Billa Behind the Scenes

Best Wishes AJITH & SHALINI on becoming Proud Parents

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Courtesy www.behindwoods.com & www.ajithfans.com

This Posting is dedicated for a Man who is an example of hard work, determination, self confidence & success through straight forward ways. On May 1st 1971, this go-getter was born. Though he did not even finish his schooling, his thirst for success did not end. Because of his passion for automotives, he became a mechanic and then went on to become a bike racer. As his celluloid looks aided him to venture into modeling, he grasped the opportunity and that threw the gates of filmdom open for him. He then went on to earn a good name among all his peers, fellow technicians and now He’s the Ultimate Super Star without anyone's support and the only one in Kollywood to enjoy a huge die hard fan base .We call him as THALA for he is our leader who educated us that Self confidence is the best weapon to win over failure. This phenomenon is none other than our AJITHKUMAR to summarize. He is one of the few in the Tamil industry who has his own style and doesn’t copy anyone and has a RECORD 60000+ fan club across the country next only to SUPER STAR RAJNIKANTH.

The very beginning of the New Year has been great for Ajith Kumar & Shalini Kumar for they have their girl child born in healthy condition. Ajithfans.com congratulated Ajith for getting onto higher position of father and he seems to floating somewhere out of space now with joyous moment.

It won’t be long before the pitter-patter of baby feet fills the Ajith - Shalini homestead! But for now, it will be soft goo goo’s and hungry squeals!

Billa brought 2007 to a grand close; a healthy baby has given 2008 a grand opening for Ajith and wife Shalini! Much-deserved good times have kicked in for the star, professionally and personally!

At a press meet held a few days prior to the release of Billa, Ajith said that all he prayed for was the good health of his wife and their unborn child. Well, his prayers have been answered indeed! At 1.30 a.m. this morning, our Ultimate Star turned daddy to a cute li’l baby girl! The newborn weighed a healthy 3.3 kilos at the time of birth. In spite of the Caesarian section, new mom Shalini is all smiles and cheer, and why not?!

Baby Shalini is back :)

Sharing his gleeful moment with Ajithfans.com, Ajith said that this is the most elated moment in his life. “I have no words to express my happiness and I consider this as God’s gift for this New Year”. Also thanked all his fans for their prayers.

Congrats Thala … Your Treat for us will be the Hit of the Upcoming Movie.

Ajith Kumar is a famous Indian film actor who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi movies. Starting his career as a mechanic, Ajith made his acting debut in his only Telugu-language film-to-date, Prema Pustagam in 1992, which was followed by Amaravathi in the following year, his first lead role. After acting in a series of smaller budget films, Ajith was later recognized for his performance an anonymous lover in the award-winning movie Kadhal Kottai. He went on to demonstrate his versatility as an actor by portraying a variety of unique characters.

Ajith received his first Film fare Best Actor Award for his performance in Vaali in 1999, portraying a double-role. He went on to win two consecutive Film fare Best Actor Awards — in the 2001 film Citizen, in which he appeared in nine different appearances, and in the 2002 film, Villain, playing twins, one of which had a disability. He was later recognized for his triple role in Varalaru, his biggest grosser to date and for his more sensitive character portrayal in Kireedam. Billa, upon release in which he played double-role as David Billa & Saravana Velu became the second highest grossing Tamil film of 2007 as well as rising as high as 11th at the UK Box office; becoming the second highest rated Tamil film ever after Rajnikanth’s Sivaji. Ajith thus established himself as a leading actor of contemporary Tamil cinema.

In addition to being an actor, Ajith is a race driver, having driven in Formula 3 for a season and an active ambassador for the Green Revolution. He is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking his mind and openly expressing his opinions, occasionally surrounding himself with controversy.

