Topic: Ice cap thaw may awaken Icelandic volcanoes

[sam]

OSLO (Reuters) - A thaw of Iceland's ice caps in coming decades caused by climate change may trigger more volcanic eruptions by removing a vast weight and freeing magma from deep below ground, scientists said on Friday.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ice-cap-thaw-iceland-volcanoes

[Clive]

They are now talking about that volcano erupting for 18 months!     You will become a Canadian Sam. 

[Simon]

Good God!  Imagine if they kept the airspace closed all that time!

[sam]

They are now talking about that volcano erupting for 18 months!     You will become a Canadian Sam. 

I'll be on a boat before that!

[Clive]

 

[Rik]

If the situation were to continue for any length of time, I suspect it would have more impact on global economies than the recession. Airlines would go bust, plus all the service industries, thousands would lose their jobs. The foreign producers who rely on air freight to get their produce to market would be ruined, food prices (in particular) would go up, and there would be a price war to obtain cargo shipping.

[Simon]

But other than that, we'll be OK?   

[Rik]

Maybe.

[sam]

everyone will start to use trains again and we will become environmentally friendly... with the occasional sacrifice to the gods of the mountain.

[Rik]

You're going to find it hard to get home, then, Sam.

[sam]

train across canada then I'll get on a boat... something like the titanic... 

(p.s. I said nothing about intercontinental flights... I just thinks its daft when people go on a flight from London to Edinburgh - use the fecking train)

[Rik]

I can't see the point of most domestic flights, given you have to travel to the airport, be there early for check in etc. OTOH, the railways have a pricing structure that makes flying more economical.

[sam]

only just though. I tend to find trains a hell of a lot more relaxing and if I wanted to not get a cab or a lift to the airport I'd probably have to get to a train anyway... oh well. Silly people. I wonder if this will have a knock on effect with the trains and ferrys becoming more popular... its a shame its so expensive to use the eurostar. I love travelling on the train in Europe and would quite happily do that instead of a plane.

[Rik]

I must admit liking trains, perhaps because of my age. When I was a kid, few people had cars, fewer could afford to fly, so the train was the way to go. I remember my first sleeper trip to Inverness like it was yesterday. That huge beast of a steam engine, the wonderful smells, the exciting sights, watching the countryside roll past the window (sleep? I was way too excited!).

[mistybear]

I'm with you Sam, I much prefer trains. Far more relaxing and you can get up and walk around. Plus I hate flying, at least when I'm sober.