Prophecy, Drought, Earthquakes, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Strange Weather.

[Shammu]

Widening tropics 'will drive deserts into Europe'

Alarming new satellite evidence of the effects of global warming comes as forecasters predict more severe hurricanes
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 04 June 2006



The world's tropical zones are growing, threatening to drive the world's great deserts into southern Europe and other heavily populated areas, alarming new research suggests.

The study - based on satellite measurements over the past quarter of a century - shows that the tropics have widened by 140 miles since 1979. Scientists suspect that global warming is to blame.

Up to now the most startling evidence that the world is heating up has come from the poles where ice sheets have disintegrated, sea ice shrunk, and glaciers started racing towards the sea. But new research published in the journal Science suggests that equally dramatic changes are under way in the hottest parts of the planet.

"It's a big deal," says Professor Thomas Reicher of the University of Utah, one of the authors of the study. "The movement has taken place over both hemispheres, indicating that the tropics have been widening. This may be a totally new aspect of climate change."

Professor Reicher and colleagues at the University of Washington and Lanzhou University in China found that the giant jet streams 30,000-50,000 feet up in the atmosphere have shifted towards the poles, in the first direct satellite evidence that global warming is affecting the worldwide circulation of air.

These vast rivers of air - often hundreds of miles wide - meander from west toeast, pushing weather across the globe and marking the boundary between tropical and temperate regions to both the north and south of the Equator.

The research found that the air currents have moved about one degree latitude - equivalent to 70 miles - towards the North and South Poles, making a total widening of 140 miles.

"The jet streams mark the edge of the tropics. So, if they are moving poleward, that means that the tropics are getting wider," says Professor John Wallace, of the University of Washington.

The famous lines on the atlas marking the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn will remain at 23.5 degrees north and south, because these mark the limits of where the sun is directly overhead at some point during the year - the official measurement of the tropics. But the study suggests that they will become irrelevant as boundaries of the tropical climatic zones.

It shows that the areas just outside the tropics, at around 30 degrees north and south - running through China, North India, the Middle East, North Africa, Florida and the US Gulf Coast, and through Australia, Southern Africa and Argentina - are warming particularly fast.

The zones immediately outside the tropics are often very dry - containing many of the world's great deserts - and these are also expected to move towards the poles as part of the tropical shift.

The scientists believe that this may explain the recent droughts in southern Europe and the south-western United States. They say that if the process continues it could move the deserts into heavily populated areas, with devastating results.

They are unable to prove that the shift is being caused by global warming, though they believe it is a likely explanation; another possible factor is the depletion of the world's ozone layer.

But the evidence that global warming is causing more severe hurricanes grew stronger last week as the annual season for them opened.

Forecasters are predicting another torrid year with some 16 named tropical storms, 10 of them hurricanes. Four are expected to hit the United States. There is estimated to be a one in three chance that New Orleans will be hit again, and insurers as far north as New York are reluctant to provide cover for the storm damage.

Two new studies last week confirmed research which indicated that rising sea temperatures, caused by global warming, are increasing the strength of hurricanes. On Wednesday Jeb Bush - the Governor of Florida and the brother of the President - met some of the scientists who had conducted the research, saying that he found their information "compelling".

Widening tropics 'will drive deserts into Europe'

[Shammu]

Rain slows brush fire in Everglades; at least 9,500 acres burned

By Sallie James
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted June 5 2006
 
Pouring rain and booming thunder can spoil a weekend, but this Sunday the storm helped douse parts of a blazing brush fire that charred thousands of acres in the Everglades.

Storms put out the worst part of the raging fire west of U.S. 27, but didn't stop the huge blaze's forward march as it grew from consuming 8,500 acres to 9,500, said David McCarty, duty officer for the Florida Division of Forestry. The fire, ignited Friday by a lightning strike, peppered northern Broward County with a blanket of feathery ash but caused no injuries or damage to homes over the weekend.

Click here to find out more!

LocalLinks
"Hopefully [the rain] came at a good time," Dan Gregoria, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, said Sunday. "Our Doppler radar estimates show between a half-inch to an inch of rain occurred locally over the fire. One small area near the fire showed one to one-and-a-half inches of rain fell."

