So you play a little Australian rules football and toast marshmallows on the big open pit, mate?

Actually Matt Dallow from NZ said the whole place was basically a caldera, kind of like Yellowstone park in the US.

LOL. Neither places are suitable for those activities... ones a very cold snowy mountain, and the other is a 690km2 lake.

Of course, the vulcanologists, seismologists, geologists and geographers out there will know that NZ is situated on the "ring of fire" (basically where the heavier Pacific plate subducts under the lighter Indo-Australian plate). The region between Mount Ruapehu and White Island in the Bay of plenty is collectively known as the "Ruapehu-Taupo Volcanic Zone". The reason the region is so active (and filled with tourists) is because there is a thin pocket of magma just beneath the surface (and much higher than the rest of the upper mantle). I don't know exactly why it is there (probably something to do with the plate subduction in the same area - so, that means it's an effect of the plate subduction).

The whole plate subduction process causes Wellington to be the earthquake capital of the world (not even San Fransisco can compare. We had a magnitude 5 a few days back), The lahars of Mount Ruapehu, the supereruption of Taupo, the mud pools and the geysers of Rotorua, and the steaming sulfuric land called White Island.

I do suppose all of this makes me a prime target user of the Quake Catcher Network!

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- Luke.

Luke,

Do you live in the caldera?

If, by caldera, you mean the Lake Taupo... no. But I often go there on holidays in the summer, or the closer Mount Ruapehu.

But, if Taupo does again erupt, It doesn't matter were I live on the North Island, I'll be toast... ;P (lol). As will the other 2.5 million residents of the North Island.

Same thing would happen If You were within 50-100 miles of Yellowstone National Park here in the US, But then It's an Active Super Volcano and people visit there all the time, It has erupted about every 600,000 to 700,000 years and It's been about 640,000 since It last went boom, Hopefully I'm far enough away from that powder keg and It's massive hot spot, Which supposedly is almost as big as the park itself. It's monitored all the time of course, So far the ground on one side of the lake there has risen some and exposed the remains an old wreck that sank in the lake(a fire destroyed the ship before the wreck sank).

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I suppose it would nice to know when to kiss your aunt goodbye!

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Greg in Phoenix

Luke,

Do you live in the caldera?

If, by caldera, you mean the Lake Taupo... no. But I often go there on holidays in the summer, or the closer Mount Ruapehu.

But, if Taupo does again erupt, It doesn't matter were I live on the North Island, I'll be toast... ;P (lol). As will the other 2.5 million residents of the North Island.

Same thing would happen If You were within 50-100 miles of Yellowstone National Park here in the US, But then It's an Active Super Volcano and people visit there all the time, It has erupted about every 600,000 to 700,000 years and It's been about 640,000 since It last went boom, Hopefully I'm far enough away from that powder keg and It's massive hot spot, Which supposedly is almost as big as the park itself. It's monitored all the time of course, So far the ground on one side of the lake there has risen some and exposed the remains an old wreck that sank in the lake(a fire destroyed the ship before the wreck sank).

Joker, if I were you I worry about a little closer mega volcano, the Long Valley Caldera. Of course if any of them goes off we are all toast in a year as well be out of food.

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Luke,

Do you live in the caldera?

If, by caldera, you mean the Lake Taupo... no. But I often go there on holidays in the summer, or the closer Mount Ruapehu.

But, if Taupo does again erupt, It doesn't matter were I live on the North Island, I'll be toast... ;P (lol). As will the other 2.5 million residents of the North Island.

Same thing would happen If You were within 50-100 miles of Yellowstone National Park here in the US, But then It's an Active Super Volcano and people visit there all the time, It has erupted about every 600,000 to 700,000 years and It's been about 640,000 since It last went boom, Hopefully I'm far enough away from that powder keg and It's massive hot spot, Which supposedly is almost as big as the park itself. It's monitored all the time of course, So far the ground on one side of the lake there has risen some and exposed the remains an old wreck that sank in the lake(a fire destroyed the ship before the wreck sank).

Joker, if I were you I worry about a little closer mega volcano, the Long Valley Caldera. Of course if any of them goes off we are all toast in a year as well be out of food.

Sorry that's 266 miles from here(Mammoth Lakes, Mono, California to Yermo, CA) and that's to the North of where I'm at and I'm protected by a small mountain range. Driving from Mammoth to Yermo.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Joker, if I were you I worry about a little closer mega volcano, the Long Valley Caldera. Of course if any of them goes off we are all toast in a year as well be out of food.

