Mount Ruapehu on New Zealand's North Island belched today and sent a mud flow (lahar) out of the crater lake and down the Whangaehu River. Fortunately, no one was injured. Mount Ruapehu's activity has not always been so mild.
New Zealand's Geonet Data Centre has a web cam trained on the volcano, with shots posted every hour. Horizons Regional Council has a web cam too, but that one is pointed at the river—where the action happens.
If, like me, you've got a soft spot for volcanoes, check out the United States Geological Survey's web cam on Kilauea's Pu'u O'o vent. Kilauea, on Hawaii, is one of the world's most active volcanoes. The web cam updates at 5 minute intervals. More leisurely is the Mauna Loa web cam, which refreshes every 10 minutes. But Mauna Loa isn't quite as lively as its coastal cousin.
I've got a couple of boxes of slides from a trip there in April 1996. Don't know where they are but if I find them, I'll scan a few and post them.
