Coming out of Forbe's recently was this article, "There Are 40 Volcanoes Erupting On Earth Right Now. Here's Why That's Not Strange" in which the author, claiming some authority, declares that this number of volcanoes being active is nothing unusual, until one actually reads the article, where two-thirds down he reveals that the average of active volcanoes on the planet is only twenty.
Let that sink in. We normally only have 20 active volcanoes, but presently we have 40 active volcanoes. The author, Robin Andrews, describes himself as a, "a doctor of experimental volcanology-turned-science journalist", seems obtuse to the idea that a doubling on incidences is generally considered in the geological sciences as a significant uptick and is, not something to be taken lightly. I also question why his "opinion" is entrenched in the headline while the facts are buried deep in the body of the article. This sort of editing raises the hairs on the nape of my neck making me suspicious regarding the intent of either the author &/or the publisher.
He then goes on to explain why this volcanic activity is unrelated and finishes his article with this absurd statement.
"Any eruptions happening at the same time are nothing more than coincidences, whether we’re talking about a pair of volcanoes or – as it the case right now – 40 of them."
A coincidence? Hmmm, I am not so sure about that. While at first glance there may be an argument that two volcanoes on the opposite side of the planet erupting at the same time may seem like a coincidence. Historically speaking, what is often written off as a coincidence is often due to an ignorance of the mechanism that drives the events and in this case, it is no different, as Mr Andrews seems unaware of the research and the paper it produced titled Possible Influence of Solar Activity on Global Volcanicity that shows a strong correlation between the eleven year solar cycles and volcanic activity. The paper states,
"The Earth system is dominated by electric-magnetic radiation, partial radiation, and solar cosmic rays from the Sun. Any subtle variations of solar activity are manifested in geophysical parameters including meteorologic, oceanic, Earth’s inner. Some studies show solar activity relates to geophysical processes (including some natural hazards phenomena, such as earthquake, volcanic eruption and magnetic storm) to some extent. " ~Emphasis is mine.
"Any subtle variation of solar activity," they say, and considering we are in a Grand Solar Minimum for the first time in two hundred years, which has produced a weakening magnetosphere(down by 20%) causing the uptick in cosmic rays, is shrinking the thermosphere and the sun's drop in output(no sunspots for nearly three hundred days) and the output of the last solar maxima being as low as the typical output of the solar minima, it seems we are experiencing more than just the usual "subtle variation of solar activity" . I will touch on this 200-year number and Grand Solar Minimums later on in this article.
Image courtesy of Spaceweathernews
Cosmic rays, it has been shown in this paper titled Explosive volcanic eruptions triggered by cosmic rays: Volcano as a bubble chamber clearly shows a strong correlation between extraterrestrial influences(cosmic rays) on volcanism on the entire planet and could very well be the mechanism, along with solar periodicity, to explain what Mr Andrews perceives as a "coincidence". Cosmic rays activate the muons in silicious volcanoes, heating up the magma causing it to expand and perhaps eventually go boom as a theory is presently generally accepted among volcanologists and geologists as a valid mechanism. And based on a recent paper published in 2014 in the American Geological Union the authors describe how cosmic rays in the Earth-Moon system were peaking at levels never before seen in the Space Age. As reported by Spaceweather News. It has also since been determined that cosmic rays are also increasing here on Earth and the latest readings indicate some places(Maine) experiencing a 33% increase in cosmic rays. Therefore the fact that there are twice the number of erupting volcanoes than normal is not likely a "coincidence" but the product an uptick in cosmic rays in these very changing times we are experiencing.
Image courtesy of Spaeweathernews
Interestingly at the same time as Forbes is publishing their article on volcanoes, the USGS releases a report warning of the 18 volcanoes in the US that pose a threat. 18 volcanoes now pose ‘very high threat,’ U.S. government warns
"The U.S. Geological Survey is updating its volcano threat assessments for the first time since 2005. The danger list is topped by Hawaii’s Kilauea, which has been erupting this year."
The threat assessment is based on proximity to people as well as activity within the volcanoes. While a dozen volcanoes have jumped their threat level, twenty others have been removed. New additions include and are not limited to, Alaska’s Redoubt, Mount Okmok, Akutan Island and Mount Spurr. Threat scores also rose for Oregon’s Newberry Volcano and Wyoming’s Yellowstone.
The above graphic shows eruptions in the Cascades over the last 4000 years. On the right, you will see a red dashed vertical line signifying 200-years before present when it appears a number of volcanoes were erupting for a total of around 18 significant eruptions in a time period likely not much more than a decade or two. This is a significant correlation and poses an imminent threat over the next couple of decades as 200 years ago was a Grand Solar Minimum known as the Dalton Minimum. and we are presently in another Grand Solar Minimum known as the Eddy Minimum and it is expected to last five decades. While the USGS threat assessment is an update of an ongoing situation and was not done due to a perceived increase in threat, considering the changes on the sun and the Earth, it isn't something I believe should be taken lightly, especially by those living close to these volcanoes.
The last article I would like to address is this one put out by Scientific American, where pseudoscience is given credibility to dupe the American people. Are Volcanoes or Humans Harder on the Atmosphere? "Does one major volcanic eruption generate more climate-altering gas than that produced by humans in their entire history?"
To put it simply, Co2, Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas, but it does not cause global warming, therefore is not a "climate-altering gas". Atmospheric Co2 is regulated by the oceans which contain fifty times more Co2 than the atmosphere does. When the oceans warm up, they release Co2 into the atmosphere, when they cool down, they absorb more Co2. The issue of whether humans or volcanoes produce more Co2 is moot, irrelevant, pointless. It is the sun that drives and alters the climate, as shown in the graph above, temperature fluctuations take place centuries before atmospheric Co2 fluctuates.
When it comes to volcanoes, the present focus should be on the cooling effect brought on by an uptick in volcanic activity spewing particulate and ash into the stratosphere. While so far during this uptick there have been only a few whose eruptions have reached such heights, that may not last for long. Four hundred years ago during the Maunder Minimum, Mt Pinatubo erupted producing a chilling effect that resulted in many places in the northern hemisphere having a year with no summer as snowfall was recorded in July and August. This, of course, was devastating to crop production at a time when crop losses were climbing year over year due to longer winters, floods, large hail and drought-driven heatwaves. Sound familiar? If not you need a better news provider as crop losses are being experienced globally and due to similar circumstances. The train of refugees heading to the US from Central and South America left because of an imminent threat of famine due to crop losses which even the UN's FAO has warned about.
Thank you for reading. If you would like to see more posts like this then please feel free to follow me. Leave an interesting comment or an intelligent question and I shall follow.
I would like to give a big thanks to Diamond @Solarshutdown for bringing this to my attention.
Compiled and written by Freddie Thornton
@daemon-nice
PEACE
ADDENDUM
My apologies, I just realized that I used the word "active", perhaps somewhat inappropriately, to describe erupting volcanoes. An active volcano is not necessarily one that is erupting. There are thousands if not millions of "active" volcanoes not erupting. The number is really hard to determine because there are many undersea volcanoes still being discovered. So, while there are potentially thousands that are "active", presently we are averaging 40 volcanoes that are erupting, which is twice the usual number.
Thank you for your patience
Freddie
PEACE