From Tamarac to Pompano Beach, smoke from the huge fire created an eerie haze and acrid smell, while grayish white ash dusted cars and pool decks.

"[The ash] was large white pieces, some were kind of long thin streaks. It would stick to things," said Pompano Beach resident Greg Smith, whose dark-green Toyota Rav 4 was covered. "We washed the car and actually had to take a rag to get it off."

Workers from Florida Power & Light Co. spent the day at the fire scene, making sure power lines remained intact. McCarty said the fire spread because the wind shifted Sunday afternoon when the storms blew through, causing the flames to head north.

"We have a 10-mile fire line on the west side [of the fire],"McCarty said. "It's created two fingers of fire heading north, one on the north side, the other is heading north and east on the east side near the Palm Beach County line and U.S. 27."

Heavy smoke from the blaze had forced the Florida Highway Patrol to close a 25-mile stretch of U.S. 27 overnight Saturday between Interstate 75 and the Palm Beach County line. The highway was reopened Sunday morning.

The fire area is bordered on the west by the Miami Canal, on the east by U.S. 27, on the south by Alligator Alley, and on the north by an area just south of the Palm Beach County line, McCarty said.

Afternoon thunderstorms may help with the fire today, Tuesday and Wednesday, but after that, the weather will get dry again, Gregoria said.

At Sawgrass Recreation Park, 5400 N. Highway 27, on Sunday afternoon, the blaze came so close that employees saw tall flames before a series of storms rolled through. The park, known for its Everglades airboat tours, is two miles north of I-75 on U.S. 27.

"It happens out here," said Melissa Auld, a manager at the recreation park. "It's just part of the Everglades."

At one point, a wind shift took the thick smoke right over the park, she said. "We were able to see the flames 30 to 40 feet high."

Pompano Fire Rescue was getting 10 calls about the smoke smell every hour Saturday and a blanket of ash covered several neighborhoods Sunday, said Battalion Chief Tony Long.

"The wind was just so fast and dropping it right on us," he said.

Rain slows brush fire in Everglades; at least 9,500 acres burned

[Shammu]

Epidemic Hazard - Europe

Event summary
GLIDE Number   EH-20060604-6313-ESP        
Event type   Epidemic Hazard    Date / time   04/06/2006 - 16:51:29 (Military Time, UTC)
Country   Spain    Area   -
County / State   Navarra    City   Pamplona
Cause of event   Unknow    Log date   04/06/2006 - 16:51:29 (Military Time, UTC)
Damage level   Not or Not data    Time left   -
Latitude:   N 42° 49.020    Longitude:   W 1° 37.980
Number of deaths:   Not or Not data    Number of injured persons:   86 persons

DESCRIPTION

An outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in Pamplona has now affected 61 people, 31 of which have had to be hospitalised. One woman is in intensive care, but the rest are all reported to be making progress. 30 cooling towers in the area of the Ensanche de Pamplona were revised on Friday and the virus was found in four of them. A helicopter watch also revealed 8 cooling towers which the regional government inspectors had no idea even existed.

[Shammu]

Volcano erupts in south Japan
Smoke and ash rose high above the island's northern peak 1 117m high - Reuters

Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, has erupted near the city of Kagoshima
June 05, 2006, 17:15

Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, has erupted near the southern Japanese city of Kagoshima. Smoke and ash rose high above the island's northern peak 1 117m high as residents of the nearby capital of Kagoshima prefecture looked on. Over 600 000 people live in the shadow of the volcano which is only a few kilometres off the port serving Kagoshima city.

Thousands of small explosions occur each year on Sakurajima, throwing ash thousands of kilometres into the sky. The last major eruption occurred in 1914, though most of the residents fled before the volcano engulfed several islands nearby and swallowed part of the bay of Kagoshima.

The UN has designated Sakurajima as a mountain worthy of particular study due to the presence of a highly densely populated city nearby. The city conducts regular evacuation drills, and a number of shelters have been built where people can take refuge from falling volcanic debris.

Volcano erupts in south Japan

[Soldier4Christ]

Villagers evacuated from Indonesia volcano


MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia - Officials evacuated 11,000 villagers from around Mount Merapi volcano as it shot out lava and superheated clouds of gas, authorities said Tuesday.

