March 29, 2024 18:31 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi to kickstart BJP's Lok Sabha poll campaign from Meerut | Kangana Ranaut in Mandi: 'Don't think I am a heroine, consider me as your sister and daughter' | Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav demand high-level probe into Mukhtar Ansari's death | PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63
Dormant Mount Meager shows new signs of volcanic activity

Dormant Mount Meager shows new signs of volcanic activity

India Blooms News Service | | 06 Oct 2016, 10:27 pm
Vancouver, Oct 6 (IBNS): Mount Meager, a dormant volcano near Pemberton in British Columbia, showed some volcanic activity recently, which made experts take a close look and monitor its course of action.

Melanie Kelman, Volcanologist with Natural Resources Canada said sulphur smells and volcanic openings known as fumaroles were spotted on the long dormant volcano recently.

Although it is not uncommon to notice fumaroles on the peak of a volcanic mountain, however Kelman believes, the thinning ice on the peaks exposed it lately.

However, Kelman says, risk of contaminating with Hydrogen Sulphide a poisonous gas, and uneven ice around the crevasse can pose direct risk to human life around.

Her team is presently monitoring the area for increased seismic activity, which is a key sign of an upcoming eruption.

Kelman says, "The main thing we would expect if the volcano was becoming more active is lots and lots of small earthquakes.”

"We're not seeing a lot of that right now, but this is what we would expect, and that's why we're watching it closely,” she adds.

Mount Meager has an explosive history as it was the site of one of the largest volcanic explosion in Canada. Over 2400 years ago, the mountain burst open causing landslides and emitted ashes as far as to reach out to Alberta.

Although it did not show any seismic activity for the past 200 years, Kelman believes, there is no reason it can never erupt again.

She thinks, "It could be biding its time ... With Mount Meager, we don't know. It may erupt 10 years from now, 50 years from now, or 3,000 years from now."

She also stressed on the fact that the province is well-prepared to brace emergencies.

"We've certainly talked to Emergency Management B.C. about the unrest in Meager and explained what's going on. It doesn't pose a threat to public safety,” she said.

(Reporting by Canada desk)

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.