Shocking news from the Daily Mail:"A sleeping super volcano in Germany...erupts every 10 to 12,000 years and last went off 12,900 years ago, so it could blow at any time."
It looks like the picture postcard of serenity but a "monster lurks under the tranquil waters".
"Hidden menace: Laacher See looks tranquil, but beneath its waters lies a volcano that could devastate Europe"
OMG there's a bulls eye over Europe!
Experts believe that if it did go off, it could lead to widespread devastation, mass evacuations and even short-term global cooling from the resulting ash cloud blocking the sun.
Volcanologists believe that the Laacher See volcano is still active as carbon dioxide is bubbling up to the lake’s surface, which indicates that the magma chamber below is 'degassing'.
Oh Really?
Look at the geologist tremble in fear at the carbon dioxide bubbling at Laacher See. Oh wait, no, they're not because its perfectly normal. Image by Erik Klemetti taken in August 2007.
And honestly, there is no more substance to the article beyond this – no source, no named “experts”, nothing. So, the Daily Mail decided to run with a article proclaiming the imminent danger of the Laacher See based on it being supposedly “overdue” and that there are carbon dioxide seeps in the lake, something that have been there for hundreds if not thousands of years. This is the volcanic equivalent of the Daily Mail going out and saying “Massive hurricane to hit London?” because they looked out the window and saw a cloud. Irresponsible, lazy journalism at its finest.
The problem is that this kind of poor reporting with no sources spirals in today’s internet media age. Another article today purports that “fresh activity near a dormant ’super volcano’ in Germany has left experts worried about a possible eruption.” The source? The Daily Mail article. I’m sure by the end of the day that more “news” sites and discussion boards will be citing the Daily Mail article as proof of the impending doom from Laacher.
Let me repeat that: There is NO scientific evidence for a “doomsday” in 2012. None.