Biography of Ajith Kumar

Ajith Kumar was born in Hyderabad, India. Ajith is the middle son of three children others being Anil Kumar and Anup Kumar, both being software engineers. Ajith is an ethnic Saurashtrian who derives his roots from around Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu. In his childhood he was brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Schooling days were numbered for Ajith as he dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in 1986 to become a part-time two-four wheeler mechanic and a full-time garment exporter based in Erode till 1990. Business agencies pushed him into modeling for adverts in print media. He also took it on realizing an income in the job; it eventually paved his way into Tollywood otherwise known as the Telugu film industry and later into Kollywood.

Ajith started his film career at the age of 21 as an actor Telugu movie Prema Pustagam in 1992. His next film was in Tamil entitled Amaravathi for which he was paid a token salary of Rs.390. His second Tamil film Pavithra was delayed for 17 months because of a racing injury that left him bed-ridden. Both films received appreciation from the Tamil audience. It was his third Tamil film that released 10 months later in 1995, Aasai, directed by Vasanthan and produced by Mani Rathnam which helped to establish his career as a teen icon in Kollywood. Ajith's first big budget venture Aasai but only after Agathiyan's Vaanmathi and particularly the National Award winning Kadhal Kottai established him as an accomplished actor in Kollywood. Ajith later played in Amitabh Bachchan's debut Tamil production in Ullasam. This venture paid him a salary of over Rs.1 million for the first time ever.

A string of successful movies followed, most notably Kadhal Mannan and Aval Varuvala and the multiple award winning Vaali which cast him alongside Simran. Vaali saw a new peak in Ajith's career. He played a dual role in the film as a deaf-and-dumb twin who lusts after his naive brother's wife. After Amarkalam with his fiancee Shalini, Ajith set up his own distribution company AK International with office located within the premises of NIC Arts which was run by his friend-producer-distributor S.S.Chakravarthi. This office was shifted in 2006. In 2000; Ajith was cast alongside Mammooty, Abbas, Tabu and Aishwarya Rai in Kandukondain Kandukondain. The film's audio rights were sold for a record Rs.22 million, which still stands. Mugavari followed as Ajith acted in alongside Jyothika.

In 2001, Ajith played the role of Shahrukh Khan's brother in the historical film Asoka. He began the year with Dheena by A.R. Murugadas. This showed Ajith as a rowdy alongside Suresh Gopi and Laila. Several movies followed: among them the Citizen opposite Vasundhara Das; romantic entertainers like Poovellam Un Vasam and Raja opposite Jyothika and the action flick Red.

In 2003 and 2004, Ajith acted in Anjaneya , Jana and Attagasam opposite Meera Jasmine, Sneha and Pooja respectively. Unfortunately none of the films had met the expectations. Even then, Ajith didn't lose the hope and acted in the film Ji opposite Trisha. Even that movie was a huge flop. The film did not do well as expected beforehand as the producers had failed to release the film when it was first made. Ajith had reached an all time low in his career and that made him to sit idle without any offers for the next one and a half years.

By contrast, in 2006, Ajith acted 3 projects, Paramasivan directed P.Vasu, Thirupathi directed by Perarasu. Both were huge flops. Later he released his 3 years project Varalaru directed by K. S. Ravikumar. Varalaru emerged as a successful film. He donned a triple role playing a father and two sons. The role got him a Film fare award for best actor 2007.

Ajith's first film in 2007 was with the newcomer director Chella entitled Aalwar. Both Varalaru and Aalwar were opposite Asin. Aalwar did not live up the expectations created by the success of Varalaru, as a result it was another major let down for Ajith. After Aalwar, Ajith acted in a remake of a 1989 National Award winning Mohanlal classic, entitled Kireedam opposite Trisha Krishnan. The film was produced by Anil Ambani's conglomerate Adlabs Films and will mark their entry into Kollywood. Ajith sustained a recurring spinal injury on the sets of the film. Kireedam, though a critically acclaimed film it didn't do well at box office. However Ajith was well appreciated for acting in such an emotional and different film.

