New Zealand Volcano erupts with tourists inside the rim

[funkyrobot]

I see it as this. Massive, unpredictable force of nature that is still brewing. Would I want to go near it? No.

Not nice that people have died, but it's an active volcano ffs. People need to take some responsibility.

[Zoobeef]

The more active it is, the more interested I am in seeing it. If I want to see a dead one, I'll go to Edinburgh.

[NRS]

Zoobeef said:

The more active it is, the more interested I am in seeing it. If I want to see a dead one, I'll go to Edinburgh.

Thing is the Hawaiian ones are much safer to see and are still active. Due to the type of volcanism they're not likely to erupt with a bang. Whereas those involving water mixing with heat/lava etc are the type that can literally blow the island off the face of the earth in the worst case.

[BoRED S2upid]

Zoobeef said:

The more active it is, the more interested I am in seeing it. If I want to see a dead one, I'll go to Edinburgh.

Choose your volcano wisely then. Big explosive erupty ones avoid or fly over them in a helicopter. Less explosive trickly ones make for better viewing if that’s your bag. They all stink of rotten eggs though.

[Otispunkmeyer]

poo at Paul's said:

Lord.Vader said:

ericmcn said:

It all boils down to (pardon the pun) whether this volcano was anyway active or not, if plumes of smoke were seen frequently surely it's idiotic to run tourist trips. Hey I'm not a geologist or anything but common sense. Alas in this day of Instagram and 'likes' people are oblivious to any dangers or anything and are just refreshing that app they got opened up on their smartphones.

Are you suggesting people didn't go on trips like this before Instagram?

I do not have Instagram, i would certainly like to visit a Volcano, just like i would like to visit N.Korea, Pripyat, Antartica, Costa Rica, the Gates of Hell, and a host of other places, not everyone wants to sit on a beach in Spain, there is a whole world out there to see an experience.

These poor people were just extremely unlucky, the island, according to Wiki, has been releasing Volcanic Gas almost continuously since discovery in 1760 odd, it has erupted multiple times (minor) over the past 50 years.

I have to say the prevalence of Instatts we encountered in California last year was disheartening! Living their life through 5 inch phone screens, not looking at the view, taking in the ambience, get a photo / selfie, do I look good, yes, right, off to the next contrived shoot....
It's sadly very much a things, whether a factor here, who knows.

This smartphone thing and the need to photograph everything is indeed mad. I mean selfies at these places are bad enough (Lets go to an awesome place and then take a photo of it that comprises mostly *me*...wonderful), but I was at Pete Tong and the Heritage Orchestra the other night and I must have been the only person who watched the whole 2 hour performance with my eyes rather than via a 5 inch screen. Mental.

[Triumph Man]

poo at Paul's said:

My thread post that crossed, below!


One confirmed death, but 5 suspected, several not accounted for. Cruise ship in the area and visitors reckoned to be from that.

New Zealand geological service increased alert on this site prior to the event, it is reported, was this communicated to the ship? How common was this excursion?

Whilst mother nature is an evil mistress at times, and I am no geologist (!) inn 2019, with the communication and technology we have, things like this should surely not happen?

Sympathies to those affected.

Very sad indeed.

Poo at Paul's, when I did A-level Geography we studied the work of this man - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Chouet. As you say, these events can be predicted.

[NRS]

Triumph Man said:

Very sad indeed.

Poo at Paul's, when I did A-level Geography we studied the work of this man - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Chouet. As you say, these events can be predicted.

Sometimes. This was pretty minor as stuff goes, just with the people there it was high consequence. This particular volcano is known for being unpredictable too. And with the type of eruption it will happen very quickly. Basically you create steam under high pressure, and when that pressure releases the gas will expand very very rapidly and create an explosion/eruption. It's in many ways similar to what happens in a blow out with an oil rig.

[ericmcn]

if this was the US of A , A Class Action law suit would be in full motion against the tour operators. I have done loads of travel all over the world and lots of touristy things - all carried some inherent risk but hopping into a crater that was known to be active somewhat is just pretty dumb - a chopper tour over the volcanoe itself would be ok but not scaling the depts of the crater.

[red_slr]

I am sure the legal case will come I just hope all the operators had insurance. The island is privately owned too which probably wont help. I think where its a slam dunk is there was an eruption warning issued on the 3rd December. That was clearly ignored, middle of summer probably peak tourist season there. I wonder how many of the tourists really knew where they were going and just how active it was?

[anonymous-user]

red_slr said:

I am sure the legal case will come I just hope all the operators had insurance. The island is privately owned too which probably wont help. I think where its a slam dunk is there was an eruption warning issued on the 3rd December. That was clearly ignored, middle of summer probably peak tourist season there. I wonder how many of the tourists really knew where they were going and just how active it was?

Weird owning a volcano island. You might wake up and it’s gone or grown massively.

[Supercilious Sid]

El stovey said:

Weird owning a volcano island. You might wake up and it’s gone or grown massively.

or your name might be Dr Evil?

[red_slr]

Probably this guy...

[red_slr]

Supercilious Sid said:

El stovey said:

Weird owning a volcano island. You might wake up and it’s gone or grown massively.

or your name might be Dr Evil?

Damn beat me to it !

[NRS]

ericmcn said:

if this was the US of A , A Class Action law suit would be in full motion against the tour operators. I have done loads of travel all over the world and lots of touristy things - all carried some inherent risk but hopping into a crater that was known to be active somewhat is just pretty dumb - a chopper tour over the volcanoe itself would be ok but not scaling the depts of the crater.

A helicopter is likely to do just as badly as people in the crater if it is above the volcano at the time it goes bang.

[Zirconia]

News reporting it is still too volatile to go back in.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50738613

[BoRED S2upid]

El stovey said:

Weird owning a volcano island. You might wake up and it’s gone or grown massively.

A volatile investment to say the least. High risk high reward though if it doubles in size and keeps growing.

[Zirconia]

BoRED S2upid said:

El stovey said:

Weird owning a volcano island. You might wake up and it’s gone or grown massively.

A volatile investment to say the least. High risk high reward though if it doubles in size and keeps growing.

One disappeared not long ago and another lost a big chunk of the land mass.

Volcanoes can go down as well as up. (usually financial advice?)

Wonder how that Icelandic one is doing.

[Four Litre]

NRS said:

Zoobeef said:

The more active it is, the more interested I am in seeing it. If I want to see a dead one, I'll go to Edinburgh.

Thing is the Hawaiian ones are much safer to see and are still active. Due to the type of volcanism they're not likely to erupt with a bang. Whereas those involving water mixing with heat/lava etc are the type that can literally blow the island off the face of the earth in the worst case.

I'm lucky enough to of been to the one in Hawaii, and it didn't feel very dangerous as you get the feeling they monitor it constantly, The path to the part erupting into the sea made me laugh as it is marked by pegs and rope, which they constantly move due to changes in the lave flow. This was apparent as parts of the floor were glowing red and you could certainly feel the heat through your shoes, some places you couldn't stand still.

I also think it felt safer as its so spread out and the crater is dormant and miles from the sea. (or felt like it)

[Zirconia]

Authorities are going to try for a fast in and out to see what they can find.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50753453
Still a high chance of another eruption.

[checkmate91]

Zirconia said:

Wonder how that Icelandic one is doing.

I hiked over it in June 2017, was covered in ice. The area for miles around was littered with black ash though. We discovered, after the event, that the fimmvörðuháls trail that we used was officially shut due to the "dangerous conditions"