Volcano

I made a post about the volcanic activity on Mount St. Helens last week, but a volcano in Indonesia – Mount Merapi – is definitely the biggest show in town. This 9,616 foot mountain is making headlines worldwide and triggering mandatory evacuations for thousands of residents. In a totally awesome display of the force of nature, lava is spewing out of the summit dome and spilling down the slopes.

Merapi, which means "Mountain of Fire" is no stranger to volcanic activity. With several dozen major eruptions over the last millennium and pre-current activity as recent as 2002, Merapi is the most active volcano in the world and villagers are accustomed to it's turbulent ways. However, scientists fear the most recent awakening could be a prelude to a significant eruption. The last major eruption occurred in 1994 when 36 people were killed. An eruption in 1930 destroyed 14 villages and killed 1,400 people.

This map shows the volcanoes of the world and the ring of fire around the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia is loaded with active volcanoes. Check out this detail map.

More studying for me today. The days are flying by. At this time next week, I will be chilling at home on the couch and watching nba. Then again, I am going to go watch the mavs-spurs game at the library right now. Of course, I will be studying too. I feel better about myself if I am watching tv in the library though 🙂