased to a mere 8,000 total on the entire planet, give or take

I sure hope Toga isnt ready to go again

[mobilebay]

its hard to imagine the tsunami and quake being paradise, because what toga did last time was inconceivable. Discovery channel had a special on super volcanoes a couple of months ago when St Helen's was acting up and that show indicated that when Toga blew, humans decreased to a mere 8,000 total on the entire planet, give or take

I sure hope Toga isnt ready to go again

Me too!!!

[Brent]

its hard to imagine the tsunami and quake being paradise, because what toga did last time was inconceivable. Discovery channel had a special on super volcanoes a couple of months ago when St Helen's was acting up and that show indicated that when Toga blew, humans decreased to a mere 8,000 total on the entire planet, give or take

I sure hope Toga isnt ready to go again

Anyone up for a trip to the moon for a few years?

Maybe we could take that new spaceship.

[vbhoutex]

At least one volcano has erupted in I believe, southern India since the quake. I am pretty sure I read about it here. Don't know if they are related or not, but I sure hope not, especially if it is related to TOGA. If that goes like it did last time we are talking mass annihilation, literally Millions, imo.

[Aslkahuna]

Actually it was Toba Volcano. The relationship between the volcanoes and the earthquake is that they result from the same subduction zone where the ocean floor dives under the the other plate. However, the volcanoes are typically some distance removed from the actual boundary where the subduction begins and were the subducting mass melts and becomes magma. This was a great tectonic subduction zone earthquake related to plate movements and accumulated strain and not to any movement of magma beneath the volcano. Tectonic earthquakes and magmatic earthquakes are two different animals. Magmatic earthquakes are caused by the movement of magma under the volcano and are epicentered close to or under the volcano itself. They also become shallower with time as the magma rises. This is why they were concerned with the earthquake activity under Helens as the wave motions were cinsistent with magmatic earthquakes and the depths were decreasing. When they began to record harmonic tremors (which don't occur with tectonic shocks) then they knew an aeruption was imminent. Unfortunately, since Indonesia has so many volcanoes-all of which are potentially dangerous as are all subduction zone volcanoes (like the Cascades) it's not possible to monitor them all routinely which is why the USGS has its VCAT teams which it deploys around the world to possible trouble spots-another example of our "stinginess".

Steve

[Derecho]

At least one volcano has erupted in I believe, southern India since the quake. I am pretty sure I read about it here. .

The report turned out to be bogus; it was a "mud volcano" (not a real volcano, just underground gas escaping) and in reportage it was confused with a nearby real volcano that has erupted in the last decade but currently is dormant.

[Derek Ortt]

very glad to hear that this does not appear to be related to any activity from TOGA and also glad that the movement of the island didnt cause that super volcano to become unstable

[DoctorHurricane2003]

Of the few supervolcanoes on Earth, the next one that will erupt is most likely Yellowstone:

It is little known that lying underneath one of America's areas of outstanding natural beauty - Yellowstone Park - is one of the largest supervolcanoes in the world. Scientists have revealed that it has been on a regular eruption cycle of 600,000 years. The last eruption was 640,000 years ago…so the next is overdue.

Toba erupted 74,000 years ago.

Supervolcanoes include Yellowstone, Long Valley in eastern California, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. Other "supervolcanoes" would likely include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, Alaska (e.g., Aniakchak, Emmons, Fisher), and other areas.