Science and Environment: This Unstable Earth

Most of the time, the planet we live on seemsconjunction with other sponsors, recently aired a
like a safe and stable place. But as recent events£2.8 million TV docudrama that highlights the
have proven, colossal forces determined by thepotential global fallout from a Yellowstone
physics of the earth slowly build up to besupervolcanic eruption. ATLANTIC TSUNAMI?
suddenly released in catastrophic earthquakes,Although there is disagreement among scientists
volcanoes and tsunamis that spawn yet moreabout the significance of the threat, another
science and environment concerns for manydisaster waiting to happen could be the Cumbre
inhabitants. Vision was in the process of preparingVieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma. A
an article on this subject when the Asian tsunaminumber of American and British scientists have
struck on December 26, 2004, with thebeen watching a chunk of volcanic rock on the
catastrophic results we all know too well. Before awest side of the peak, which cracked and slipped
horrified worldwide TV audience, the Indian Oceanduring its 1949 eruption. Larger than the Isle of
basin reeled following the massive earthquake andMan, the massive rock is gradually slipping further
resultant tsunami, which together may haveand is poised to crash into the sea. A new
obliterated as many as 300,000 lives. All of useruption would likely trigger the event. When this
were forcibly reminded that Earth--and all of usmay occur is uncertain, however. No one knows
along with it--is in fact quite vulnerable. Bill McGuire,whether it will be in 10 years or in 10,000 years.
a volcanologist and professor of geophysicalGeological hazards specialist McGuire comments:
hazards at University College, London, expresses"What is certain is that at some point in the
it this way: "The Earth is an extraordinarily fragilefuture the west flank of the Cumbre Vieja on La
place that is fraught with danger: a tiny rockPalma will collapse, and the resulting tsunamis will
hurtling through space, wracked by violentravage the entire Atlantic rim." He adds that
movements of its crust and subject to dramatic"Steven Ward of the University of California at
climatic changes as its geophysical and orbitalSanta Cruz and Simon Day of University College
circumstances vary" (A Guide to the End of theLondon's Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre
World, 2002 ). Each week approximately 10,000created quite a stir recently when they published
detectable earthquakes shake our planet. Abouta scientific paper that modelled the future collapse
2,000 of them can be felt, and on average, twoof the Cumbre Vieja and the passage of the
of them cause damage. In addition, around 20resulting tsunamis across the Atlantic. . . . Without
volcanoes are erupting at any given moment.considerable forward planning it is unlikely that the
Those who find themselves in the way of suchnine hours it will take for the waves to reach the
traumatic events often wonder whether God isNorth American coastline will permit effective,
punishing them or whether the world is coming tolarge-scale evacuation, and the death toll is certain
a cataclysmic end. ALL SHOOK UP Earthquakesto run into millions if not tens of millions.
and volcanoes are probably the most spectacularFurthermore, the impact on the US economy will
of all natural disasters. It is a fact thatbe close to terminal, with the insurance industry
earthquakes and their aftereffects have causedwiped out at a stroke and global economic
multiple millions of deaths over the course ofmeltdown following swiftly on its heels." SPITEFUL
human history. In terms of loss of life, one of theSPIRITS For centuries the ancients believed that
most catastrophic was the one that struck Chinavolcanic eruptions expressed the dissatisfaction of
in 1556, killing an estimated 830,000 people. Andthe gods. Accordingly, they would offer a
one of the most devastating in modern timessacrifice--generally animal or human--in hopes of
struck Japan on September 1, 1923, registeringappeasing those gods and preventing
7.9 on the Richter scale. The quake, which shookcatastrophes. Throughout most of human history,
Tokyo, Yokohama and the surrounding area, wasnatural disasters have been attributed to
followed by a tsunami, numerous landslides, andsupernatural intervention. Andrew Robinson, in his
devastating fires. Within two days at leastbook Earth Shock: Hurricanes, Volcanoes,
140,000 people had died and the two cities layEarthquakes, Tornadoes and Other Forces of
largely in ashes. With regard to volcanoes, nearlyNature (2002), comments on this phenomenon: "In
everyone is familiar with one of the most famousEurope, earthquakes were God's punishment for
events in history--the 1883 explosions ofsin--according to the Church at least. When a
Indonesia's Krakatau (or Krakatoa), an islandgigantic one laid waste Lisbon in November 1755,
consisting of three volcanic cones between thethe Inquisition responded by roasting the survivors
islands of Java and Sumatra. Volcanic activityin the fires of the auto-da-fé [literally "act of
began in May and continued through August.faith," public execution ceremonies]; while the
Pressure built up inside the cones because gaspessimist Voltaire published first a poem and then,
escaping from the magma had no outlet, and likein 1759, his famous story Candide. Both works
a steam boiler with its safety valve closed, theyattacked the Pope--for attributing the earthquake
exploded with a series of powerful blasts onto Man's lack of faith in God--and also the German
August 26 and 27. Four great explosions over thephilosopher and mathematician Leibniz--who
course of a few short hours hurled rocks into theoptimistically held that God must have sent the
air, some of which showered down on nearbyearthquake as part of His plan for the Earth. Why
ships. Inhabitants of the Indian Ocean island ofLisbon? Why not decadent London or Paris?
