Tuesday, Oct. 05, 2004 - 10:27 a.m.

Four down, two to go

800 has gone hunting for 'that big buck' today and this is what I am doing:

My Volcano

My personal volcano is Mt. Dutton near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. It is a glacier-covered central lava dome complex 4941 feet high. Mt. Dutton sits on the Ring of Fire at the edge of the Pacific plates�s subduction underneath the North American plate. It is a stratovolcano, the most common type in subduction zones, and the one most often pictured as a classic volcano shape.
Mt. Dutton is a relatively young volcano, being dated as Halocene, which is the current epoch. There are no records of recent eruptions or even historical eruptions, but it is definitely active. Sitting as it does at the edge of two plates, and especially on the Ring of Fire, Mt. Dutton is expected to exhibit signs of activity. Three-fourths of the world�s active and dormant volcanoes fall around the edge of this ring so vulcanologists are not surprised by activity here. Not only does Dutton�s place in the Ring of Fire lead us to the �active� diagnosis, its own physical actions clinch the argument that it is indeed active. According to Jim Luhr, director of the global volcanism program at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula, of which Dutton is a part, are the most vigorous volcanic parts of North America, so it was no surprise when Mt. Dutton began to exhibit life in 1984-85 with swarms of earthquakes, and more serious life in July and August of 1988, in the form of major earthquake swarms as large as 4.0.
Dutton is a famous name in geology circles. Clarence Edward Dutton, 1841-1917 was a Yale graduate who served under Major John Powell in the survey of the Rocky Mountain region. He later studied volcanic phenomena in Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington and many volcanic and geologic locations are named for him. He originated the theory of isostasy, stating the general equilibrium in the crust of the earth is maintained by the flow or yielding of the rock beneath it (now known as the mantle). That being the case, the residents near Mt. Dutton have ample reason to be concerned. In spite of Dutton�s small size above ground, there�s plenty beneath.
Dutton is only nine miles from the important regional fishing center of King Cove, home to 700+ citizens. The recent activity has geologists watching because of its dacite dome complex similar to the ones at Shimabura, Shasta, Pele�, Pinatubo, Mt. St. Helens and Vesuvius. Dacite domes are formed by eruptive extruding bodies of lava which often collapse, generating pyroclastic flows. While the Alaskan Peninsula does not have the abundant rainfall that often is thought to precipitate dacite dome collapses, there is ice in the form of the glacier, and upwelling magma beneath the dome can melt that ice, creating as much water as rainfall. Since dacite is 63-68% silica, an eruption is highly explosive. A pryoclastic cloud could reach King Cove in minutes. The only ways in and out of the town are by water or air, so weather conditions could easily leave the residents trapped against the sea by whatever Mt. Dutton extruded.
A summer of geological monitoring in 1989 led to the conclusion that earth swarms had announced the extrusion of a huge magma dike beneath the volcano and surrounding area. In fact, it is probably big enough to be termed a batholith, according to ------------------------
As with any volcanic eruptions, Mt. Dutton�s long-term explosive effects on our world are varied. As always, ash into the upper atmosphere could change climate patterns. Massive landslides, or lahars, dumping into the ocean only nine miles away, could send tsunamis that could destroy many of the small towns situated along Alaska�s coast from the westerly Aleutian Islands back to the east enveloping the Alaskan Peninsula and even Cook Inlet�s other side, the Kenai Peninsula. Since most coastal towns are situated at sea level, devastation from the tsunamis would be great, just as it was for Japan in 1841 when Oshima exploded, sending a giant wave from the island across the strait to Japan�s mainland.
One comfort to the people of King Cove is the remarkable success of Alaska Volcano Observatory at predicting eruptions in Alaska. Vulcanologists also used the latest techniques and findings to accurately pinpoint Mt. Pinatubo�s eruption, giving time for mass evacuations. Hopefully, that recent success is not just a fluke. Much time and money has gone into volcano research in just the last few decades. Nature�s fury is cruel and unrelenting when a mountain blows up in the back yard.

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I have my Library book report written out ready to type in a few minutes and a lesson plan almost completed in a Word document for Children's lit, plus a one page paper on a volcano video for some more geology bonus that I may be able to finish before Thursday. I am getting callouses on the ends of my fingers just like I did when I played the guitar more.

I also have some pictures of the kitties that I have to download from the cam and send to 2d. She is going to put a sign up at work to give away the last 3 kitties. Two of them are calico females, so if I can't get them given away soon, I will have to have 2 more spayed. That costs about $70 apiece, but that's lots cheaper and more responsible than letting them breed wild and populate the back ranges of the place with more cats. When the population gets too dense back there, 800 goes hunting closer to home.

I am really ignoring my tutees (is that a word?) this morning. They are both calling and Buzme picks up the calls, but I haven't returned them. There are tutors who get paid at the campus, and I have to finish my own work first. Sometimes one just has to bite the bullet, and dig in for oneself. It is amazing how much learning can be acquired in times of desperation. Or quit.

EE's devotional

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