In November 2007, Ajith is set to release Billa. The film is a remake of Rajinikanth's 1980 Tamil film Billa which itself was a remake of Amitabh Bachan's 1978 Hindi film Don which in turn was remade by Shah Rukh Khan in 2006 as Don again. The film is directed by Vishnuvardhan and the expectations are high on this film with Nayanthara, Namitha and Rose Dawn paired with Ajith for the first time. After Billa, Ajith is set to act in Akbar directed by Raju Sundaram. Ajith is set to start filming for the film from January 2008, possibly for a June 2008 release.

Personal life

In early 1999, he began dating his Amarkalam co-star Shalini. Ajith's involvement with Shalini also made him a regular subject of tabloid gossip then, a role to which he was unaccustomed. They got married in 2000 in Chennai where they invited many other Kollywood actors and actresses including Rajnikanth, Kamal Hasan, Vijay, Surya and R. Madhavan. As both were of different religions Ajith being a Hindu and Shalini being a Christian, together they were married in the customs of both religions. After their marriage in the year 2000, Shalini retired as an actress and became a full time home wife. However she did accompany Ajith at the sets of his films as moral support. On January 3rd, 2008, the couple was blessed with a baby girl.

Since the start of his career in Tollywood and Kollywood, Ajith was well known for being outspoken and genuine about his life and projects. He was also outspoken about his affair with a particular actress. In 1997 Ajith was romantically linked to fellow actress Heera. Both first met in sets and so acted three films together before becoming romantically linked. Ajith and Heera split up in 1999 due to unknown causes. That same year Ajith met his future wife Shalini on the sets of Amarkalam in 1999. They only waited one year before they got married.

Car racing and other interests

Professional car racer

Ajith is a professional car racer who drove in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. He had also been abroad in his various races including Germany and Malaysia. He drove in the Formula 3 for the team Mango Racing. Ajith has taken part in many races but he was unsuccessful in all his attempts. So he had to discontinue his car racing career and he returned to acting in Kollywood.

Ambassador for the Green Revolution

Ajith is an ambassador for the Green Revolution, an awareness campaign and effort to clean up the Chennai environment. He uses his films for subtle marketing of his ideas, and planted 101 saplings in his locality in Adyar, Chennai in 2005. This makes awareness for the environment and to increase oxygen levels in Chennai, due to the pollution caused by everyday motorists. This action was welcomed by the public. Since then the Green Revolution themselves have went on to plant many saplings in other parts of Tamil Nadu.

Mohini-Mani Foundation

Ajith created this non-profit organization named after his parents in order to promote self-hygiene and civic consciousness, and helping to ease the problems of urban sprawl. The Mohini-Mani Foundation became important to Ajith from 2003 onwards and he now continues to fund the non-profit organization to make sure to keep helping to ease the problems of urban sprawl.

Volcano

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".

Volcano

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot, molten rock, ash and gases to escape from below the surface. Volcanic activity involving the extrusion of rock tends to form mountains or features like mountains over a period of time.

Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are pulled apart or come together. A mid-oceanic ridge, for example the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has examples of volcanoes caused by "divergent tectonic plates" pulling apart; the Pacific Ring of Fire has examples of volcanoes caused by "convergent tectonic plates" coming together. By contrast, volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust (called "non-hotspot intraplate volcanism"), such as in the African Rift Valley, the Wells Gray-Clearwater Volcanic Field and the Rio Grande Rift in North America and the European Rhine Graben with its Eifel volcanoes.

Volcanoes can be caused by "mantle plumes". These so-called "hotspots”, for example at Hawaii, can occur far from plate boundaries. Hotspot volcanoes are also found elsewhere in the solar system, especially on rocky planets and moons.

Etymology

Volcano is thought to derive from Vulcano, a volcanic island in the Aeolian Islands of Italy whose name in turn originates from Vulcan, the name of a god of fire in Roman mythology. The study of volcanoes is called volcanology, sometimes spelled vulcanology.

The Roman name for the island Vulcano has contributed the word for volcano in most modern European languages.

