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Passings...

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Latest pictures show the island covered in ash - which would have been fiercely hot when it erupted


Current figures are 6 dead, 30 or so more or less badly injured,
and either 8 or 11 still missing, the reports vary.
 
"The only useful innovation in banking in my lifetime was the ATM"
Which are disappearing from high streets across Scotland at an alarming rate,
I guess the same's true across the world?
 
A tragedy in New Zealand, my homeland.
Five deaths and several missing after volcano erupts.

This was an active volcano. Not just hundreds of years ago. Now. Recently. People in Hawaii built houses on old lava fields, and were surprised at the recent eruptions that sent down new lava to torch their homes. When Mt. St. Helen's erupted, there was ample warning. There was a huge bulge in the mountain. The "safety zone" was totally inadequate. If it had not happened on a weekend, there would have been loggers in the forest, trying to get as much "valuable" timber out as possible before the mountain did its thing. As it was, several campers lost their lives, some had to dash out at 100mph to outrun the ash cloud, and one was crushed by a falling tree trying to do so. There was one official watcher at a forward geology station, which was too close. He was concerned (apparently his bosses were more blase'), actually turned away two co-workers who wanted to camp out: we're too close, it's not worth the risk, the ridge may not protect us. His last words were in his radio dispatch when the mountain blew: "Vancouver (Washington), this is it!" They named the ridge after him.
A lot of those people in New Zealand were on a CRUISE ship--come see the bubbly, cuddly, active volcano. There are cruises to Antarctica, although various navies have all warned that there aren't enough resources to rescue a cruise ship that gets stuck in the ice or hits an iceberg or runs aground. A year or two ago, there was a medical emergency at an overwintering Antarctic station. Ski planes from Canada (one stayed in Chile as a back up) had to fly down, because the mighty US Airforce couldn't land its supply planes in such conditions. They landed in pitch darkness on a wind-blown, ice-covered "airstrip", and you have to admire the airmanship of the pilots. Talk about risky. Science can be risky, but it isn't frivolous, heedless risk. Maybe the pay-off is worth the risk. But tourist photos for a scrapbook aren't worth the proverbial bucket of warm spit.
The problem with modern technological civilization is that no one gives the earth any credit. It is a formidable thing, we not only don't understand it, we can't control it, and if it goes off we have no defense. A little humility would be in order. I hope the cruise ship owners are sued into bankruptcy. I hope New Zealand's government does a re-think about what they allow--it is unfortunately a very rare civil servant who will stand up to money, and when one does that person usually loses a job.
 
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Which are disappearing from high streets across Scotland at an alarming rate,
I guess the same's true across the world?
Do they still have pay phones?
A friend of mine tried to pay for a US national parks pass with cash ("legal tender for all debts public and private"). They only take checks. Some places in the US actually charge extra if you pay with cash--despite the fact that merchants have to pay fees for both credit and debit cards.
 
They only take checks.

You're lucky, cheques (checks) are virtually obsolete UK, traders won't take them. Debit cards are now the thing to have, though there are still some machines (parking meters etc) that only take cash; who has £/$ 4.50 in loose change, because the damn thing doesn't give change?
 
Which are disappearing from high streets across Scotland at an alarming rate,
I guess the same's true across the world?
To be honest, I haven't noticed any fewer ATMs here than before. Every bank has them and many convenience stores. They're quite profitable since if you use one anywhere but the bank where you have an account, they hit you for hefty fees, usually $3 and then your bank tacks on an additional amount. So it can cost you $5 or $6 to withdraw $40, which would make the Mafia blush...

I don't see cash disappearing, I like Cheri down at the strip club quite a lot, but I'm not going to stuff my credit card in her G-string instead of a $20 bill. Also, the marijuana dispensaries in the many states where it's legal for medical or recreational use won't take credit cards because the banks refuse to process the charges since it's still illegal under federal law. So the fun things will be done with cash for the foreseeable future...
 
You're lucky, cheques (checks) are virtually obsolete UK, traders won't take them. Debit cards are now the thing to have, though there are still some machines (parking meters etc) that only take cash; who has £/$ 4.50 in loose change, because the damn thing doesn't give change?
You have to be careful about machines which give change. The US Mint has tried for years to get away from paper bills and get people to use dollar coins (heavier, and too much like quarters). It's been a total bust. But the Post Office decided to help out, and rigged up its machines to include dollar coins in change. I once had a female friend ask me if I wanted to take a dollar coin off her hands: "I got it at the Post Office". Maybe that's one reason they're going broke (albeit a minor one).
A lot of places here won't take cheques (checks) either. But the Park Service is part of the government. I assume that cash raises issues of custody and pilfering. I think my friend said they would take a debit card--the funds show up right away. But then checks can bounce. I have learned over the years not to try to reason out the policies of any organization, public or private.
 
The only useful innovation in banking in my lifetime was the ATM
Do they still have pay phones?
In Germany we still use a lot of cash. In shops with foodstuff I estimate 2/3 of all people pay cash. The last time I have seen a check was back in the 80s. There are only 17.000 payphones left. Once it was over 130.000.
A few days ago I learned that there is one scandinavian country (don´t know which), where they use debit cards for more then 95% of all buying transactions.
 
In Germany we still use a lot of cash. In shops with foodstuff I estimate 2/3 of all people pay cash. The last time I have seen a check was back in the 80s. There are only 17.000 payphones left. Once it was over 130.000.
A few days ago I learned that there is one scandinavian country (don´t know which), where they use debit cards for more then 95% of all buying transactions.
I don't use cash often. I get reward points on my credit card and I can only get nailed for $50 if it is lost or stolen (if I call it in quick!!!).
 
I believe that’s Iceland.
could well be, but Sweden was recently planning to abolish cash entirely -
I think that's been put on hold. The bank staff union was strongly advocating it,
as it would put a stop to bank hold-up robberies!
Likewise, there were plans to phase out cheques in UK,
the banks wanted it, but it's not going to happen any time soon.
There are generally no charges for using ATMs in Britain,
which may be one reason why the banks are fed up with them -
but their disappearance is mainly because so many branch offices are closing.
 
I quit using my debit card (I don't even remember its PIN). Cash-back is good!

Mmmm ... it's funny how the banks seem to unanimously recommend cards, 'services' and banking modes on which they can charge more transaction fees.

I'm old, cynical and widely regarded as irascible ... but whatever the banks recommend I tend to take with a huge grain of salt.
 
When you walk with the devil ... the cost is never, easy!
 
This was an active volcano. Not just hundreds of years ago. Now. Recently. People in Hawaii built houses on old lava fields, and were surprised at the recent eruptions that sent down new lava to torch their homes. When Mt. St. Helen's erupted, there was ample warning. There was a huge bulge in the mountain. The "safety zone" was totally inadequate. If it had not happened on a weekend, there would have been loggers in the forest, trying to get as much "valuable" timber out as possible before the mountain did its thing. As it was, several campers lost their lives, some had to dash out at 100mph to outrun the ash cloud, and one was crushed by a falling tree trying to do so. There was one official watcher at a forward geology station, which was too close. He was concerned (apparently his bosses were more blase'), actually turned away two co-workers who wanted to camp out: we're too close, it's not worth the risk, the ridge may not protect us. His last words were in his radio dispatch when the mountain blew: "Vancouver (Washington), this is it!" They named the ridge after him.
A lot of those people in New Zealand were on a CRUISE ship--come see the bubbly, cuddly, active volcano. There are cruises to Antarctica, although various navies have all warned that there aren't enough resources to rescue a cruise ship that gets stuck in the ice or hits an iceberg or runs aground. A year or two ago, there was a medical emergency at an overwintering Antarctic station. Ski planes from Canada (one stayed in Chile as a back up) had to fly down, because the mighty US Airforce couldn't land its supply planes in such conditions. They landed in pitch darkness on a wind-blown, ice-covered "airstrip", and you have to admire the airmanship of the pilots. Talk about risky. Science can be risky, but it isn't frivolous, heedless risk. Maybe the pay-off is worth the risk. But tourist photos for a scrapbook aren't worth the proverbial bucket of warm spit.
The problem with modern technological civilization is that no one gives the earth any credit. It is a formidable thing, we not only don't understand it, we can't control it, and if it goes off we have no defense. A little humility would be in order. I hope the cruise ship owners are sued into bankruptcy. I hope New Zealand's government does a re-think about what they allow--it is unfortunately a very rare civil servant who will stand up to money, and when one does that person usually loses a job.
Very true, actually the mountain barely burped. The steam cloud barley reached 12,000 feet!
If it had been a real eruption, Tauranga, where I lived for several years, would have had, at the most, twenty minutes warning!
Then nastiness hits!
 
Some of my worst nightmares involve falling into molten lava.
There is little chance with this kind of volcano to fall into molten lava. These spectacular lava streams one can sometimes see captured on film on Hawai, consist of primary, undifferentiated basalt, of 'basic' composition, that flows very easily.

Here, we have a differentiated magma source, already depleted from its basic components. What remains is a very viscous 'acid' lava that does hardly flow, but appears as a plug, that is forced out of the crater nearly solid. Such lava spines may reach tens of meters height, within days, until they fall apart by their own weight. A famous example was seen on Mount Pelée on Martinique, after the disastrous outburst in 1902 that whiped out the town of Saint-Pierre, with over 30000 death. As you can see, there is more risk to get the magma on your head than falling into it.
implee.jpg
The danger of this type is that differentiated, acid lava's are very rich in gas, creating enough pressure to push such a massive plug out of the crater. This gas drives such explosive eruptions as on Mont Pelée, or Mount Saint Helens, as, when magma rises up, and heats up the volcano, the pressure may increase to such a level that the whole mountain may simply blow up. The outburst is a hot (400 - 500°C) cloud of dust (pyroclastic cloud, or nuée ardente in French, 'burning cloud') that spreads at high speed. Both the temperature and the content of the cloud (tiny sharp, hot silicate particles, deadly to inhale) leave no chance for survival for those caught by it. It is spectacular to watch, unless it will come straight to you.

In this case, as I mentioned before, the eruption seems to have been 'just' a phreatic explosion, i.e. an outburst of boiling groundwater, but judging from the amount of volcanic ashes that has spread, the impact may have been similar on bystanders, only on a smaller scale.

This kind of volcanism is typical for subduction zones, where plates converge.
 
There's a lot of talk today of 'toxic fumes' from the White Island eruption too,
I haven't heard any more specific description - but they're a hazard for the brave
troops and police that are going to try to find the bodies -
as well as the risk of further eruption with out warning, of course.
 
There's a lot of talk today of 'toxic fumes' from the White Island eruption too,
I haven't heard any more specific description - but they're a hazard for the brave
troops and police that are going to try to find the bodies -
as well as the risk of further eruption with out warning, of course.
Volcanoes are known to put out 'toxic fumes'. This is no surprise. A second blast is more dangerous though I have read it is less than likely.
 
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