The mountain's lava dome has swelled in recent weeks, raising fears that it could suddenly collapse and send out scalding clouds of fast-moving gas and debris into populated areas.

The government of nearby Magelang district mobilized more than 40 trucks and cars to evacuate about 11,000 villagers from three subdistricts near the foot of the mountain, said Edy Susanto, a district official.

He said the villagers were taken to temporary shelters, including school buildings.

[Shammu]

Potato fire, outside of Heber Arizona has burnt 1,800 acres so far. There is 0% contaiment so far. This fir started last night by a lighting strike. At 7:00 am this morning the fire was 700 acres.

As soon as it is reported on a news site, I will post a link.

[Shammu]

Indonesia's Mount Merapi spews hot lava

Wed Jun 7, 9:57 AM ET

MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia - Hot gas and molten lava from Mount Merapi forced the evacuation of 3,000 people Wednesday, amid warnings that a large eruption at Indonesia's most dangerous volcano was still possible.

"It has the potential to spew bigger hot clouds," said Subandriyo, a vulcanologist monitoring Merapi's peak, adding that scorching ash and debris shot nearly two miles down the mountain's flank on nine separate occasions Wednesday.

The volcano's lava dome has swelled in recent weeks, raising concerns that it could suddenly collapse and send scalding clouds of gas and debris into populated areas.

Some scientists say a powerful May 27 earthquake that killed more than 5,700 people in area only 25 miles south of Merapi may have contributed to the increased activity at the volcano.

Subandriyo said the mountain appeared a little calmer than on Monday and Tuesday, but that it was still in a state of flux.

Indonesia's disaster management office said 3,000 people were evacuated Wednesday, bringing the number who left since the alert level was raised to its highest level three weeks ago to nearly 23,000.

Weary Indonesian refugees living in a camp near the mountain said they desperately wanted to return home but fears of a new lava burst and searing volcanic gas have kept them away.

"A hot gas cloud is one of our worst nightmares," said Teguh Rahardjo, 64, recalling how a large eruption in 1994 killed 60 people and decimated houses, fields and animals. About 1,300 people were killed when it erupted in 1930.

An elderly woman who uses the single name Sontani said that after 36 days in the camp, she wants to go home but is afraid her village will be destroyed.

"I saw many big stones, some as big as my house, come down from the crater to our village," Sontani said. "I'm very afraid and prefer to stay here."

Puji Pujiono, leader of the United Nations disaster assessment and coordination team at the site, said 3,500 people living near the base were evacuated this week, many taken in trucks and cars to temporary shelters. Thousands living nearer to the peak had already been relocated.

Pujiono said a U.N. helicopter was to fly over the 9,800 foot peak later Wednesday, and that a status report would be filed later in the evening, but he did not think the mountain was any more dangerous than it was three weeks ago.

Indonesia is located on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," a string of volcanoes and fault lines that encircle the Pacific Basin. It has 76 volcanoes, the largest number of any nation.

In southern Japan, meanwhile, Mount Sakurajima erupted Wednesday and sent a plume of smoke about 3,300 feet into the air, the country's Weather Agency said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The eruption registered as moderate on the agency's scale for both the sound and the strength of the tremors it caused.

There was no other significant change in volcanic activity, the bulletin said. "We do not believe that a large-scale eruption is imminent," said agency official Akira Otani.

Authorities in the area have received no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according to police official Shoichi Araki in Kagoshima, across the bay from the volcano. Ash has been falling in the city for several days, he added.

The 3,686-foot Sakurajima is one of the most active of Japan's 108 volcanoes. It sits in Kagoshima Bay, about 590 miles southwest of Tokyo.

Indonesia's Mount Merapi spews hot lava

[Soldier4Christ]

Is this it brother (int bold) ??


Wildfire prompts evacuations in Yavapai County

MAYER - Residents of a central Arizona rural community were ordered to evacuate Wednesday morning after a lightning-caused wildfire threatened their homes.

 All residents of the Pine Flats area south of Mayer were ordered to evacuate by the U.S. Forest Service as the fire grew after first being reported at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. The first crews arrived about 4 a.m., said Debbie Maneely, a spokeswoman for Prescott National Forest.

