Mt. Fuji May Be Close To Erupting

SpuriousLogic points out an article at Wired discussing research into pressure levels inside Mt. Fuji's magma chamber, which scientists claim is higher than it was in 1707, the last time it erupted. "The new readings, taken by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, reveal that the pressure is at 1.6 megapascals, nearly 16 times the 0.1 megapascals it takes to trigger an eruption." A series of earthquakes shook the area around Mt. Fuji a little over a decade ago, and a fault line was discovered underneath it. "Since the March 2011 tsunami and the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that followed four days later, Japan has been on tenterhooks, and in May 2012 a professor from Ryukyu University warned that a massive eruption within three years would be likely because of several major factors: steam and gases are being emitted from the crater, water eruptions are occurring nearby, massive holes emitting hot natural gases are appearing in the vicinity." While the rising pressure within the magma chamber is of concern, it is but one factor among many that lead to eruptions.

Comments

Another thing to worry about...

[redbeardcanada]

I am going to Japan in October, so in addition to earthquakes, tsunamis, radiation, ninjas, and godzilla, I now also have to worry about lava??? Damn...

Re:Another thing to worry about...

[shutdown -p now]

Remember, you don't have to run faster than tentacled sea monster / battle mech. You only have to run faster than the guy next to you. And then you can turn around and watch - that's the looked forward to part.

Re:"Nearly"?

[Anonymous Coward]

My P5 system says 1.6 / 0.1 = 16.000739068902037589.

Re:Drill a hole, relieve the pressure?

[RabidReindeer]

They want to, but Bruce Willis already died in space saving the world from that asteroid.

So who inherits his iTunes collection?

Re:"Nearly"?

[Anonymous Coward]

If I could remember where my Pentium 60 is buried, I would dig it out and check your math.

Re:Evacuation test run next year ???

[chromas]

They don't want to risk premature evacuation.

Re:"Nearly"?

[YttriumOxide]

I wonder how many people here are old enough to get your joke?

At work about 6 months back, I heard a colleague humming "Daisy"; and joined in with the words:

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do,
Getting hazy, can't divide 3 by 2,
My answers I cannoy get 'em,
They are stuck in my Pentium,
I could be fleet, my answers sweet,
With a workable FPU.

What was truly awesome however was that another work colleague joined in about half-way through.