Articles tagged with Volcanoes
Researchers developed a new technique combining seismic noise interferometry with geophysical measurements to predict volcanic eruptions. By analyzing the speed of energy traveling through a volcano and correlating it with rock deformation, they found a strong correlation between bulging, shrinking, and impending eruptions.
Scientists studied zircon crystals to understand magma reservoirs, finding a more solid and crystalline environment than previously thought. The research sheds light on the pre-eruption phase and how mobile magma contributes to volcanic activity.
Scientists have found that magma reservoirs are less liquid and more crystalline than previously thought, with most crystals retaining their structure for tens of thousands of years before being exposed to molten magma. This discovery could help predict when volcanoes pose the greatest risk by identifying those with mobile magma.
Researchers analyzed zircon crystals in Taupo Volcanic Zone magma to determine its temperature history, finding a 'cool' period followed by rapid heating. The study's findings may help scientists recognize volcanoes on the verge of an eruption.
Researchers have developed a new method to investigate underwater volcanoes that produce Earth's tectonic plates. The study found that molten rock is present deeper than expected, indicating faster cooling of the plate, which affects friction at collision zones and megaquake sizes.
Researchers at UCL and the Vesuvius Observatory used a new model to investigate Campi Flegrei's unrest, finding a build-up of energy that makes the volcano more susceptible to eruption. The study suggests an increased possibility of eruption in the near future.
Astronomers have obtained an exceptionally detailed map of the largest lava lake on Io, showing two waves of lava sweeping from west to east at about 3,300 feet per day. The temperature variation across the surface of the lake reveals a smooth gradient, with the western end at 270 Kelvin and the southeastern end at 330 Kelvin.
A study by Australian National University reveals the world's biggest volcanoes in Hawaii formed along twin tracks due to a shift in the Pacific Plate's direction three million years ago. The discovery helps reconstruct Earth's history and understand volcanic activity away from tectonic plate boundaries.
Researchers have found that volcanoes collectively emit significant amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which is easier to detect from space. Human activities also emit large quantities of sulfur dioxide, but are declining in many countries due to pollution controls.
A team of researchers has created the first global inventory for volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions, using data from a NASA satellite. The data set provides annual estimates for 91 volcanoes worldwide and will help refine climate models and provide insight into human health risks.
Scientists propose that viscous relaxation on Ceres caused older cryovolcanoes to flatten over millions of years, making them indistinguishable from the planet's surface. This process may explain why Ahuna Mons stands alone as the only prominent ice volcano on the dwarf planet.
A Martian meteorite provides clues to the evolution of Mars, with evidence suggesting that some of the longest-lived volcanoes in the solar system are located on the Red Planet. The research offers new insights into the history of volcanic activity on Mars and confirms at least 2 billion years of volcanic activity.
Two new studies provide a step-by-step account of an underwater volcano eruption, revealing that deformation patterns and tidal activity can be used to estimate future eruptions. Monitoring magma pools underneath the Axial Seamount has been shown to help predict undersea eruptions.
A University of Washington study has captured the eruption of an underwater volcano in unprecedented detail, providing new clues about the behavior of volcanoes where two ocean plates are moving apart. The research used data from the Cabled Array seafloor observatory to analyze seismic vibrations and movement before and during the event.
Researchers discovered temperature and water content cycles within magma reservoirs affect eruptive styles, with varying points controlling explosive eruptions. The study provides insights into volcanic behavior, potentially helping forecast eruption explosivity.
Researchers found three areas of hot rock within the mantle beneath three separate volcanic provinces, indicating that Madagascar's volcanoes are not related to nearby tectonic activity. The study suggests that the island's unique geology, with a delaminated lithosphere and a mantle plume, led to the formation of these hot regions.
New faults in Mt. Aso's magma chamber and volcanic cones alter spatial and mechanical properties of the volcano, potentially changing its eruption dynamics. The study suggests that the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake accelerated the timing of a future eruption by creating new channels for magma venting.
