Eruption...

As I mentioned a few days ago one of my little interests is volcanoes, and in particular Mt Etna in Sicily. Which as I also mentioned is having a bit of an eruption at the moment. Nothing too dangerous, well, as long as you keep out of the way that is, but quite spectacular anyway. I can recommend the webcam at http://etna2004.videobank.it/ - if you look at night-time, the lava flow is the bright thing. And if you look in the day, it's obvious.

Luckily, the lava flows at Etna are heading into a deserted area and are unlikely to endanger life or property. But in the coming months, possibly years, keep an eye open for Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Mauna Loa is the biggest volcano on the planet and there are some ominous rumblings from deep under it. When it erupts, the lava moves quickly, and spectacularly, and nothing stops it. Definitely one to watch from a safe distance.

If you want real destruction, at some point in the next few hundred millenia there will be a super eruption - a large chunk of the Yellowstone National Park in the US is actually a volcano capable of one of these, and when it does go bang (and it will eventually go with a very big bang) it will take out most of the Western US. Oh, and drop us into a "volcanic winter" too...