Show HN: Closest Volcano (opens in new tab)

(closestvolcano.com)

70 pointsrontoes6y ago40 comments

40 comments

It would be nice if there was a way to manually enter location, since the location API on desktop is for me inaccurate by hundreds of miles.

mkl6y ago

Agreed. Actually, I think the default behaviour should be to show a map with a Voronoi diagram so you can immediately see the closest volcano for any location.

Hm. The volcano locations are in a JSON list, and SciPy can do spherical Voronoi calculations...

Edit: Someone already did it for Iceland (though without marking the volcano positions): https://www.flickr.com/photos/78506020@N00/6807458402/

mkl6y ago

I worked out how to make matplotlib do it: https://imgur.com/lsxjRXP

rontoesOP6y ago

Do you have any experience with the Google Maps API? I would love to implement this.

1 more reply

sleavey6y ago

Or for those who disable the location requests. I never give websites permission to see my location (not that it's very useful on desktops without GPS). Almost all websites fall back to a search box when they can't get the location automatically.

mobilemidget6y ago

For me it doesn't seem to return anything via the API, just says calculating indefinitely

rontoesOP6y ago

Which browser/device are you using?

2 more replies

CraftThatBlock6y ago

You can spoof it in the inspector, under application/sensors I think

ComputerGuru6y ago

Where I am, it seems it could be off hundreds of miles in any direction and I’d still be far away from any volcano whatsoever.

manojlds6y ago

Looks off even on mobile with location enabled.

rontoesOP6y ago

I will add this feature!

PopeDotNinja6y ago

Closest one to me at the moment (in Pilsen, Czech Republic): Alban Hills [1]

"Fun" facts:

- it less than 30km from Rome, Italy

- it emits enough CO2 that it occasionally kills livestock

- last eruption is thought to be around 5000 BCE

- a magma chamber is believed to be building up 5-6km below the surface

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alban_Hills

chrisco2556y ago

This is awesome, but the closest volcano it brought up for me is a dormant one. It would be nice to see closest active volcano.

pacaro6y ago

I'm curious, when I was a kid we were taught about the active/dormant/extinct distinction, but my understanding has been that more modern thinking doesn't really go for the dormant label, because dormant on a human timescale doesn't really mean much on a geologic timescale.

ryandrake6y ago

Huh. It's just a black screen with a red "Calculating..." in the upper left corner and a Bitcoin wallet in the upper right. Nothing else. Safari 12.1.2

Spinosaurus6y ago

Happens on Chrome as well. Approve location permissions and refresh.

ereyes016y ago

Closest to me (in Austin, TX) is the massive Carrizozo Lava Flow in NM. I've actually been there via the Valley of Fires State Park. It's an amazing place, and seems to be usually empty- definitely worth a visit if you're in the area!

james_in_the_uk6y ago

Currently in a country with some excellent volcanoes: Ethiopia. Sadly this site isn't loading - I assume it is too big a download (not great internet up here in the mountains). A lightweight version would be great:)

ape46y ago

That's the problem, if you're actually on a volcano your bandwidth is no good.

rontoesOP6y ago

Will try to reduce the download size. Unfortunately I don't have much control over the embedded map but I assume Google has optimised this to a decent extent

mikecr6y ago

I'm glad of living in a country (Costa Rica) with several volcanos and a lot of them active, so indeed the app shows the closest!

lloeki6y ago

ATM this returns an incorrect answer for me (at Strasbourg, yet returning Dôme volcano circus in the center of France, 645km) as the closest volcano is actually the Nideck, a 250'000'000 year old volcano, a mere 35km from here.

(Photos, with geological layout at the end)

http://www.passion-escalade-et-montagne.com/2018/04/escapade...

http://www.randoalsacevosges.com/2015/03/le-volcan-du-nideck...

rontoesOP6y ago

Thank you for the feedback! I am going to collate the inaccuracies and update the volcano database. I am also going to try to fix the errors a few of you have experienced.

ropiwqefjnpoa6y ago

Devils Tower for much of the east cost US I'm guessing?

JshWright6y ago

Does Devil's Tower really qualify as a "volcano"?

jnwatson6y ago

“Although magma formed Devils Tower, it was probably never part of a volcano.” [1]

1. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geolog...

networkimprov6y ago

There are lava flows from ancient rifts, dating to the separation of North America from Pangaea, all over the East Coast, for instance the Connecticut River Valley.

For active volcano, see Iceland or Montserrat or Yellowstone.

mminer2376y ago

I got Capulin.

Spinosaurus6y ago

Looks like volcanos are provided by a giant static JSON file. I'm curious, where/how was this data compiled?

