Clipmarks | amgumen's degassing collection

Boiling Hot Water Found in Frigid Arctic Sea

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:51:43 GMT

clipped by: amgumen
clipper's remarks: Scalding liquid rises out of the seafloor at temperatures that are more than twice the boiling point of water.

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

The cluster of five hydrothermal vents, also called black smokers, were discovered farther north than any others previously identified. The vents, one of which towers four stories high, are located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway, more than 120 miles farther north than other known vents.

The active chimneys in the new field are mostly black and covered with white mats of bacteria feasting on the minerals emitted by the vents. Older chimneys are mottled red as a result of iron oxidization. All are the result of seawater seeping into the seafloor, coming near fiery magma and picking up heat and minerals until the water vents back into the ocean.

The whole deposit is about 825 feet in diameter at its base and about 300 feet across on the top and might turn out to be the largest such deposit seen on the seafloor, Lilley said.

Given the massive sulfide deposit, the vent field must surely have been active for many thousands of years

Toxic gas caused the Great Dying?

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:33:49 GMT

clipped by: amgumen
clipper's remarks: Once the gas made it to the ocean surface, it could have escaped into the atmosphere, triggering terrestrial extinction, Kump says. “Poisonous clouds of hydrogen sulfide wafting around the continents would have killed animals and vegetation,” he says. The gas also could have damaged the planet’s ozone layer letting destructive radiation reach Earth’s surface.

Clip Source: www.geotimes.org

Life on Earth nearly ended 251 million years ago. The end-Permian mass extinction wiped out as much as 90 percent of all marine species as well as large numbers of terrestrial animals and plants. But what caused the catastrophe is still a matter of debate

By studying the distribution and diversity of 396 bryozoan assemblages over about a 120-million-year time span, the team found that the organisms’ decline began millions of years before the mass extinction,

The find “argues against an extraterrestrial impact, such as an asteroid, being the killer,” which had been a popular hypothesis for the wide-scale extinction,

The records also revealed that those bryozoans that lived in deep waters were the first to go. Organisms living on ocean shelves and reefs followed gradually over time. This pattern hints that “something must have come from the deep ocean to kill these organisms

The hydrogen sulfide started killing off deep-water organisms first and gradually moved into shallow water

Tags: optional. separate by commas., environment, geology, earth

Subglatial volcanoes of Iceland

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:18:18 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.vulkaner.no

Grimsvotn volcano (N 64.41°, W 17.33°), situated near the center of the Vatnajokull ice cap
in central Iceland, is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes. It has a complex of calderas,
and a subglacial caldera lake sustained by geothermal heat. Small eruptions have occurred
at the volcano in 1983 and 1998 (around 0.1 km3). In 1996, the Gjalp subglacial eruption
occurred north of the volcano. The most recent eruption triggered by a pressure release as
the current eruption occurred in 1934.

Vatnajökull covers an area of 8.100 km². The volume of the icecap is almost 3.000 km³.
The icecover is about 400 m thick (average), and at the most about 950 meters!
Since 70 % of the surface is above 1.100 m asl, it is still alive.

The eruption at Grimsvötn volcano ceased between Friday night and Saturday morning,

November 6, 2004.

Grimsvötn crater on November 5th.

November 5th, 2004

An explosion in the morning of November 4th.

A second cauldron near Grimsvötn.

In the morning of November 2nd

2.november 2004

Tags: volcanoes, geology, environment, climate change

Underground coal fires: pictures

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:21:37 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.itc.nl

Clouds of noxious gases coming out of an exhalation crack above a near-surface coal fire.

Exhalation crack above a sub-surface coal fire. Sublimation minerals along exhalation crack are mainly salmiac (white) and sulfur (yellow).

Subsidence above progressed coal fire. The void left behind by the burnt-away near-surface coal layer collapses under the load of the sandstone layers above.

Near surface coal fire as seen from surface.

Temperature measurements in a coal fire area with a radiant thermometer under hazardous conditions.

Temperature measurements in a coal fire area with a radiant thermometer under hazardous conditions. Salmiac exhalation minerals form a white crust on the rocks around this exhalation vent of an underground coal fire. Photo credit: DFD/DLR Germany.

