Taiwan's newest volcano observatory began monitoring operations Oct. 17 in Yangmingshan National Park just north of Taipei, according to the National Science Council.
Operated jointly by the NSC and Ministry of Interior, the observatory will keep close watch on activity in the Datun volcano group by establishing an integrated system combining related analytical and research data collected by the Central Geological Survey, Central Weather Bureau, Academia Sinica and local universities, the NSC said.
Such monitoring is extremely important given the potential harm to humans, the NSC said, citing the examples of the destruction of Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago and the volcanic eruptions in Iceland last year that resulted in the largest disruption of air traffic since World War II, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.
With the Datun group right on the edge of the densely populated Taipei basin, the dangers from a volcanic eruption are tremendous, the agency added.
According to the NSC, geological data compiled over the past decade indicates that the Datun volcano group could contain dormant active volcanoes. In addition, research on helium isotopes in the fumarole and hot spring gases from the volcano group suggests that 60 percent of the gas comes from the earth’s core, indicating there could be a magma chamber located under northern Taiwan.
Studies also revealed that the last eruptions of volcanoes in the Datun group may have occurred as recently as 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, the NSC said, which in scientific terms would make them active volcanoes.
The new observatory’s primary missions will include earthquake monitoring, geochemical analysis, observations of movements in the earth’s crust, underground temperature measurements, and a range of other related geological monitoring and analysis. Research results will be made available to the public as well, to help promote wider understanding of geology. (SB-THN)