Scientist warns of eruption

Jessica Benton
ANAKIE could be the site of a future volcano eruption, according to a Melbourne geologist.
Professor Bernie Joyce, who is a Geological Society of Australia member, said a number of “young” volcanoes were situated around the rural community of Anakie on the outskirts of Geelong.
“These volcanoes are scoria cones, they are young volcanoes, the most common and smallest volcanoes,” he said.
“The volcanoes at Anakie are about one and a half million years old.”
Prof Joyce said volcano activity at Anakie was possible over the next century.
“It’s less likely at Anakie than at areas around western Victoria’s Tower Hill and South Australia’s Mount Gambier, where we expect the next volcano eruption to occur.
“The possibility at Anakie is there might be a new volcano – it could be a scoria with lava flows – or a deeper crater like Mount Gambier and Tower Hill which produces ash.
“We don’t need to hold our breath but there could be a volcano eruption in the next century.”
There are about 400 volcanoes stretching from the western district of Victoria into the western uplands around Ballarat, to the north of Melbourne around Kyneton and Kilmore, in some parts of the eastern uplands of the state, and across to the South Australian border near Mount Gambier.
Dormant volcanoes in the Geelong region included Mount Duneed, Moriac and Pollock, Prof Joyce said.
He said none of these volcanoes would erupt again as they were “extinct”.
Prof Joyce warned emergency management authorities to better prepare for geo hazards.
“We can’t say with 100 per cent certainty that a significant volcano will strike tomorrow, next week, or even 100 years down the track – but these geo-hazards are real and they must be given much more focus by emergency management authorities,” he said.
“While any future volcanoes may discharge only small amounts of lava and ash, the real possibility remains that there could be a significant eruption.”
Prof Joyce said Australia needed to look offshore for ways to prepare for imminent eruptions.
“Similar to other countries overseas, Australia needs to pay more attention to volcanoes,” he said.
“The best example is Auckland, New Zealand, which has volcanoes similar to Australia.
“They built a website after a volcano erupted out in the bay to educate people about volcanoes.
“We also need to bring in experts from overseas.
“We want to be a little bit ready – what would we do – who would we talk to.”