Infrared picture of hilly terrain in the Wuda region. Blue colours represent the cold sky; shades of yellow and green the normal temperatures of the rocks. The clusters of red patches are caused by underground coal fires

Tags: optional. separate by commas., earth, environment, nature, geology

Surprisingly hot phenomenon

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:40:11 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.oregonlive.com

For the past three years, the researchers have journeyed to the Antarctic to deploy hydrophones designed and built at this tiny science center on Newport's Yaquina Bay

Earthquakes and magma spewing on the seafloor go hand in hand, and what we are seeing is, there are new heat sources right off the coast of Deception Island that no one was aware of before

It's the only place on the planet where active seafloor and subaerial (above sea level) volcanoes are near large icebergs and ice sheets.

the team's studies lead to new information about how the seafloor volcanoes and earthquakes contribute to the breakup of ice in the region

If it wasn't for our work, these deep-sea eruptions would be completely unknown

three-quarters of the Earth is covered by ocean, the vast majority of volcanic activity on Earth is occurring without our knowledge undersea

So it's unknown how much heat and chemicals the underwater volcanoes spew into the ocean and atmosphere, affecting global ocean temperatures and climat

Tags: climate, environment, geology, interesting, nature, ocean, science

Hawaiian Volcanoes: Beauty & Terror

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:28:27 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

Pu'u 'O'o cone on Kilauea, Big Island of Hawaii (aerial view) -

Eruptions in the Hawaiian volcanoes are normally preceded by multiple earthquakes which create fissures and facilitate the magma's flow to the surface.

The Paoehoe (pah-ho-ay-ho-ay) lava flows reach the seawater and explode, as ocean waves enter the fiery lava tubes.

The semi-solidified lava structures may look as curious lava-lamp oddities, but conceal behind their fanciful shapes a highly dangerous nature. The lava tongues and "tentacles" may look solid but often they remain incredibly hot and unstable for long time.

Like alien bread dough they creep forward, quickly cooling off and adding perplexing shapes here and there. The imaginary sequel to "The Blob" movie could certainly use such visuals:

A creeping lava tongue... A fiery waterfall curtain...

The bizarre coloring observed in the lava flowing in the tubes:

Such openings are called "skylights", offering a view into a hellish kingdom below:

Tags: optional. separate by commas., geology, interesting, nature, science

Alaska Lake Boils With Escaping Methane

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 04:28:23 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.ens-newswire.com

Last month, University of Alaska-Fairbanks researcher Katey Walter brought a National Public Radio crew to Alaska's North Slope to show them how methane is released when permafrost thaws beneath lakes.

the crew found a lake violently boiling with escaping methane.

It was cold, wet and windy. We were dropped off in the middle of nowhere by a helicopter and paddled out to a huge methane plume in the middle of the lake with no idea what to expect, how strong the bubbling plume would be, whether or not our raft would stay afloat, how dangerous it would be to breath the gas

The violent streams of bubbles made the lake appear as if it were boiling, but the water was pretty cold

this summer's fieldwork indicates that methane hotspots can come from various sources, not just thawing permafrost.

It is unlikely that this methane plume was related to permafrost thaw," said Walter, adding that the methane boiling out of the lake was more likely related to natural gas seepage.

Tags: environment, geology, interesting, nature, science

The atmosphere before and after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:49:26 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.gsfc.nasa.gov

These images highlight the difference in the atmosphere before and after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Showing the earth’s limb at sunset, first in September 1984, the atmosphere is relatively clear. The second image, taken in August of 1991, a little more than a month after the eruption, shows distinct layers of aerosols in the upper reaches of the atmosphere. These aerosols eventually made their way around the globe, contributing to a temporary worldwide cooling.

Tags: volcanoes, environment, science, geology, nature, interesting

Azeri mud volcano flares

Fri, 25 May 2007 15:26:17 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The picture doesn't lie. It was an impressive volcanic eruption in Azerbaijan in the southern Caucasus

volcanic activity under the Caspian Sea off the Azeri coast created a whole new island

Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea are home to nearly four hundred mud volcanoes - more than half the total throughout the world

Every twenty years or so, a mud volcano may explode with great force, shooting flames hundreds of metres into the sky, and depositing tonnes of mud on the surrounding area.

The flame was unbelievably big, about three hundred metres high. It was surrounded by dense, black smoke, and lots of mud was being thrown into the air.