In culture

Many ancient accounts ascribe volcanic eruptions to supernatural causes, such as the actions of gods or demigods. To the ancient Greeks, volcanoes' capricious power could only be explained as acts of the gods, while 16th/17th-century German astronomer Johannes Kepler believed they were ducts for the Earth's tears. [8] One early idea counter to this was proposed by Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680), who witnessed eruptions of Mount Etna and Stromboli, then visited the crater of Vesuvius and published his view of an Earth with a central fire connected to numerous others caused by the burning of sulfur, bitumen and coal.

Various explanations were proposed for volcano behavior before the modern understanding of the Earth's mantle structure as a semisolid material was developed. For decades after awareness that compression and radioactive materials may be heat sources, their contributions were specifically discounted. Volcanic action was often attributed to chemical reactions and a thin layer of molten rock near the surface.

Plate tectonics and hotspots

Divergent plate boundaries

At the mid-oceanic ridges, two tectonic plates diverge from one another. New oceanic crust is being formed by hot molten rock slowly cooling and solidifying. The crust is very thin at mid-oceanic ridges due to the pull of the tectonic plates. The release of pressure due to the thinning of the crust leads to adiabatic expansion, and the partial melting of the mantle. This melt causes the volcanism and makes the new oceanic crust. Most divergent plate boundaries are at the bottom of the oceans, therefore most volcanic activity is submarine, forming new seafloor. Black smokers or deep sea vents are an example of this kind of volcanic activity. Where the mid-oceanic ridge is above sea-level, volcanic islands are formed, for example, Iceland.

Convergent plate boundaries

Subduction zones are places where two plates, usually an oceanic plate and a continental plate, collide. In this case, the oceanic plate subducts, or submerges under the continental plate forming a deep ocean trench just offshore. The crust is then melted by the heat from the mantle and becomes magma. This is due to the water content lowering the melting temperature. The magma created here tends to be very viscous due to its high silica content, so often does not reach the surface and cools at depth. When it does reach the surface, a volcano is formed. Typical examples for this kind of volcano are Mount Etna and the volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Hotspots

Hotspots are not usually located on the ridges of tectonic plates, but above mantle plumes, where the convection of Earth's mantle creates a column of hot material that rises until it reaches the crust, which tends to be thinner than in other areas of the Earth. The temperature of the plume causes the crust to melt and form pipes, which can vent magma. Because the tectonic plates move whereas the mantle plume remains in the same place, each volcano becomes dormant after a while and a new volcano is then formed as the plate shifts over the hotspot. The Hawaiian Islands are thought to be formed in such a manner, as well as the Snake River Plain, with the Yellowstone Caldera being the part of the North American plate currently above the hotspot.

Types of Volcano

Volcanic features

The most common perception of a volcano is of a conical mountain, spewing lava and poisonous gases from a crater at its summit. This describes just one of many types of volcano, and the features of volcanoes are much more complicated. The structure and behavior of volcanoes depends on a number of factors. Some volcanoes have rugged peaks formed by lava domes rather than a summit crater, whereas others present landscape features such as massive plateaus. Vents that issue volcanic material (lava, which is what magma is called once it has escaped to the surface, and ash) and gases (mainly steam and magmatic gases) can be located anywhere on the landform. Many of these vents give rise to smaller cones such as Puʻu ʻŌʻō on a flank of Hawaii's Kīlauea.

Other types of volcano include cryovolcanoes (or ice volcanoes), particularly on some moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune; and mud volcanoes, which are formations often not associated with known magmatic activity. Active mud volcanoes tend to involve temperatures much lower than those of igneous volcanoes, except when a mud volcano is actually a vent of an igneous volcano.

Shield volcanoes

Hawaii and Iceland are examples of places where volcanoes extrude huge quantities of basaltic lava in effusive eruptions that gradually build a wide mountain with a shield-like profile. Their lava flows are generally very hot and very fluid, contributing to long flows. The largest lava shield on Earth, Mauna Loa, rises over 9,000 m from the ocean floor, is 120 km in diameter and forms part of the Big Island of Hawaii, along with other shield volcanoes such as Mauna Kea and Kīlauea. Olympus Mons on Mars is the largest shield volcano and also tallest Known Mountain in the solar system. Smaller versions of shield volcanoes include lava cones, and lava mounds.

