Does anyone know what's under their feet -- beneath the asphalt, city dwellers -- on a daily basis?
Maybe I've missed my scheduled dose of meds, but the wonders of earth science and the horrors of politicians talking about science -- whether it's volcano monitoring or global warming -- have me contemplating what lurks below.
The age of the Earth compared to our all-consuming species is just mind boggling to a certified dufus like me. From subduction zones to hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, our planet is absolutely fucking amazing, to put it in academic terms.
(Editor's note: I had to bring the word "dufus" back. My life is fulfilled.)
Unfortunately, we are just another species in a habitat that does not offer infinite resources -- and it's the whole infinite thing that seems to be a problem for us. Perhaps that's why Mama Earth must bitch slap us every now and again with every cable news network's wet dream: the natural disaster.
A volcano such as Mount Redoubt (pic courtesy of AP) is a perfect example of how the Earth is always churning and transferring energy in one form or another right in our midst -- except Redoubt is a much more dramatic, violent demonstration of those internal workings.
On that note, we all must pray for the people of Alaska, who have to live with not only Sarah Palin but also volcanoes like Mount Redoubt.
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