Sorry that's 266 miles from here(Mammoth Lakes, Mono, California to Yermo, CA) and that's to the North of where I'm at and I'm protected by a small mountain range. Driving from Mammoth to Yermo.

And if you read the article you would have seen the pyroclastic flows when it last went BOOM went over the top of the Sierra Nevada into the central valley of California. That would be Mt. Whitney, highest mountain in the continental USA. Liquid lava south to Lone Pine. Ash map has Northern Mexico to Idaho east to Kansas. I don't think Yermo is all that far south Joker. Call it 80% of Yellowstone, but is is a heck of a lot closer to both of us.

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Hey Moon...
Here is the view just over the fence of my house... taken about 2 minutes ago looking west at 10:20 am, with a northerly breeze but still reasonably warm so the cicadas are out singing.

The land in front of me and to the left of the photo is the mainland North Island, about 50km north of Wellington city.
The island you see in the middle is Mana island, and the land on the horizon is the top of the South Island, or to be exact, the Marlborough sounds.
The body of water to the left of Mana island is the Cook strait, whilst the body of water to the right is the Tasman sea, and if you continued on that way, you'd eventually hit Brisbane, Australia after about 3500km!

I was kneeling when I took this shot with my iPhone, so if you stand on top of the fence, you can see alot more sea. And it is always more beautiful through your own eyes.

- Luke.

In contrast to the image above, here is a sunset panorama that I (quickly & poorly) stitched together from 3 photos that I took about 45 minutes ago (it's now 10:00PM). No image enhancing done.



- Luke.

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- Luke.

Awesome pictures Luke. It looks like you have a very nice view. Do you see any thunder storms? If you do the lightning must be fantastic.

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[/quote]

Old James

Awesome pictures Luke. It looks like you have a very nice view. Do you see any thunder storms? If you do the lightning must be fantastic.

Thanks James... See the radio transmission tower on the right? You can see it get pummeled by lightening occasionally. I'll see if I can grab a shot of lightening next time it is around.

And there is 1 spot no far outside of my boundary, that if I stand at, I can see about ~160 degrees of sky. So it is pretty nice to stand there at night if it isn't too windy!

- Luke.

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- Luke.

And here is another panorama. Not as spectacular as last nights, but still worth a shot (no pun intended). Taken about 30 minutes ago. I am using Photoshop CS4's Photomerge utility. It does a really good job of merging the photos.



I might need to start a thread of these!

- Luke.

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- Luke.

I might need to start a thread of these!

- Luke.

We could call it the sunset thread, and put an age limit on it too.

Beautiful Photos Luke!

I thought I would get an early start and wish everyone here at the coconut thread...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

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...
BETTER THE WORLD ~ PAY IT FORWARD
...

Hei guys! ;-)

Thanx for nice photos and holiday wishes ;-)

I`m hoping to get in here posting something later tonight..
The days still passes too quickly - And my New Year wish
this time must be to be cloned in two or three - so one
of me can sleep - whilst the second do what has to be done,
and the third one can be on the computer. hehehe -

Wow - that would have been something...

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Hei guys! ;-)

Thanx for nice photos and holiday wishes ;-)

I`m hoping to get in here posting something later tonight..
The days still passes too quickly - And my New Year wish
this time must be to be cloned in two or three - so one
of me can sleep - whilst the second do what has to be done,
and the third one can be on the computer. hehehe -

Wow - that would have been something...

... and don't forget about two or three to go to work because you will need more than one job to feed all of the clones! . . .

Merry Christmas to all
and Happy New Year!

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hehehe - Thank you Andy! And the same to you!! ;-)))

..and Steven; You are right.. i probably need more that
three - even though; It looks a bit funny - dont you think? Lol


- but guess WHAT!!!

YOOOOHOOOOO!

Today I got both Snow - and Flowers!!! ;-)))

I couldnt be more smiling - What a wonderful surprise!!


To those it may consern;

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Happy Christmas Miss Moon and others.

And thanks to the people of Norway for the beautiful Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square - an annual gift since 1947 (click the picture for more information.)

..and Steven; You are right.. i probably need more that
three - even though; It looks a bit funny - dont you think? Lol

If you figure out how to do that, please let me know as I could use a couple of clones myself. Being between jobs, if I had two clones and each of us had a job, then right now I would have lost 33% of my income instead of 100%. :(

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Hi Moon
Wishing you and everybody else at S@H a peaceful Christmas and may all your wishes and dreams come true in the new year!
Grts:-)
Julie

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rOZZ
Music
Pictures

Merry Christmas, Moon.

May God bless you this year.

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Greg in Phoenix