Cinder cones

Volcanic cones or cinder cones result from eruptions that erupt mostly small pieces of scoria and pyroclastics (both resemble cinders, hence the name of this volcano type) that build up around the vent. These can be relatively short-lived eruptions that produce a cone-shaped hill perhaps 30 to 400 meters high. Most cinder cones erupt only once. Cinder cones may form as flank vents on larger volcanoes, or occur on their own. Parícutin in Mexico and Sunset Crater in Arizona are examples of cinder cones.

Stratovolcanoes

Stratovolcanoes are tall conical mountains composed of lava flows and other ejecta in alternate layers, the strata that give rise to the name. Stratovolcanoes are also known as composite volcanoes. Strato/composite volcanoes are made of cinders, ash and lava. The volcanoes are made by another volcano. Cinders and ash pile on top of each other, then lava flows on top and dries and then the process begins again. Classic examples include Mt. Fuji in Japan, Mount Mayon in the Philippines, and Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli in Italy.

Super volcanoes

Super volcano is the popular term for a large volcano that usually has a large caldera and can potentially produce devastation on an enormous, sometimes continental, scale. Such eruptions would be able to cause severe cooling of global temperatures for many years afterwards because of the huge volumes of sulfur and ash erupted. They are the most dangerous type of volcano. Examples include Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park of western USA, Lake Taupo in New Zealand and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. Super volcanoes are hard to identify centuries later, given the enormous areas they cover. Large igneous provinces are also considered super volcanoes because of the vast amount of basalt lava erupted.

Submarine volcanoes

Submarine volcanoes are common features on the ocean floor. Some are active and, in shallow water, disclose their presence by blasting steam and rocky debris high above the surface of the sea. Many others lie at such great depths that the tremendous weight of the water above them prevents the explosive release of steam and gases, although they can be detected by hydrophones and discoloration of water because of volcanic gases. Even large submarine eruptions may not disturb the ocean surface. Because of the rapid cooling effect of water as compared to air, and increased buoyancy, submarine volcanoes often form rather steep pillars over their volcanic vents as compared to above-surface volcanoes. They may become so large that they break the ocean surface as new islands. Pillow lava is a common eruptive product of submarine volcanoes.

Sub glacial volcanoes

Sub glacial volcanoes develop underneath icecaps. They are made up of flat lava flows atop extensive pillow lavas and palagonite. When the icecap melts, the lavas on the top collapse leaving a flat-topped mountain. Then, the pillow lavas also collapse, giving an angle of 37.5 degrees[citation needed]. These volcanoes are also called Table Mountains, tuyas or (uncommonly) mobergs. Very good examples of this type of volcano can be seen in Iceland; however, there are also tuyas in British Columbia. The origin of the term comes from Tuya Butte, which is one of the several tuyas in the area of the Tuya River and Tuya Range in northern British Columbia. Tuya Butte was the first such landform analyzed and so its name has entered the geological literature for this kind of volcanic formation. The Tuya Mountains Provincial Park was recently established to protect this unusual landscape, which lies north of Tuya Lake and south of the Jennings River near the boundary with the Yukon Territory.

Erupted material

Lava composition

Another way of classifying volcanoes is by the composition of material erupted (lava), since this affects the shape of the volcano. Lava can be broadly classified into 4 different compositions (Cas & Wright, 1987):

If the erupted magma contains a high percentage (>63%) of silica, the lava is called felsic.