By late morning, fire crews aided by heavy aircraft dropping retardant had made significant progress stopping the fire, although there still was concern about homes in the area, Maneely said.

Television images showed that air drops appeared to have stopped most of the fire's advance.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office was assisting in the effort and an evacuation center was set up at Bradshaw Mountain Middle School in Dewey-Humboldt, spokeswoman Susan Quayle said.

Pine Flats is a wooded valley dotted with about 20 homes and only a few are occupied year-round, Quayle said. However, most are being used at this time of year.

The sheriff's jeep posse moved in to the area after the evacuation order was issued at 7:30 a.m. and is going cabin to cabin getting people out, Quayle said.

Pine Flats is located about seven miles south of State Route 69 about 75 miles north of Phoenix. The state highway is open, but county roads 177 and 52 are closed and the public is being asked to stay away, Quayle said.

"It's very rustic," Quayle said. "I hope we don't lose that little valley because it really is very pretty."

The Battle Fire has burned about 125 acres and is 1 1/2 miles from Pine Flat. The Forest Service has ordered three heavy air tankers and is sending a Type 1 fire team to the area. Those teams are used in the most difficult fires.

"The fire behavior is very extreme right now and there is a lot of dry fuel up there," Maneely said. That plus the risk to homes drove the decision to bring in the elite team.

"And also, we can then release our resources for initial attack, because more lightning is expected," Maneely said.

Elsewhere in Arizona, the Potato fire burning near Heber slopped over containment lines overnight and burned underneath a power line that feeds electricity to Phoenix, said Kartha Ray, a spokeswoman with the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Officials were worried that excessive smoke from the fires could cause arcing in the power line. They were deciding Wednesday whether to shut down the line and reroute power to the Phoenix area.

The fire had burned more than 1,200 acres and was 10 percent contained.

More than 140 firefighters battled the blaze. Two helicopters also dropped water on it.

[Shammu]

Volcano erupts in southern Japan

Wednesday, June 7, 2006; Posted: 10:35 a.m. EDT (14:35 GMT)

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A volcano erupted in southern Japan on Wednesday, spewing a plume of smoke about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) into the air, the Weather Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Mount Sakurajima erupted at 5:30 p.m. (0830 GMT) and registered as moderate on the agency's scale for both the sound and the strength of the tremors it caused, according to a volcano bulletin.

There was no other significant change in volcanic activity, the bulletin said. "We do not believe that a large-scale eruption is imminent," said agency official Akira Otani.

Authorities in the area have received no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according police official Shoichi Araki in Kagoshima city, across the bay from the volcano. There has been ash falling in the city for several days, he added.

The 1,117-meter (3,686-foot) high Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes. Clouds of ash constantly drift from its crater. It sits in Kagoshima Bay, about 950 kilometers (590 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

Sakurajima's last major eruption was in October 2000, when smoke rose about 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the air and blanketed Kagoshima city in dust. That eruption did not cause any injuries.

With 108 active volcanoes, Japan is among the most seismically active countries in the world. The nation lies in the "Ring of Fire" -- a series of volcanoes and fault lines that outline the Pacific Ocean.

In 2000, an eruption at a volcano on Miyake Island, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Tokyo, forced all 4,000 islanders to evacuate the island. About half of them returned last year after the evacuation order was lifted.

Volcano erupts in southern Japan

[Shammu]

Elsewhere in Arizona, the Potato fire burning near Heber slopped over containment lines overnight and burned underneath a power line that feeds electricity to Phoenix, said Kartha Ray, a spokeswoman with the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Officials were worried that excessive smoke from the fires could cause arcing in the power line. They were deciding Wednesday whether to shut down the line and reroute power to the Phoenix area.

The fire had burned more than 1,200 acres and was 10 percent contained.

More than 140 firefighters battled the blaze. Two helicopters also dropped water on it.

Yup thats it brother they lost the contaiment on it earlier today, because of the wind.

[Shammu]

Indonesia volcano spews hot gas clouds

By ROBERT KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 16 minutes ago

MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia - Indonesia's most dangerous volcano spewed a spectacular roiling cloud of hot gas and ash down its southern slope Thursday, sending more than 15,000 villagers running to safety or piling into cars and trucks, scientists said.

