By Douglas V. Gibbs
The world is always full of seismic events. In today's age of information, we are more informed about these events. Nonetheless, it seems to some that these events are increasing in frequency, intensity, and the diversity of locations. Earthquakes in various places is one of the signs of the End Times that may have encouraged a Christian group to predict that the Rapture was going to occur yesterday. Their math was apparently off. Nevermind the fact that Matthew 24:36 indicates that only the Father in Heaven knows the exact date and time of the Rapture.
Anyway, in Iceland, the country's most active volcano has erupted. The Grimsvotn volcano, along with a bunch of small earthquakes, is now rattling the nerves of Iceland. Smoke is rising from the volcano, which lies in an uninhabited area, and because of the size of the eruption, and the course nature of the ash (which causes it to fall to the ground more quickly), officials do not believe that air traffic will be disrupted as happened when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano blew its top last year.
As a safety precaution, and standard procedure concerning eruptions, a no fly zone has been established for 120 nautical miles. Smoke has reached into the jet flying altitude, so aircraft are being diverted around the affected area.
Grimsvotn is, as stated earlier, the most active volcano on Iceland, erupting last in 2004, as well as in 1998, 1996 and 1993. These eruptions can last days, and even weeks.
Meanwhile, a 5.8 earthquake has struck just east of Japan, roughly 55 miles east of Tokyo. Buildings swayed in Japan's capital, but no damage has been reported.
Indonesia continues to be hit by earthquakes, as well, the latest being a 5.0 in the Banda Sea.
The largest of the recent quakes was a 6.1 that struck New Zealand. The earthquake hit near a group of mostly uninhabited islands, and there are no reports of damage or risk of tsunami from the quake. A series of earthquakes and aftershocks have shaken New Zealand for a number of months, now, following the magnitude 6.3 quake that devastated the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 181 people.
Meanwhile, San Francisco decided to also get into the earthquake news, rocking to a magnitude 3.6 quake that rolled across the San Francisco Bay Area. Officials have indicated there were no reports of serious damage or injury.
The interior of the United States continues to experience stormy weather, accompanied by tornadoes. Today a tornado swept through a small eastern Kansas town, killing one person and destroying at least 20 homes. These severe thunderstorms have been pelting the region with hail that some residents said was the size of baseballs.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Scientists: Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano erupting - Associated Press/Yahoo News
Flight Prohibition Zone to 120 nautical miles - RUV (Translated from Icelandic)
Broadcaster silent as "Judgment Day" hours tick by - Reuters/Yahoo News
May 21, 2011 rapture? 5 questions for May 21sters… - Examiner
5.8 Japan - USGS
5.8 magnitude earthquake rocks eastern Japan - NDTV
5.0 Banda Sea - USGS
A 5.0 magnitude earthquake hits Banda Sea in Indonesia - Naples News
Magnitude 6.1 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand - USGS
6.1 quake hits Kermadec Islands in N.Z. - UPI
REGIONAL: Bay Area shaken by 3.6-magnitude earthquake - Lake County News
Topeka, Kansas Wall Cloud - Twitpic
Tornado kills man, destroys 20 homes in Kan. town - Associated Press/Yahoo News
Earthquakes in New Zealand, San Francisco, but no 'Rapture' on May 21 - AZ Family
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