• Felsic lavas (or rhyolites) tend to be highly viscous (not very fluid) and are erupted as domes or short, stubby flows. Viscous lavas tend to form stratovolcanoes or lava domes. Lassen Peak in California is an example of a volcano formed from felsic lava and is actually a large lava dome.
• Because siliceous magmas are so viscous, they tend to trap volatiles (gases) that are present, which cause the magma to erupt catastrophically, eventually forming stratovolcanoes. Pyroclastic flows (ignimbrites) are highly hazardous products of such volcanoes, since they are composed of molten volcanic ash too heavy to go up into the atmosphere, so they hug the volcano's slopes and travel far from their vents during large eruptions. Temperatures as high as 1,200 °C are known to occur in pyroclastic flows, which will incinerate everything flammable in their path and thick layers of hot pyroclastic flow deposits can be laid down, often up to many meters thick. Alaska's Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, formed by the eruption of Novarupta near Katmai in 1912, is an example of a thick pyroclastic flow or ignimbrite deposit. Volcanic ash that is light enough to be erupted high into the Earth's atmosphere may travel many kilometers before it falls back to ground as a tuff.

If the erupted magma contains 52–63% silica, the lava is of intermediate composition.

• These "andesitic" volcanoes generally only occur above subduction zones (e.g. Mount Merapi in Indonesia).

If the erupted magma contains <52%>45% silica, the lava is called mafic (because it contains higher percentages of magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe)) or basaltic. These lavas are usually much less viscous than rhyolitic lavas, depending on their eruption temperature; they also tend to be hotter than felsic lavas. Mafic lavas occur in a wide range of settings:

• At mid-ocean ridges, where two oceanic plates are pulling apart, basaltic lava erupts as pillows to fill the gap;
• Shield volcanoes (e.g. the Hawaiian Islands, including Mauna Loa and Kilauea), on both oceanic and continental crust;
• As continental flood basalts.

Lava texture

Two types of lava are named according to the surface texture: ʻAʻa (pronounced [ʔaʔa]) and pāhoehoe (pronounced IPA: paːhoehoe), both words having Hawaiian origins. ʻAʻa is characterized by a rough, clinkery surface and is what most viscous and hot lava flows look like. However, even basaltic or mafic flows can be erupted as ʻaʻa flows, particularly if the eruption rate is high and the slope is steep. Pāhoehoe is characterized by its smooth and often ropey or wrinkly surface and is generally formed from more fluid lava flows. Usually, only mafic flows will erupt as pāhoehoe, since they often erupt at higher temperatures or have the proper chemical make-up to allow them to flow at a higher fluidity.

Volcanic activity

A popular way of classifying magmatic volcanoes is by their frequency of eruption, with those that erupt regularly called active, those that have erupted in historical times but are now quiet called dormant, and those that have not erupted in historical times called extinct. However, these popular classifications—extinct in particular—are practically meaningless to scientists. They use classifications which refer to a particular volcano's formative and eruptive processes and resulting shapes, which was explained above.

There is no real consensus among volcanologists on how to define an "active" volcano. The lifespan of a volcano can vary from months to several million years, making such a distinction sometimes meaningless when compared to the lifespan of humans or even civilizations. For example, many of Earth's volcanoes have erupted dozens of times in the past few thousand years but are not currently showing signs of eruption. Given the long lifespan of such volcanoes, they are very active. By human lifespan, however, they are not.

Scientists usually consider a volcano to be active if it is currently erupting or showing signs of unrest, such as unusual earthquake activity or significant new gas emissions. Many scientists also consider a volcano active if it has erupted in historic time. It is important to note that the span of recorded history differs from region to region; in the Mediterranean, recorded history reaches back more than 3,000 years but in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, it reaches back less than 300 years, and in Hawaii, little more than 200 years. The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program's definition of 'active' is having erupted within the last 10,000 years.

Dormant volcanoes are those that are not currently active (as defined above), but could become restless or erupt again. Confusion however, can arise because many volcanoes which scientists consider to be active are referred to as dormant by laypersons or in the media.