Mount Merapi releases hot cloud of gas and debris as seen
from Kalikuning, near Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 7, 2006.
The volcano's lava dome has swelled in recent weeks, raising fears
that it could suddenly collapse and send scalding clouds of fast-moving
gas and debris into populated areas. (AP Photo /Dita Alangkara)

Mount Merapi has been venting steam and ash for weeks, but the Thursday morning burst was the largest yet, with billowing, dark gray clouds avalanching 3 1/2 miles down its slopes, said Sugiono, a vulcanologist who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

It was one of a series of powerful explosions early Thursday, but hundreds of villagers living on the mountainside were still refusing to leave.

"Of course, we're worried," a villager named Supriatun told The Associated Press by mobile phone. "But as long as the hot clouds do not reach us, we won't leave our village."

Some scientists say a powerful May 27 earthquake that killed more than 5,700 people in an area 25 miles south of Mount Merapi may have contributed to the volcano's volatility in recent weeks.

The rumbling mountain's lava dome has swelled, raising concerns that it could suddenly collapse and send scalding clouds of fast-moving gas, lava and rocks into areas yet to be evacuated.

"A lot of people are panicking," said Sutomo, a government official at the scene, adding that 3,500 people had fled Sleman district on Merapi's southern side, some clutching children as they ran and others heading to towns at the base in trucks or cars.

Another 12,000 fled their villages in Magelang district on the west side, many of them yelling and wiping away tears. Farmers carrying heaps of grass on their head ran down the mountain, as other clambered onto motorcycles.

Roads leading to the mountain's peak have been closed, said Sunarto, another government official who goes by one name.

Authorities had earlier urged residents to evacuate the danger zone on the mountain's fertile slopes. Some 20,000 left, but thousands more stayed in their homes, saying they didn't want to abandon their fields and livestock, and complaining of boredom at the shelters.

Others who have camped out for weeks in schools, mosques and government buildings said they would stay as long as necessary.

"A hot gas cloud is one of our worst nightmare," said Teguh Rahardjo, 64, recalling how a large eruption in 1994 killed 60 people and decimated houses, fields and animals. About 1,300 people were killed when Merapi erupted in 1930.

Indonesia is located in the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Indonesia volcano spews hot gas clouds

My note; Isn't the power of God awesome!!

[nChrist]

Dreamweaver Said:

Indonesia is located in the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Indonesia volcano spews hot gas clouds

My note; Isn't the power of God awesome!!

YES! I realize there is great destructive power in this volcano, but it is still beautiful and it displays the majesty of GOD'S Creation. The same is true for many other examples in nature. The power is many times impossible for man to measure, so it should really just be a tiny example of Almighty God's Power, Majesty, and what HE made and controls. ALMIGHTY GOD might think of our galaxy like we would a grain of sand. It's really impossible for us to imagine. Many of HIS WAYS are past our finding out. YET, HE knew before the foundation of the world the exact moment that any sparrow would fall from the sky. In perspective, we are tiny and should be insignificant, but HE sent HIS SON to die on the CROSS for us!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 11:28-30 NASB  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

[Soldier4Christ]

State of calamity declared in town following Philippine volcano

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A farmer has died of an asthma attack in the wake of heavy volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Bulusan, and a municipal government declared a state of calamity in a town, officials said Friday.

A plan by scientists to fly over the 1,560-metre volcano Friday to monitor changes around the summit and map out areas of fallen ash was postponed because a military helicopter did not arrive, a volcano observer said.

The volcano, about 390 kilometres southeast of Manila, spewed ash and steam two kilometres into the sky late Wednesday, the fifth eruption since May 21.

Mayor Edwin Hamor of Casiguran town said the eruption caused no damage but blanketed four villages at the foot of the volcano in ash.

He said town officials decided early Friday to declare a state of calamity to prepare "for the worst that could happen."

He said preparations were under way for evacuation of about 8,000 residents from at least seven villages in case of a major eruption.

Farmer Vicente Guevarra, 57, died late Thursday after his 20-year asthma condition was aggravated by exposure to the ash, said Dr. Salvador Destura, the municipal health officer.