Researchers developed a method to measure lithosphere strength using magnetotelluric imaging, revealing accurate descriptions of surface structures and correlating with volcanic and seismic activity. This technique may aid understanding of earthquake and volcanic processes.
A new study mapping Japan's Sakurajima volcano's 'plumbing system' reveals a substantial growing magma reserve, threatening the safety of nearby residents. The team believes their pioneering techniques could help improve eruption forecasting and hazard assessment globally.
Mount Etna's unusual crater formation is attributed to eastern flank instability, causing new stresses and pressures on the volcano's structure. This makes it a prime subject for study, with recent research monitoring its behavior over ten years to predict future eruptions.
Magma-limestone interaction may help explain why volcanoes like Vesuvius are particularly explosive, as it releases CO2 that contributes to Earth's carbon cycle. The process also triggers extreme behavior in volatile elements, potentially driving eruptions and affecting the planet.
Researchers found significant magma movement under Mount St Helens before 1980 eruption, indicating destabilization of magma system and possible future eruptions. Similar measurements may indicate risk at other well-studied volcanoes like Uturuncu in Bolivia.
Two new Geosphere articles reveal the geological history of a major ignimbrite flare-up in the Central Andes, providing insights into the formation of geothermal energy resources. Researchers also study a distinct style of arc volcanism linked to slab-rollback and its impact on continental margins.
Researchers have discovered a massive helium gas field in the Tanzanian Rift Valley, ensuring a stable supply of this finite resource. The find, associated with volcanoes, has calculated a probable resource of 54 Billion Cubic Feet, enough to fill over 1.2 million medical MRI scanners.
A new exploration technique has discovered significant helium reserves in Tanzania, providing a much-needed supply to address the growing demand. The discovery could fill over 1.2 million medical MRI scanners, alleviating a critical shortage of this vital element.
A team of scientists has discovered that dormant volcanoes exhibit predictable quiet periods immediately before eruptions. Longer quiet periods indicate a bigger eruption. This discovery allows for the forecasting of impending eruptions and could revolutionize volcanic monitoring.
A computer model simulates the formation of Io's mountains through the compression of rocks due to volcanic activity. The study suggests that this mechanism could have operated on early Earth, explaining why mountains like those on Io might have emerged first as land.
Researchers use new tools to detect patterns of seismic activity before volcanic eruptions, comparing them to past eruptions to determine when a particular volcano might erupt. The study also examines swarms of small earthquakes that appear to precede many eruptions, aiming to learn more about magma movement.
Researchers use refined techniques to detect and locate airwaves generated by volcanic explosions on seismic networks, providing an automated way to monitor volcanic eruptions. Ground-coupled airwaves can provide unambiguous evidence of eruptive activity and location of vents.
Scientists have found that rapid bubble formation in magma chambers may trigger sudden volcanic eruptions. This discovery could change the way volcanoes are monitored, focusing on changes in gas composition at the surface rather than seismic activity or ground deformation.
A recent study of Laguna del Maule volcanic field reveals dramatic uplift over the past 8 years, mirroring similar events in the past 10,000 years. The research suggests that sustained input of new magma underground is the most likely cause of this rapid deformation.
Major volcanic eruptions can trigger reduced river flow in tropical and northern Asia regions, including Amazon, Congo, and Nile, researchers found. The study also reveals increased flow in sub-tropical regions like the south-west US and parts of South America.
Researchers have identified a 2,000-kilometer-long chain of volcanoes running from the Whitsundays to near Melbourne. The volcanic chain was created over the past 33 million years as Australia moved northwards over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle.
New NASA research implies that oceans beneath the crusts of tidally stressed moons may be more common and last longer than expected. Fluid tides in a subterranean magma ocean on Io could produce surface heat patterns observed on the moon.
A new CT scan of Earth's interior connects deep mantle plumes to surface volcanoes like Hawaii, showing plumes are five times wider than previously thought. The scan reveals the connections between lower-mantle plumes and volcanic hotspots, including anchors at the core-mantle boundary.
