Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts - Right on Schedule!

Mount Lokon, a volcano in central Indonesia, erupted in fury late Thursday, scattering nearby residents and wreaking havoc. But, because volcanologists have become so skilled at predicting eruptions, there were no fatalities. And none are expected.
For more than a week the mountain has been rumbling and scientists warned that an eruption was imminent. In the past such warnings may have gone unheeded until it was too late.
But because geologists now have such advanced prediction equipment at their disposal, and because of vast experience in other parts of the world, this time local officials were able to evacuate the area long before the mountaintop was blown away by the massive explosion.
The last eruption occurred in 1991 and killed a Swiss hiker. Thousands in the area were caught by surprise and hurriedly evacuated. In the latest eruption, advanced seismology equipment alerted seismologists that the volcano was beginning to build up again.
They have been predicting for days now that the volcano, one of nearly 150 in Indonesia, part of an area known as "The Ring of Fire," was about to erupt. The amazing thing is that they were absolutely right.
This means that volcanic eruptions around the world may be predicted with more accuracy and with less false alarms. It's a tremendous success, amidst terrible destruction, and means that many lives may be saved in the future. Lives that, until now, were doomed to end in catastrophe.

Source: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979636267