Government volcanologists have warned of the "possibility of life threatening volcanic flows" because of an increase in the frequency and strength of Bulusan's activity.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement it "expects more explosions to occur, considering past eruption episodes, which span from one to several months."

It also warned residents to avoid gullies, which lead to the middle and upper slopes, because they may contain hazardous volcanic mudslides called lahars and related volcanic flows.

The institute raised the second of a five-stage alert Wednesday for the volcano and the Office of Civil Defence said it distributed 1,000 face masks in the area and called in fire trucks to clear ash from roads. Traces of ash were reported as far as Sorsogon city, 20 kilometres north of Bulusan.

The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

In June 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the world's biggest volcanic eruptions in the 20th century.

[Soldier4Christ]

Indonesian volcano sends thousands more fleeing
MAY 27 EARTHQUAKE MAY HAVE TRIGGERED BURST OF ACTIVITY


MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia - Mount Merapi spewed a column of gas and sent clouds of hot ash tumbling down its slopes Thursday, causing 15,000 villagers to flee. Some jumped into rivers to escape the searing heat, and others sped off in trucks.

``I thought, `This is it,' '' said Udi Sutrisno, who grabbed a bag of clothes and abandoned his beloved farm with his wife and 10-year-old son as sirens wailed a warning. ``We ran as fast as we could.''

No injuries or deaths were reported.

Indonesia's most dangerous volcano has been venting steam and ash for weeks, but Thursday's outburst at 9 a.m. was the largest yet. Dark gray clouds of hot ash and gas rolled 3 1/2 miles down the slope, said Sugiono, a government vulcanologist who like many Indonesians uses one name.

A series of powerful explosions were heard, some billowing columns of ash and gas a mile into the sky.

Some scientists say a May 27 earthquake that killed more than 5,700 people about 25 miles south of Merapi may have contributed to the volcano's volatility in recent weeks.

The mountain's lava dome has swelled, raising concerns that it could suddenly collapse, propelling scalding clouds of gas and rocks down its slopes into populated areas.

Yousana Siagian, a senior official at the government's Vulcanology and Disaster Mitigation Center, said a 4.2-magnitude aftershock Thursday 17 miles south of the peak may have been a factor in the gas eruption.

Farmers carrying heaps of grass on their heads ran down the mountain beneath a rain of ash, while others zipped off on motorcycles. Women clutching children jammed into trucks and cars, wiping away tears when they reached emergency shelters.

``I only had time to gather clothes for my children,'' said Sartini, 24, one of hundreds of people who took refuge at a field dotted with Red Cross tents.

As she spoke, a red truck carrying 30 men, women and children lumbered into the makeshift camp in front of a government office, many smiling with relief.

Sutomo, a government official at the scene, said 3,500 people had fled Sleman district on Merapi's southern side. Some 12,000 had left their villages in Magelang district on the west.

Authorities had earlier urged residents to evacuate the danger zone near the volcano's 9,700-foot-high peak, but thousands have stayed, saying they need to tend to livestock and crops on the fertile slopes.

One of those still on the mountain, Supriatun, said her small dairy farming community was untouched so far.

[Soldier4Christ]

Volcano erupts in Japan

Tokyo - A volcano has erupted in southern Japan, spewing a plume of smoke about 1 000 metres into the air, the Weather Agency said. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

Mount Sakurajima erupted on Wednesday and registered as moderate on the agency's scale for both the sound and the strength of the tremors it caused, according to a volcano bulletin.

The eruption followed several smaller ones in recent days, but there was no other significant change in volcanic activity, the bulletin said. "We do not believe that a large-scale eruption is imminent," said agency official Akira Otani.

Authorities in the area have received no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according police official Shoichi Araki in Kagoshima city, across the bay from the volcano. There has been ash falling in the city for several days, he added.

The 1 117-metre high Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes, and clouds of ash constantly drift from its crater. It sits in Kagoshima Bay, about 950km southwest of Tokyo, and remains under constant surveillance.

Sakurajima's last major eruption was in October 2000, when smoke rose about 5 000 metres into the air and blanketed Kagoshima city in dust. That eruption did not cause any injuries.

With 108 active volcanoes, Japan is among the most seismically active countries in the world. The nation lies in the "Ring of Fire" - a series of volcanoes and fault lines that outline the Pacific Ocean.