Is there a risk of a volcanic eruption in Australia?

[fourandsixpants]

http://home.iprimus.com.au/foo7/volcmap.html

Map of Australia where earthquakes have occured. 1788 to 2008.

Enhanced Image courtesy of Claire Payne
Environmental Systems & Services Seismology Research Centre

[iapetus_rocks]

Earthquakes, yes.

Volcano eruptions, probably not.

[fourandsixpants]

The youngest volcanic eruptions in Australia occurred in the district of Mt Gambier in southeastern South Australia, near the margin of the continent. About 5000 years ago Mt Gambier and Mt Schank erupted. Near Warrnambool in western Victoria, the Tower Hill Complex, displays evidence of very recent volcanic activity, as does the Nulla field, that was probably volcanically active about 13,000 years ago. There are also several plains and plateaux, such as the McBride Field, the Sturgeon Field and the Chudleigh Field, of Late Tertiary and Pleistocene age, where radiometric dates of about 5 Ma have been obtained.

According to Twidale & Campbell, the pattern of age distribution of volcanic activity in Australia does not indicate activity associated only with the passage over hotspots, of which there are thought to be as many as 5, 3 on land and 2 offshore, though they could be regarded as centres of volcanic activity rather than hotspots. These possible hotspot tracks tend to trend NNE-SSW. The authors suggest tectonic regimes, imposed compressive (quiescent) and extensional (eruptive), can explain the discontinuous nature of the eruptive activity.

There is also volcanic activity associated with the separation of Australia from Antarctica at the breakup of Gondwana, that is not connected to any activity associated with possible hot spots. Volcanic activity associated with separation of Mesozoic and Early Cainozoic age are present in some of the older eruptions in eastern Victoria and northern Tasmania.......

http://austhrutime.com/australian_volcanoes.htm

Mount Gambier ( Eastern South Australia )  Australia's youngest volcano.
A volcano filled with water.  Erupted 4,500 years ago

"...volcanic activity must be considered a serious environmental hazard and risk for the Australian mainland. "   Source:  The risk of volcanic eruption in mainland Australia  - E. B. Joyce

[iapetus_rocks]

Oh well, but I think the immediate and present threat which we need to address as a proiority is the risk of bushfires.

We live in grass houses in the middle of a fire zone. volcano eruptions are low down on our scale of concerns, don't you agree?

[aps1080]

I agree with both posts by iapetus

[aps1080]

"...volcanic activity must be considered a serious environmental hazard and risk for the Australian mainland. "   Source:  The risk of volcanic eruption in mainland Australia  - E. B. Joyce"

Why is it a serious environmental hazard ?????

Smoke, Ash, Lava, fire, CO2 but we don't have any really big volcanoes.

Bushfires are the biggest environmental hazard but when the fires come, concern for the environment takes a very distant place

to concern for self and property.

Most would pre burn the environment to lesson the risk, IF they were allowed to.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp · Accepted solution]

I can look out my front window and see a dormant volcano, Mount McLoughlin..........which last erupted some 35K years ago.

[fourandsixpants]

Beautiful. Oregon USA. This one time!!

[aps1080]

This one

Superb photo.

I have a good mate who lives in Oregon.

[fourandsixpants]

volcano eruptions are low down on our scale of concerns....?

.................................................................................................................................................................................

No. Not according to Mr Joyce and the CSIRO..........

The risk of volcanic eruption in mainland Australia

E. B. Joyce

ASEG Extended Abstracts 2006(1) 1 - 4
Published: 2006

Abstract

The young volcanoes of the Australian mainland are made up of the Newer Volcanic Province of Victoria and southeast South Australia (NVP), and a number of separate provinces in far north Queensland. These volcanic fields are similar in age, and in their numerous scattered scoria and lava cones, extensive basalt flows, and maar/tuff ring eruptions of phreatic origin.

Australian volcanologists and seismologists now agree that youthful ages imply the possibility of further activity.

A risk and hazard map for the NVP (Joyce 2005) demonstrates that volcanic activity must be considered a serious environmental hazard and risk for the Australian mainland.

Full text doi:10.1071/ASEG2006ab079
http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/ASEG2006ab079.htm