Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > The Volcanologist
A Quiet Time
0 reviewsShannon, Dannielle and Luke have returned to headquarters in L.A. - Jared pays them a visit in the lab
0Unrated
"So, what, you were back home and hadn't thought to drop by to tell me you were in one piece?"
I see news of my return home travels fast, especially to my younger brother. I turn to see him in a white lab coat and a pair of goggles perched on his forehead.
"Dr Shannon, what are your findings?"
"Jared, I'm not a doctor. And why are you...? Oh for the love of...!"
"Oop! Someone's cranky! You should be on a red alert before you erupt! Get over here and greet me after so long!"
"Enough with the puns! And I've only been gone a month!"
"Yeah only studying dangerous volcanoes(!)"
You may think I am greeting him coldly, but I'm not. Jared has always been a tease. He always winds me up for having a dangerous job.
He grew up with an artistic streak. He lives in L.A - we all do - and we often visit each other. He was a little-known actor and trying to become a musician. Sometimes he carried his guitar, showing me what he'd been up to while I was away.
There is one person who was always happy to see him. "Jay!"
"Danni-oh!"
I can never tell whether he's flirting with her or he's just naturally comfortable around women - people say he's attractive...
He asks us what we are going to do next. We haven't been called anywhere yet. Until we are called somewhere, all we can do is get results from the lab scientists. We collect pieces of rock, dried lava, earth, any volcanic items in general, and get it analysed. You'd be surprised at how much it can tell us. A sample of rock can give us a time or age, so we can know of previous eruptions. A sample of earth can be examined and we can find out if it contains volcanic ash and the composition of it. But most importantly, dried lava and dried lava bombs can be studied and tell us what type of lava it is, what elements and compounds its made of, and even give us the type of eruption and dangers.
Of course, he shares a common interest in volcanoes. But it is only an interest as a regular observer, he would never become a scientist or study volcanoes at such a great length. He has never been that interested or fascinated.
Next he discovers the small slab of yellow, chalky, powdery "rock" the lab has safely kept contained. Its not really rock but that's the best way we can describe it to people who don't know what it is or what it looks like - such as Jared. He asks what it is, where we got it, and all the usual questions you can imagine.
"Sulphur. From when we visited Eastern Java" I reply.
"My biggest guess is that its poisonous? Or else it wouldn't be kept like this. How did you get it? Tell me everything."
"A small piece like that isn't so bad, but it is highly toxic. And we got it from the miners who work there. We explained who we were and asked them if we could study a small piece."
"Wait, miners?! People dig this up?!"
"Yeah" Dannielle said "From the crater of the volcano! It pours out at 600 degrees Celsius and they chip it up when it solidifies. The science of it is so cool!"
"Are you kidding?! Couldn't they die?"
"They have done. They don't even wear any protective clothing." Dannielle is always sympathetic with people who work and live near volcanoes, especially the sulphur miners. But nothing can be done. Sulphur is needed for so many things, protective clothing would give no protection since sulpur and the nearby acids are so corrosive, and the toxic gas explosions have killed many. The miners' lives are drastically shortened, but it is the best paid job available to them, and they have families to feed.
The thought of this saddens Jared. He'd do something to help them if he could.
After chatting, Jared leaves us to continue with our work. With no more results due from the lab just yet, we monitor the more risky volcanoes until further notice. Luke finishes the previous file report on a computer, compiling all video footage we collected and putting it in the correct folders. Dannielle looks on the internet for any news on volcano disturbances and ones to keep an eye on. I flick through real-time files, photos and videos of volcanoes under the WATCH/ORANGE ALERT - the volcanoes in the world that are persistently showing signs of unrest, the ones threatening to erupt, and the ones most likely to erupt soon.
With nothing else left to do, we go home. When we are needed, we will be called. We'll wait until then.
I see news of my return home travels fast, especially to my younger brother. I turn to see him in a white lab coat and a pair of goggles perched on his forehead.
"Dr Shannon, what are your findings?"
"Jared, I'm not a doctor. And why are you...? Oh for the love of...!"
"Oop! Someone's cranky! You should be on a red alert before you erupt! Get over here and greet me after so long!"
"Enough with the puns! And I've only been gone a month!"
"Yeah only studying dangerous volcanoes(!)"
You may think I am greeting him coldly, but I'm not. Jared has always been a tease. He always winds me up for having a dangerous job.
He grew up with an artistic streak. He lives in L.A - we all do - and we often visit each other. He was a little-known actor and trying to become a musician. Sometimes he carried his guitar, showing me what he'd been up to while I was away.
There is one person who was always happy to see him. "Jay!"
"Danni-oh!"
I can never tell whether he's flirting with her or he's just naturally comfortable around women - people say he's attractive...
He asks us what we are going to do next. We haven't been called anywhere yet. Until we are called somewhere, all we can do is get results from the lab scientists. We collect pieces of rock, dried lava, earth, any volcanic items in general, and get it analysed. You'd be surprised at how much it can tell us. A sample of rock can give us a time or age, so we can know of previous eruptions. A sample of earth can be examined and we can find out if it contains volcanic ash and the composition of it. But most importantly, dried lava and dried lava bombs can be studied and tell us what type of lava it is, what elements and compounds its made of, and even give us the type of eruption and dangers.
Of course, he shares a common interest in volcanoes. But it is only an interest as a regular observer, he would never become a scientist or study volcanoes at such a great length. He has never been that interested or fascinated.
Next he discovers the small slab of yellow, chalky, powdery "rock" the lab has safely kept contained. Its not really rock but that's the best way we can describe it to people who don't know what it is or what it looks like - such as Jared. He asks what it is, where we got it, and all the usual questions you can imagine.
"Sulphur. From when we visited Eastern Java" I reply.
"My biggest guess is that its poisonous? Or else it wouldn't be kept like this. How did you get it? Tell me everything."
"A small piece like that isn't so bad, but it is highly toxic. And we got it from the miners who work there. We explained who we were and asked them if we could study a small piece."
"Wait, miners?! People dig this up?!"
"Yeah" Dannielle said "From the crater of the volcano! It pours out at 600 degrees Celsius and they chip it up when it solidifies. The science of it is so cool!"
"Are you kidding?! Couldn't they die?"
"They have done. They don't even wear any protective clothing." Dannielle is always sympathetic with people who work and live near volcanoes, especially the sulphur miners. But nothing can be done. Sulphur is needed for so many things, protective clothing would give no protection since sulpur and the nearby acids are so corrosive, and the toxic gas explosions have killed many. The miners' lives are drastically shortened, but it is the best paid job available to them, and they have families to feed.
The thought of this saddens Jared. He'd do something to help them if he could.
After chatting, Jared leaves us to continue with our work. With no more results due from the lab just yet, we monitor the more risky volcanoes until further notice. Luke finishes the previous file report on a computer, compiling all video footage we collected and putting it in the correct folders. Dannielle looks on the internet for any news on volcano disturbances and ones to keep an eye on. I flick through real-time files, photos and videos of volcanoes under the WATCH/ORANGE ALERT - the volcanoes in the world that are persistently showing signs of unrest, the ones threatening to erupt, and the ones most likely to erupt soon.
With nothing else left to do, we go home. When we are needed, we will be called. We'll wait until then.
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