Tags: volcanoes, geology, interesting, environment

Giant Volcanic Plume Bursts From Jupiter Moon

Wed, 23 May 2007 02:03:27 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Jupiter's most turbulent moon, Io, is renowned among scientists for its flashy volcanic displays. But even experts were surprised when they saw this plume of gas vaulting nearly 200 miles (320 kilometers) over the moon's north pole

"The image of the Tvashtar plume is the best and most detailed plume image that any of us—including longtime Jupiter experts—have ever seen,"

The plume likely formed when sulfurous gases released by the volcano crystallized in the frigid vacuum of space

Tags: science, interesting, geology

Submarine volcanoes and more in the Mariana Arc

Mon, 21 May 2007 01:14:58 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.vulkaner.no

Left: The vertical column in the center of the image, called a dike, rises from below sea level to the pinnacle at the top
of the ridge. Interlaid massive lavas (darker horizontal bands) and ash-rich lava units (reddish) are also exposed
on the islets of Maug
Right: Three-dimensional view of the Maug caldera, ranging in depth from 241 to 25 m

Active “smoker” chimneys precipitating iron, copper and zinc sulfides from 230ºC fluid.
They are 9 m tall from the base to the top of the chimneys. Dark beehive-type chimneys,
here about 30 cm tall, commonly sit on top of these structures.

This may be a unique photograph of a shallow-water tropical fish swimming among active
black smoker chimneys at Black Forest vent field. The chimneys rise up to 7 m tall.

Tags: science, nature, geology, volcanoes

Amazing geologic features on the deep seafloor

Sun, 20 May 2007 23:54:07 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

manipulator arm holds a sample of an inactive chimney in which "fossilized" tubeworms are embedded

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

hot fluid sampling at this black smoker vent

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

extremely gassy, high-temperature (>100°C, 212°F) white smokers at Champagne Vent.

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

The chimneys are ~20 cm (8 in) across and ~50 cm (20 in) high, venting fluids at 103ºC (217ºF).

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

bubbles at the Champagne vent site

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

Active “smoker” chimneys precipitating iron, copper and zinc sulfides from 230ºC fluid

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

Interlayered basaltic (dark) and felsic (light) ash layers

Clip Source: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

Giant smoky plume

Tags: interesting, science, geology, volcanoes

Gassy blast from prehistoric volcanoes heated Earth

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:56:05 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Ancient volcanoes may have caused a dramatic warming of the Earth's atmosphere that raised sea temperatures and killed off many marine species, resulting in a "planetary emergency,"

That triggered a 222,000-year period of warming that raised sea surface temperatures by 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees F) in the tropics and more than 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees F) in the Arctic and increased the acidity of the oceans.

The resulting "planetary emergency," as scientists have called it, wiped out 30 percent to 50 percent of the planet's deep sea creatures.

volcanic eruptions began about 61 million years ago and then it took another 5 million years for the mantle to weaken, the continent to thin and the molten material to rise to the surface

Scientists made the link between the volcanoes and the warming period, known as the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, by matching layers of ash in east Greenland with those in marine sediments in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tags: climate, disasters, environment, geology, nature

Atmospheric Levels of Methane now have leveled off

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 01:54:05 GMT

clipped by: amgumen
clipper's remarks: Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have been constant for five years after two centuries of steady increases. Scientists do not know why the pattern of increase has stopped.

Clip Source: cdiac.esd.ornl.gov

Tags: climate change

Volcanic co2 Emission Vs Human

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:06:30 GMT

clipped by: Kingsmob77
clipper's remarks: This is from the Department of the interior, USGS. their findings show that humans generate a significantly higher amount of greenhouse gases than volcanoes.

Clip Source: volcanoes.usgs.gov

Volcanic gases are the driving force of eruptions

Comparison of CO₂ emissions from volcanoes vs. human activities.
Scientists have calculated that volcanoes emit between about 130-230 million tonnes (145-255 million tons) of CO₂ into the atmosphere every year (Gerlach, 1999, 1992). This estimate includes both subaerial and submarine volcanoes, about in equal amounts. Emissions of CO₂ by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production, and gas flaring, amount to about 22 billion tonnes per year (24 billion tons) [ ( Marland, et al., 1998) - The reference gives the amount of released carbon (C), rather than CO₂.]. Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO₂ emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 13.2 million tonnes/year)!

Tags: politics, science, nature