Monday, January 2, 2012

"Is a super-volcano just 390 miles from London about to erupt?"

Happy New Year!
From the Daily Mail:

  • It's similar in size to Mount Pinatubo, which in 1991 gave us the biggest eruption of the 20th century
  • Billions of tons of ash and magma would be ejected
  • Southern England would be covered in ash
  • A sleeping super-volcano in Germany is showing worrying signs of waking up.

    It's lurking just 390 miles away underneath the tranquil Laacher See lake near Bonn and is capable of ejecting billions of tons of magma.
    This monster erupts every 10 to 12,000 years and last went off 12,900 years ago, so it could blow at any time.
    Hidden menace: Laacher See looks tranquil, but beneath its waters lies a volcano that could devastate Europe
    Hidden menace: Laacher See looks tranquil, but beneath its waters lies a volcano that could devastate Europe
    Water deceptive sight: The lake was formed when the land collapsed following the last eruption at Laacher See
    Water deceptive sight: The lake was formed when the land collapsed following the last eruption

    The story slant seems a bit parochial considering the super-volcano is in the heart of Europe but, I suppose they know what sells papers.