Is it possible that the Atom tests of the French at Mururoa triggered
the eruption of the volcano RUAPEHU in New Zealand?
Frits
Dear Frits,
In the Thursday 28 September edition of the 'The Australian', Dr Colin
Wilson, one of the volcanologists heading research into the eruption at
Mt Ruapehu,
dismissed possible links between French nuclear testing and New Zealand's
recent volcanic eruptions as "crap." Wilson continued "Volcanoes were
erupting long before nuclear testing and they will be erupting long after
nuclear testing. There is no connection. It's simply ludicrous. If
piddling around with nuclear devices, however many thousands of
kilometres away, can have this effect, then why
isn't Ruapehu affecting Naruhoe (a dormant volcano which occasionally
erupts and is next door to Ruapehu)."
Mururoa is roughly 4,000 miles (6,500 km) away and on the Pacific plate.
Ruapehu is on the Indian-Australian plate. The amount of energy, in the
form of a wave, after traveling this distance would be incredibly small.
There were no changes in the eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii during the
tests. No other volcanoes on the Pacific rim began to erupt. There are
lots of volcanic eruptions. Some of them are bound to coincide with
mankind's foolishness but they are not related to each other.
Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota
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