Rodriguez, 3,000 miles away, reported hearing thequestioned Voltaire in the poem: 'Lisbon lies in
noise. The force was so great that the northernruins, while in Paris they dance.'" Even today
half of the island (including two of the volcanicnatural disasters are often referred to as "acts of
cones) collapsed and disappeared. This in turnGod." But is this how such occurrences should be
generated tsunamis, with some waves comingviewed? Are these tragic events from the hand
ashore at heights of 130 feet. The destructionof a spiteful, cruel and angry God who flings
resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in thenatural disasters to earth with the express
region. In his book Krakatoa, Simon Winchesterintention of inflicting suffering on weak and erring
records that months later huge pieces of pumicehumans? Alternatively, are such catastrophes a
thrown out by the eruption, some weighingsign of the end of the world? NEW WORLD
several tons, drifted as far as the coastline ofORDER In the Bible God describes Himself as a
Africa at Zanzibar, about 4,000 miles away.gentle, loving, caring Father who has mercy and
Welded to the boulders' upper surfaces were thecompassion on His children (Psalm 103:8, 13). He
macabre remains of dozens of human skeletons,states that He wants all humanity to prosper and
together with the bones of animals such asbe in health. He expresses Himself as a Being who
monkeys and tigers that had been killed by thewants to create a world in which everyone can
blast. However, as calamitous as these eventslive in peace and safety, free from the fears of
were, they seem benign and almost insignificanteither natural catastrophes or man-made
when compared with the geologic events thatcalamities caused by wrong ways of life or
over millions of years formed the earth as wemisuse of the earth's natural resources (Isaiah
know it. Over the past 50 years, remarkable32:17-18). But we do live in distressing times.
advances have been made in understanding theViewing just one day's news prompts one to long
nature of the earth and the forces and eventsfor a fundamental change in this world. And the
that formed it. They include the eruption ofBible does indeed foretell some very disturbing
supervolcanoes and cataclysmic earthquakes,events to come. Yet, on closer examination,
global plate tectonics, the Pacific "ring of fire," thethese passages also provide a picture of a time
formation of ocean floors, and the formation andwhen God will intervene in human affairs to
movement of continents. The good news is thatensure human survival and bring to pass a new
according to the geological record, such eventsand better order of things on this earth. The
develop over a vast expanse of time. The badtraumatic conditions pictured by scriptures detailing
news is that in some places, another catastrophicthe end of this age will one day come to pass,
event may be overdue. TROUBLE BREWING Oneincluding those that are associated with
example is the caldera under Yellowstone Nationalearthquakes. However, the tendency of some to
Park. In the prehistoric past, the area was the siteinterpret every devastating event as a sign of
of three great eruptions: one of these spewedthe impending arrival of the end of the world is
out more than 600 cubic miles of solid material.not wise (see "The Word on Earthquakes"). In
The amount of magma expelled caused the roofevery case so far, such predictions have turned
of the chamber under Yellowstone to collapse,out to be untrue. The events prophesied in
forming a one-thousand-square-mile caldera. AMatthew 24 and the book of Revelation will occur.
second series of eruptions freed about 70 cubicAnd they will lead up to the return of Jesus Christ
miles of magma, which resulted in theto this earth. However, Christ Himself told us that
17-mile-wide Island Park caldera. A third cycle ofwe cannot know precisely when this will happen
eruptions is thought to have dropped ash over(Matthew 24:36). What should be our reaction to
much of North America and to have formed thedisastrous events that are certain to continue?
30-by-50-mile Yellowstone caldera. Eruptions haveShouldn't we be more concerned about our own
occurred in the Yellowstone area about everyspiritual condition on a daily basis rather than
600,000 years. But the last one was probablyspeculating and worrying that natural disasters are
640,000 years ago, so some say the next one isa sign that the end is near? After all, none of us
overdue. According to the U.S. Geological Survey,knows exactly when we will die, but in an individual
the three caldera-forming eruptions were,sense the time of our own end could be
respectively, about 2,500, 280 and 1,000 timestomorrow. Wouldn't it be better to prepare for
larger than the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mt. St.that end and look forward to the fulfillment of the
Helens in the state of Washington. "Together,"promise that humanity will survive than to focus
says the USGS, "the three catastrophic eruptionson the environmental issues that are seemingly
expelled enough ash and lava to fill the Grandout of our control? According to biblical
Canyon." According to experts, the science behindprophecies, there is a new and infinitely better
another possible Yellowstone eruption is reliable;world coming, and it will be free from the
only the timing is uncertain. The BBC, indevastating disasters of this unstable earth.