The Buzz: Step On a Crack...

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When it comes to geologic phenomena, the difference between renewal and cataclysm can walk a fine line. On All of My Faults Are Stress Related, Kim Hannula elucidates the distinction between causes and triggers. Citing an article about the Zipingpu Dam that concludes that the weight of the reservoir might have triggered an earthquake, Hannula notes that "the ultimate cause of the earthquake was the collision of India with Asia, and the resultant tectonic mess." Elsewhere, Erik Klemetti on Eruptions dresses down Popular Science alarmism, concluding that the chance of exploratory drilling causing a "game-ending eruption" in the Campei Flegrei is minimal. In another post, Klemetti reports that the Mayon volcano in the Philippines may be "headed towards a significant eruption," with evacuation of nearby villages already underway.

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