Undersea Eruption Off of BC/WA Coast

Chris Haynes · 5th March 2005, 01:46 PM

I saw this article in the paper this morning:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...uption05m.html ... about the possibility of a swarm of earthquakes east of the San Juan de Fuca Straight may be the eruption of an undersea volcano.

Here is the website of the group that is sailing from Seattle to investigate: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/acous...ndeav0205.html

and here is more information about another undersea vents, including the Axial Volcano a bit further south: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/

Goshawk · 5th March 2005, 06:01 PM

So, an undersea volcano might erupt--and the first thing these people do is sail straight for it?

Uh huh.

What am I missing here?

Chris Haynes · 5th March 2005, 06:30 PM

Well, it beats flying over in a helicopter like these guys do:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/...gas_monitoring

These scientists go to some great lengths just to get data!

Soapy Sam · 6th March 2005, 01:50 AM

"We really don't know what to expect," said Edward Baker, an oceanographer at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "If we're very lucky, we may get pictures of brand-new lava on the seafloor."

-Yup. As clear a case of Rocks-in-the-Head as you're likely to come across.

Now why did I never land a job like that?

Brian the Snail · 6th March 2005, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Soapy Sam
"We really don't know what to expect," said Edward Baker, an oceanographer at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "If we're very lucky, we may get pictures of brand-new lava on the seafloor."

-Yup. As clear a case of Rocks-in-the-Head as you're likely to come across.

Now why did I never land a job like that?

At the risk of sounding incredibly stupid, what is wrong with what he said?

Soapy Sam · 6th March 2005, 06:22 AM

Absolutely nothing. I'm just jealous. And familiar with the symptoms.

Correa Neto · 6th March 2005, 06:41 AM

Damn, that would be a nice job...

The reasons I entered geology were volcanoes and dinosaurs (like a lot of other geos). Paleontology turned out to be boring (at least for me) with all those tiny shells, and since Brazillian volcanoes are no longer active...

And now IÂ´m on greenfields gold prospecting.

Really jealous I am...

Chris Haynes · 6th March 2005, 01:06 PM

I actually started out as a student of oceanography... in the building very near where R/V Thomas Thompson is docked (http://www.cofs.washington.edu/ ). But I switched to engineering... I prefer the thought of getting a regular paycheck.

Goshawk · 6th March 2005, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian the Snail
At the risk of sounding incredibly stupid, what is wrong with what he said?

There's nothing intrinsically "wrong" with it, it's just that...well, speaking for myself, I'm flashing on Maximilian Schell (for some reason), with fixed Teutonic stare and heroic locks blowing wildly in the fresh breeze, sailing his research vessel directly to the location of the soon-to-catastrophically-erupt undersea volcano.

Which then of course erupts.

Leaving the survivors back at the Mad Lab to ask the crucial question, "He couldn't get instruments on the ocean floor to, I dunno, mail the data in or something?"

BillHoyt · 8th March 2005, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Goshawk
So, an undersea volcano might erupt--and the first thing these people do is sail straight for it?

Uh huh.

What am I missing here?

The last plane out?

5th March 2005, 01:46 PM	#1
Chris Haynes Perfectly Poisonous Person Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West Posts: 4,204	Undersea Eruption Off of BC/WA Coast I saw this article in the paper this morning: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...uption05m.html ... about the possibility of a swarm of earthquakes east of the San Juan de Fuca Straight may be the eruption of an undersea volcano. Here is the website of the group that is sailing from Seattle to investigate: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/acous...ndeav0205.html and here is more information about another undersea vents, including the Axial Volcano a bit further south: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/
	__________________ I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/

5th March 2005, 06:30 PM	#3
Chris Haynes Perfectly Poisonous Person Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West Posts: 4,204	Well, it beats flying over in a helicopter like these guys do: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/...gas_monitoring These scientists go to some great lengths just to get data!
	__________________ I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/

6th March 2005, 01:50 AM	#4
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	"We really don't know what to expect," said Edward Baker, an oceanographer at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "If we're very lucky, we may get pictures of brand-new lava on the seafloor." -Yup. As clear a case of Rocks-in-the-Head as you're likely to come across. Now why did I never land a job like that?
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885

6th March 2005, 05:11 AM	#5
Brian the Snail Muse Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 963	Quote: Originally posted by Soapy Sam "We really don't know what to expect," said Edward Baker, an oceanographer at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "If we're very lucky, we may get pictures of brand-new lava on the seafloor." -Yup. As clear a case of Rocks-in-the-Head as you're likely to come across. Now why did I never land a job like that? At the risk of sounding incredibly stupid, what is wrong with what he said?
Brian the Snail Muse Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 963

6th March 2005, 06:22 AM	#6
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	Absolutely nothing. I'm just jealous. And familiar with the symptoms.
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885

5th March 2005, 06:01 PM	#2
Goshawk Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Decatur, Illinois, USA Posts: 1,453	So, an undersea volcano might erupt--and the first thing these people do is sail straight for it? Uh huh. What am I missing here?

6th March 2005, 06:41 AM	#7
Correa Neto Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Hunting rocks somewhere in Brazil Posts: 7,172	Damn, that would be a nice job... The reasons I entered geology were volcanoes and dinosaurs (like a lot of other geos). Paleontology turned out to be boring (at least for me) with all those tiny shells, and since Brazillian volcanoes are no longer active... And now IÂ´m on greenfields gold prospecting. Really jealous I am...
	__________________ Racism, sexism, ignorance, homophobia, intolerance, extremism, authoritarianism, environmental disasters, politically correct crap, violence at sport stadiums, slavery, poverty, wars, people who disagree with me: Together we can find the cure Oh, and together we can find a cure to religion too…

6th March 2005, 01:06 PM	#8
Chris Haynes Perfectly Poisonous Person Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West Posts: 4,204	I actually started out as a student of oceanography... in the building very near where R/V Thomas Thompson is docked (http://www.cofs.washington.edu/ ). But I switched to engineering... I prefer the thought of getting a regular paycheck.
	__________________ I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/

6th March 2005, 02:29 PM	#9
Goshawk Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Decatur, Illinois, USA Posts: 1,453	Quote: Originally posted by Brian the Snail At the risk of sounding incredibly stupid, what is wrong with what he said? There's nothing intrinsically "wrong" with it, it's just that...well, speaking for myself, I'm flashing on Maximilian Schell (for some reason), with fixed Teutonic stare and heroic locks blowing wildly in the fresh breeze, sailing his research vessel directly to the location of the soon-to-catastrophically-erupt undersea volcano. Which then of course erupts. Leaving the survivors back at the Mad Lab to ask the crucial question, "He couldn't get instruments on the ocean floor to, I dunno, mail the data in or something?"

8th March 2005, 04:25 AM	#10
BillHoyt Enlightening rod Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Right behind you... Posts: 5,842	Quote: Originally posted by Goshawk So, an undersea volcano might erupt--and the first thing these people do is sail straight for it? Uh huh. What am I missing here? The last plane out?