Could Australia Experience A Volcanic Eruption?


Australia’s last eruption was 5,000 years ago so could extinct volcanoes come back to life? There is evidence of a dynamic volcanic past scattered across the country, where violent blasts, ash clouds and lava flows have resulted in the spectacular crater lakes, waterfalls, hilltops and caves we enjoy today. Far north Queensland, which is famous for the reef and rainforest, is home to more than 80 extinct volcanoes but according to Peter Whitehead, adjunct lecturer at James Cook University (JCU) extinct volcanoes have been known to come back to life. What are your thoughts LiveTribers? Could Australia experience a volcanic eruption? 

Posted by on 01 Mar 2023

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  • [0] [0]
    MS

    We won't be here so no point worrying.

    Posted by MS on 14 Aug 2023
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  • [0] [1]
    darlakoala

    In this day and age and the hole in the ozone layer combined with climate change and a rapidly shifting Earth anything is possible.

    Posted by darlakoala on 26 Apr 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    wrestling collector

    it is not impossible,however not likely

    Posted by wrestling collector on 25 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    yelsha42

    There's no guarantee, one way or the other. Mother nature will decide when and where.

    Posted by yelsha42 on 20 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    kendallx3

    Hopefully not, but anything's possible.

    Posted by kendallx3 on 20 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Barbara

    Yeah Australia might have volcanic eruptions when it moves north a bit more. Will humans be around then? Unlikely...

    Posted by Barbara on 20 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    Gabi87

    I think is unlikely.

    Posted by Gabi87 on 17 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    samsterchan

    Very unlikely and hopefully not !

    Posted by samsterchan on 13 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    Zi

    Very unlikely I reckon

    Posted by Zi on 13 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Ana

    I highly doubt that Australia will experience a volcanic eruption however stranger things have happened in nature so you never know. Hopefully the seismologists will be onto it and we'll get plenty of warning before it does happen!

    Posted by Ana on 13 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    tassiegirl

    Possibly we might. We are lucky that we don't normally get earthquakes much in Australia. Some countries experience regular earthquakes such as Indonesia.

    Posted by tassiegirl on 13 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    tutti_cutie

    Not really something I think about in Australia, the risk seems very low. I have more immediate things to think about

    Posted by tutti_cutie on 13 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Guntis

    No one knows what and when can happen. But there is much more risk from the side of the Russian regime's nuclear rockets...

    Posted by Guntis on 13 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    TonyLT

    I don't think it would happen, not in the short term

    Posted by TonyLT on 08 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    wrestling collector

    anything is possible,however I doubt it would happen in the near future.

    Posted by wrestling collector on 08 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    eric

    i think it would not be happen

    Posted by eric on 08 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Choosehappiness

    Expect the unexpected

    Posted by Choosehappiness on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Chin

    Did the lecturer mention under what circumstances would the extinct volcanoes come back to life? It seems highly unlikely to me, perhaps with a sudden change in earth's temperature?

    Posted by Chin on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    vlee

    I don't think you could say it would never happen but I'd lean towards it being unlikely. You just never know for sure what the future holds.

    Posted by vlee on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    SagoLeo

    I think it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see a volcanic eruption in Australia in our lifetime but hey, anything is possible.

    Posted by SagoLeo on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    geraldineb

    I guess an eruption can occur anywhere, we are not prone to them, unlike some areas.

    Posted by geraldineb on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Kittykato

    Anything is possible!

    Posted by Kittykato on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    bianks21

    Never say never - nature has a strange way of keeping us all on our toes and I wouldn't be surprised if we did have a volcanic eruption in Australia in the future

    Posted by bianks21 on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    petron

    That is like asking the proverbial question "How long is a piece of string?". There is always the possibility that an extinct volcano could re-erupt, just the same as there is the possibility of another earthquake in Australia. Nothing is impossible.

    Posted by petron on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Jibberman

    I think we are safe in Victoria but these days nothing would surprise me.

    Posted by Jibberman on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    sandra

    Even though we have equipment to measure movement and changes, and experts who can predict the likelihood with some accuracy, so many strange events seem to come out of nowhere. After the last few years I don't think any of us would be surprised but I certainly hope it doesn't happen.

    Posted by sandra on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    merryl

    It could happen, but it is probably unlikely.

    Posted by merryl on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Farrukh

    Hopefully not. There is already too much going on.

    Posted by Farrukh on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    EmmaLouise2023

    I hope not. We've got enough to deal with.

    Posted by EmmaLouise2023 on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    Ally42

    Not anytime soon.

    Posted by Ally42 on 06 Mar 2023
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  • [3] [0]
    coaster

    Nothing is impossible. Probably highly unlikely though.

    Posted by coaster on 03 Mar 2023
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  • [0] [0]
    FayHi1

    They say an extinct volcano can never reawaken but there a few around the world that people thought were extinct and all off a sudden they start having earthquakes in their vicinity. There was one in Russia in 2019 they thought was extinct till tremors were felt, now they think it could erupt.

    Posted by FayHi1 on 02 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    hoppy555

    We can only hope that it does not iCore

    Posted by hoppy555 on 02 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    UncleBluey

    Currently AUSTRALIA is sitting on the middle of a tectonic plate and that tectonic plate moves 7 cm north east each year so as long as we ride on the plate we should be safe from Volcanoes.

    Posted by UncleBluey on 02 Mar 2023
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  • [3] [0]
    Paula

    Extinct volcanoes have come back to life previously, and we are on the ring of fire so anything is possible.

    Posted by Paula on 01 Mar 2023
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  • [3] [0]
    mact

    Considering Sourh Western Victoria and South Eastern SA , the Queensland Granite Belt and Scenic Rim are covered in Volcanic remnants answer is YES.....but when and where is the question!

    Posted by mact on 01 Mar 2023
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  • [1] [0]
    ere

    Of course we will. Probably not in our lives but it will happen.

    Posted by ere on 02 Mar 2023
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