Extinct volcanoes are those that scientists consider unlikely to erupt again. Whether a volcano is truly extinct is often difficult to determine. Since "super volcano" calderas can have eruptive lifespan sometimes measured in millions of years, a caldera that has not produced an eruption in tens of thousands of years is likely to be considered dormant instead of extinct. For example, the Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park is at least 2 million years old and hasn't erupted violently for approximately 640,000 years, although there has been some minor activity relatively recently, with hydrothermal eruptions less than 10,000 years ago and lava flows about 70,000 years ago. For this reason, scientists do not consider the Yellowstone Caldera extinct. In fact, because the caldera has frequent earthquakes, a very active geothermal system (i.e. the entirety of the geothermal activity found in Yellowstone National Park), and rapid rates of ground uplift, many scientists consider it to be an active volcano.

Effects of volcanoes

There are many different kinds of volcanic activity and eruptions: phreatic eruptions (steam-generated eruptions), explosive eruption of high-silica lava (e.g., rhyolite), effusive eruption of low-silica lava (e.g., basalt), pyroclastic flows, lahars (debris flow) and carbon dioxide emission. All of these activities can pose a hazard to humans. Earthquakes, hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots and geysers often accompany volcanic activity.

On June 22, 1989, the Wahaula Visitor Center in Hawaii was engulfed by a lava flow and burst into flames. Note the Lava flow on the left in the Photo Above.

Image Courtesy J.D. Griggs, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

The concentrations of different volcanic gases can vary considerably from one volcano to the next. Water vapor is typically the most abundant volcanic gas, followed by carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Other principal volcanic gases include hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride. A large number of minor and trace gases are also found in volcanic emissions, for example hydrogen, carbon monoxide, halocarbons, organic compounds, and volatile metal chlorides.

Large, explosive volcanic eruptions inject water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen fluoride (HF) and ash (pulverized rock and pumice) into the stratosphere to heights of 16–32 kilometers (10–20 mi) above the Earth's surface. The most significant impacts from these injections come from the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulfate aerosols. The aerosols increase the Earth's albedo—its reflection of radiation from the Sun back into space - and thus cool the Earth's lower atmosphere or troposphere; however, they also absorb heat radiated up from the Earth, thereby warming the stratosphere. Several eruptions during the past century have caused a decline in the average temperature at the Earth's surface of up to half a degree (Fahrenheit scale) for periods of one to three years. The sulfate aerosols also promote complex chemical reactions on their surfaces that alter chlorine and nitrogen chemical species in the stratosphere. This effect, together with increased stratospheric chlorine levels from chlorofluorocarbon pollution, generates chlorine monoxide (ClO), which destroys ozone (O3). As the aerosols grow and coagulate, they settle down into the upper troposphere where they serve as nuclei for cirrus clouds and further modify the Earth's radiation balance. Most of the hydrogen chloride (HCl) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) are dissolved in water droplets in the eruption cloud and quickly fall to the ground as acid rain. The injected ash also falls rapidly from the stratosphere; most of it is removed within several days to a few weeks. Finally, explosive volcanic eruptions release the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and thus provide a deep source of carbon for biogeochemical cycles.

Gas emissions from volcanoes are a natural contributor to acid rain. Volcanic activity releases about 130 to 230 teragrams (145 million to 255 million short tons) of carbon dioxide each year. Volcanic eruptions may inject aerosols into the Earth's atmosphere. Large injections may cause visual effects such as unusually colorful sunsets and affect global climate mainly by cooling it. Volcanic eruptions also provide the benefit of adding nutrients to soil through the weathering process of volcanic rocks. These fertile soils assist the growth of plants and various crops. Volcanic eruptions can also create new islands, as the magma cools and solidifies upon contact with the water.

• Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Kamchatka, Russia
• Colima, Mexico
• Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy
• Galeras, Colombia
• Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA
• Merapi, Indonesia
• Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Mount Rainier, Washington, USA
• Sakurajima, Japan
• Santamaria/Santiaguito, Guatemala
• Santorini, Greece
• Taal Volcano, Philippines
• Teide, Canary Islands, Spain
• Ulawun, Papua New Guinea
• Mount Unzen, Japan
• Vesuvius, Italy

Top 10 Heros (2007)

JEEVA

Three shots at the box office, one on target and the other two way off it. That was 2007 for Jeeva. If he underlined his gumption once again with Katradhu Tamil, he was also betrayed by his inexperience in choices of scripts in Rameshwaram and Pori. Rameshwaram in particular was a big let down after looking like another Kattradhu Tamil.

