Major modern-era Puget Sound earthquakes

Supervolcano Eruptions More Likely, as they can be Triggered by Melt Buoyancy

• John Cornelison
• 1/6/14

A graph showing the relationship between eruption volume and time between eruptions, using the models presented in Carrichi and others (2014). Notice how for buoyancy-driven eruptions (in blue), the time between eruptions doesn’t vary much across a wide range of volumes. Image: Figure 3 from Caricchi and others (2014), Nature Geoscience.

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Enhanced Alerting on the Way

• John Cornelison
• 5/26/11

• Tags

  Kcoem , Fema , Software , Vashon

Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) is a new public safety system, announced May 10th, to send free text alerts to cell phones. Geographically-targeted Presidential, emergency and AMBER alerts will use unique vibrations and tones to send alerts of imminent threats to safety. PLAN complements the existing Emergency Alert System (prior to 1998 known as the Emergency Broadcast System) and will be implemented by the FCC and FEMA. While the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) Is apparently voluntary, the Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) Act requires those wireless carriers to activate PLAN technology by April 2012.  AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon have pledged earlier support.

VIFR.org Enters a New Age!

• John Cornelison
• 1/31/11

Congrats to VIFR and especially Chris Coley and Chief Lipe and others who put a lot of work replacing the functionality of www.VIFR.org with a new portal based website from Firehouse Solutions. Check VIFR’s new web site which has a history, photos of all the island’s equipment, lots of background on the fire district, and more information for volunteers and the public. There is a private side to the web site also that security offers much additional functionality to staff and volunteers.