Expired News - Volcano responsible for one of the worst eruptions in last 2,000 years set to explode again - The Weather Network
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A local expert urges officials to monitor the volcano as several parameters are hinting toward imminent eruption

Volcano responsible for one of the worst eruptions in last 2,000 years set to explode again


Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 10:09 AM - Mount Baekdu is set to explode according to experts and if that isn't shocking enough, keep in mind that Baekdu is responsible for one of the worst eruptions in the last 2,000 years.

Professor Yoon Seong-hyo from Pusan National University urged officials to keep a close eye on the highest peak of the Korean peninsula. Baekdu is an active volcano located on the border between North Korea and China.

The caldera or cauldron of the Baekdu volcano, which is sometimes called Paektu or Changbai, has risen a centimetre since July, according to new research.

"The mountains's height has risen about 10 centimetres between 2002 and 2005," Yoon added, speaking to the Korea Times. "It then began to sink in 2009. The shift changed only recently, which is significant."

Additionally the temperature near the caldera geyser has also risen significantly jumping from 70C to 83C. Yoon also took a look at other parameters like helium concentration which went from 6.5 times normal atmosphere levels to seven times.

"All these signs indicate the magma inside the mountain is moving upward," he said. "We need to monitor the mountain closely.

A historic eruption

According to a different paper published five years ago, Baekdu had a Magnitude 7 explosive eruption about 1,000 years ago. Despite having a low magma temperature, the powerful volcano ejected a volume of more than 100 km3.

Professor Hiromitsu Taniguchi from Tohuku University expects the Mt. Baekdu to erupt some time before 2032, saying there's a 99 per cent chance of that happening.

But Volcanologist Erik Klemetti warns that the data Taniguchi used to calculate this probability is incomplete and reminded the world that "correlation does not mean causation."

Source: Wired | Korea Times


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