SURYA

Just one release for the year and that too has turned out to be a big hit and still Surya is at ninth for the year 2007. Well, that is because we have come to expect more from this man, not just watchable entertainers. Yes, Vel was good, but we are used to seeing Surya in Kaaka Kaakas and Ghajinis, aren’t we. Not a bad year, 2008 is sure crucial for Surya.

DHANUSH

For Dhanush 2007 began well with his 2006 release - Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambham still in theaters. But all that came down in one big bang with Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram, a movie on which the actor and his fans had a lot of hope. But Dhanush has proved that he is not one to be bogged down, he struck back for Deepavali with Polladhavan!

VISHAL

2007 is the year he got his first title, Puratchi Thalapathi, his fans lovingly bestowing him with it. He has a 100% record for the year; both Thamirabarani and Malaikottai did enough and more for the trade to retain faith in his crowd pulling ability. But there is quite a widespread feeling that his choices seem to be getting repetitive, needs to reinvent himself while he is still in favor with the audience.

MADHAVAN

Till mid-2007 we heard and saw very little of Maddy, except for the fleeting role in Guru. But the second half had something for all Maddy fans. A typical masala mix in Arya which while not being the stuff that Madhavan usually appears in, managed to hold on and Evano Oruvan gave us a glimpse of his penchant for class. With a lot of his movies queuing up for early 2008 releases, things are definitely looking bright for Maddy.

PRITHIVIRAJ

Surprise No.1 – Prithiviraj, certainly seems to have to taken the lift to the top of the building of stardom. The distance that he has put behind him in 2007 is amazing. Beginning with Mozhi in February, following it up with Sattham Podathay during midyear and finishing off with Kannamoochi Enada, all of which did well, Prithvi has had a near perfect year. It is going to be tough to maintain the same momentum.

VIJAY

In January, Tamil Nadu celebrated ‘Pokkiri Pongal’, literally, erasing all the bad memories of Pongal 2006 and Aadhi. It looked like Ilaya Thalapathi was all set to change gears with a very promising Deepavali release. But Azhagiya Thamizh Magan, forced the man in the fast lane to take a pit stop and have a relook. The onus is now on Kuruvi.

AJITH

His year has been very similar to that of Vijay, the only difference being that the hits and flops have come at opposite ends of the year for both of them. 2007 couldn’t have started on a worse note for Ajith with Aalwar receiving brickbats from all around. But the resolute Ultimate Star reposed faith in a script with a difference and came out with crowning glory, Kreedom and finished off the year in style, extreme style, Billa. His fans can’t wait for his next, but first in 2008 is fatherhood.

KARTHI

Surprise No.2 – Karthi, It cannot get better for a debutant anywhere in the world. Fairytales may look dull in comparison to the dream start this man has had to his career. Completing 300 days in theaters, leaving everyone astounded with its sheer brilliance, Paruthiveeran has left Karthi with two things – a place in the most wanted list of actors of Kollywood and a prefix to his name that is not going to let go easily. He is set to become Ayirathil Oruvan in 2008.

RAJNIKANTH

Even before we bade goodbye to 2006 we knew that 2007 was going to be another year with Superstar written all over. For nearly a quarter of 2007, Kollywood was nothing but Sivaji, the magical effect of Superstar pervaded all of Tamil Nadu and many places beyond. There can be no pretenders to this throne.

SATHYARAJ (Special Jury Selection)

All these years we knew him as the Lollu Mannan, mocking, laughing, mouthing tongue in cheek dialogues and generally having fun. But hats of to Sathyaraj for proving that we have been underestimating the actor in him. With Periyaar and Ombathu Roopai Notu he changed the entire audience perception about him. But with Kannamoochi Enada he also proved that the funny bone is very much alive and kicking. Great year for a special actor.