Regardless, very cool.

tuukkah6y ago

I would query Wikidata for a first try: https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20%3Fvolcano%20%3Fvolcano...

rontoesOP6y ago

That's right. Honestly, web development is far from my expertise, I'm more of an AI guy. Data is mainly from http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/volcano_table and a few other sources.

sdan6y ago

Apparently Mono Lake Vol Field is the closest to Silicon Valley

rurban6y ago

No vulcano in Germany? Strange

chewxy6y ago

TIL there are volcanoes in Australia

starpilot6y ago

> tfw seattle

msds6y ago

At least we're not Tacoma or Bellingham? Plus, as someone who's always really been into volcanoes since early childhood being able drive two hours and climb multiple volcanoes with exciting fumaroles and weird geology is pretty great...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

40 comments

PostOnce6y ago

It would be nice if there was a way to manually enter location, since the location API on desktop is for me inaccurate by hundreds of miles.

mkl6y ago

Agreed. Actually, I think the default behaviour should be to show a map with a Voronoi diagram so you can immediately see the closest volcano for any location.

Hm. The volcano locations are in a JSON list, and SciPy can do spherical Voronoi calculations...

Edit: Someone already did it for Iceland (though without marking the volcano positions): https://www.flickr.com/photos/78506020@N00/6807458402/

mkl6y ago

I worked out how to make matplotlib do it: https://imgur.com/lsxjRXP

rontoesOP6y ago

Do you have any experience with the Google Maps API? I would love to implement this.

1 more reply

sleavey6y ago

mobilemidget6y ago

For me it doesn't seem to return anything via the API, just says calculating indefinitely

rontoesOP6y ago

Which browser/device are you using?

2 more replies

CraftThatBlock6y ago

You can spoof it in the inspector, under application/sensors I think

ComputerGuru6y ago

Where I am, it seems it could be off hundreds of miles in any direction and I’d still be far away from any volcano whatsoever.

manojlds6y ago

Looks off even on mobile with location enabled.

rontoesOP6y ago

I will add this feature!

PopeDotNinja6y ago

Closest one to me at the moment (in Pilsen, Czech Republic): Alban Hills [1]

"Fun" facts:

- it less than 30km from Rome, Italy

- it emits enough CO2 that it occasionally kills livestock

- last eruption is thought to be around 5000 BCE

- a magma chamber is believed to be building up 5-6km below the surface

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alban_Hills

chrisco2556y ago

This is awesome, but the closest volcano it brought up for me is a dormant one. It would be nice to see closest active volcano.

pacaro6y ago

ryandrake6y ago

Huh. It's just a black screen with a red "Calculating..." in the upper left corner and a Bitcoin wallet in the upper right. Nothing else. Safari 12.1.2

Spinosaurus6y ago

Happens on Chrome as well. Approve location permissions and refresh.

ereyes016y ago

james_in_the_uk6y ago

ape46y ago

That's the problem, if you're actually on a volcano your bandwidth is no good.

rontoesOP6y ago

Will try to reduce the download size. Unfortunately I don't have much control over the embedded map but I assume Google has optimised this to a decent extent

mikecr6y ago

I'm glad of living in a country (Costa Rica) with several volcanos and a lot of them active, so indeed the app shows the closest!

lloeki6y ago

(Photos, with geological layout at the end)

http://www.passion-escalade-et-montagne.com/2018/04/escapade...

http://www.randoalsacevosges.com/2015/03/le-volcan-du-nideck...

rontoesOP6y ago

Thank you for the feedback! I am going to collate the inaccuracies and update the volcano database. I am also going to try to fix the errors a few of you have experienced.

ropiwqefjnpoa6y ago

Devils Tower for much of the east cost US I'm guessing?

JshWright6y ago

Does Devil's Tower really qualify as a "volcano"?

jnwatson6y ago

“Although magma formed Devils Tower, it was probably never part of a volcano.” [1]

1. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geolog...

networkimprov6y ago

There are lava flows from ancient rifts, dating to the separation of North America from Pangaea, all over the East Coast, for instance the Connecticut River Valley.

For active volcano, see Iceland or Montserrat or Yellowstone.

mminer2376y ago

I got Capulin.

Spinosaurus6y ago

Looks like volcanos are provided by a giant static JSON file. I'm curious, where/how was this data compiled?

Regardless, very cool.

tuukkah6y ago

I would query Wikidata for a first try: https://query.wikidata.org/#SELECT%20%3Fvolcano%20%3Fvolcano...

rontoesOP6y ago

That's right. Honestly, web development is far from my expertise, I'm more of an AI guy. Data is mainly from http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/volcano_table and a few other sources.

sdan6y ago

Apparently Mono Lake Vol Field is the closest to Silicon Valley

rurban6y ago

No vulcano in Germany? Strange

chewxy6y ago

TIL there are volcanoes in Australia

starpilot6y ago

> tfw seattle

msds6y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse