Australian volcanoes

Of all continents, Australia is the least geologically active. The landscape is ancient, including some of the oldest rocks in the world. The only mountains are on the eastern edge of the continent. The B59 road across the Blue Mountains from Windsor to Lithgow is one of my favourite drives, with spectacular views (a head…

Interpreting the IMO Tremor Charts

Despite the high-falutin’ title, this is not a complete guide nor is it compiled by a pro. It’s more of an introduction by someone who has made all the mistakes possible and, hopefully, learnt a thing or two in the process which I now try to pass on. As amateur volcanophiles, we are limited to…

Ruminarian X Musings on the Cascadia SZ

Who’s there? Those are the first spoken words of Hamlet, or more correctly, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” as written by William Shakespeare.  In modern English, that’s 13 letters, including punctuation.  Under the “infinite monkey theorem” a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will…

Lurking in Plain Sight – Apoyeque, NDVP #2

Few cities around the world can claim a more beautiful setting than Managua (pop 2.223 million, 2012), Nicaragua, on the shores of tranquil Lago Xolotlán, Lake Managua. When the Conquistadores arrived, Masaya volcano 20 km from today’s Managua was in eruption and provided Europeans with their fist view of a lava lake. In a letter…