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Lyttelton Harbour -
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9 Jul 11 - "Ancient Banks Peninsula volcanoes are not going to erupt," says this
article on Signs of the Times (SOTT).
Unnamed officials have been quoted as saying that the continuing earthquake
activity near Christchurch indicates an upcoming volcanic eruption, and that
the information has been "hushed up".
Others say volcanic activity has heated the water in Lyttelton Harbour, and in
some areas the water is already too hot to touch.
Some of New Zealand's top earthquake and volcano experts are now determined to
quash the gossip before it scares even more people.
Natural Hazards Research Platform manager Kelvin Berryman, of GNS Science, said
a Banks Peninsula eruption is "just not possible".
"There's no truth to this," said Berryman. "There's no reason for it. We have
said time and time again this is not possible."
GNS Science volcanologist Nico Fournier said the six million-year-old Banks
Peninsula volcanic complex was extinct, meaning that the earthquakes could not
reactivate the volcanic area because there was no hot magma there.
"This is supported by all the data recorded by scientists since the main
Darfield earthquake in September 2010," said Fournier.
"All the recorded signals - eg, ground-surface deformation from ground-based and
satellite techniques, earthquake types - have been strictly tectonic in origin
and due to movement along faults, and in no way related to volcanic activity."
The experts insist that there is no magma below Banks Peninsula. The closest
magmas are approximately 300 miles (500 km) away in the Taranaki-Ruapehu-Taupo
magmatic system, and "magma cannot travel horizontally such distances."
See entire article:
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/230405-Lyttelton-eruption-not-possible-
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link
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"Phew! I’m glad that’s settled," says Stephanie. "But what about
all these quakes increasing in Christchurch?" |
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I'm still not convinced.
They say that the “extinct” volcano in Littleton Harbor can’t
blow. But is there really such a thing as an "extinct" volcano?
And why would the magma need to move horizontally? Why couldn't
more magma be pumped into the system from below? It could come
straight up from the mantle, a distance of "only" 60 miles (100 km).
That's most likely where it came from before.
As far as being "not possible," Christchurch has experienced more
than 7,900 earthquakes since last September. In September, the
experts would have told you that that was not possible either.
Besides, who needs a volcano? I'd be petrified to live in
Christchurch just because of the earthquakes alone.
- Robert |
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Comments from New Zealand resident |
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Mount Cook isn't a volcano. It never has been a volcano, isn't in
an active volcanic region and doesn't contain volcanic rock/basalt
in his make-up, I believe mainly greywacke, sandstone and mudstone.
Banks peninsula comprises 15 volcanic vents/cones - not 3. These
have not been active for 6 million years and the subduction zone and
'hot spot' that made their creation possible has long since moved
away - much like the Hawaiian chain islands of extinct volcanoes.
GNS scientists here in NZ have tested the hot springs around Banks
Peninsula post-quakes. The chemical composition of that water is
not that which would indicate volcanic activity/source. The massive
amount of liquefaction and earthquakes that Christchurch has
experienced has caused changes in water table and natural spring
levels but again nothing indicating volcanic activity or presence of
magma.
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Mandie Emberton |
See also:
http://www.iceagenow.com/Is_Christchurch_headed_for_a_volcanic_eruption.htm
http://www.iceagenow.com/Christchurch_volcanoes_could_erupt_sooner_than_thought.htm