Researchers simulated volcanic eruptions to understand how current forecasting models succeed in predicting magma properties. Heterogeneous magma leads to more accurate predictions, while homogeneous magma results in less precise forecasts.
Researchers from GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel found that the Tristan-Gough hotspot changed composition about 70 million years ago, forming parallel but geochemically distinct volcanoes. The team suggests a huge lens of material in the lower mantle, called LLSVP, as a possible explanation.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have discovered a way to extract information from magma crystals, allowing them to reconstruct the history of global geography and predict future eruptions. This new method has the potential to improve our understanding of volcanic activity and provide more accurate predictions for eruptions.
A team of scientists has tracked the development of Galapagos volcanoes over 8-16 million years ago, discovering highly explosive eruptions that deposited ash layers 1200km away. The study sheds new light on Earth's volcanic history and climate evolution.
Researchers identified a previously unknown drop in pressure when magma stalled to form a horizontal sill, which can drive the release of dissolved gases and cause eruptions.
Researchers analyzed eruptive plumes and ash from Volcán de Colima, finding marked differences in vesicularity, crystal characteristics, and glass composition. The study suggests that degassing leads to varying gas-rich and gas-poor pulses within the conduit, controlling Vulcanian explosion explosivity.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have found that water plays a key role in forming magma and producing explosive volcanoes in the Cascade Range. The discovery, driven by computer modeling and data from olivine-rich basalt samples, helps solve a puzzle about plate tectonics and the Earth's deep water cycle.
Researchers found samples of seamounts that did not erupt from hot spots but formed from cracks in the oceanic crust. This discovery confirms their origins and helps explain the unique bend in the Hawaiian-Emperor chain.
Intruding magma interacting with regional tectonics sparks micro-earthquakes in Chiles and Cerro Negro volcanoes. The largest quake recorded was magnitude 5.6 in October 2014, causing damage to local houses and prompting residents to seek shelter.
The 1815 Tambora eruption, one of the largest in the last 1,000 years, killed over 60,000 people in Indonesia and led to a 'year without a summer' globally. A systematic exploration of available eruption archives is needed to better understand potential future hazards.
A new study by University of Utah researchers reveals the existence of an unknown layer inside Earth's lower mantle, where rock gets three times stiffer. This stiffness increase may explain why slabs of sinking tectonic plates stall and thicken at a depth of 930 miles underground.
A team of scientists from the University of Bristol has discovered a two-step process for porphyry copper formation, which could revolutionize the search for new copper deposits. The study reveals that salt-rich fluids and sulphur-rich gases interact to form copper ore, providing insights into the formation of global copper reserves.
Scientists studied the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon and found that it was formed by a series of distinct floods triggered by volcanic activity under glaciers. The floods, which occurred thousands of years apart, created the 100-metre walls and pushed three waterfalls, including Dettifoss, back upstream.
New data reveals strikingly regular patterns in seafloor volcanoes, which erupt almost exclusively during the first six months of each year. The study suggests that these pulses may help trigger natural climate swings by altering earth's orbit and sea levels.
Scientists have discovered distinctive sounds associated with iceberg births, which can help detect different types of glacial loss. Underground water reserves in Hawaii's high country could be a source of geothermal energy. Researchers on Mars have found 'knobby terrain' that suggests explosive past volcanic eruptions.
Stephen Sparks has improved our ability to see deadly eruptions coming through his work on volcanic deposits, magma chambers, and pyroclastic flows. His methodical approach has produced a long list of discoveries that have improved practical understanding of volcanic hazards globally.
The Carnegie Institution has published a new report on the mysterious 90% of Earth's carbon, exploring its quantities, movements, forms, and origins. The Deep Carbon Observatory, led by Robert Hazen and Russell Hemley, aims to answer remaining questions about this essential element.
Researchers propose that a hot layer above the Earth's mantle, known as the asthenosphere, is responsible for volcanic eruptions in mid-plate regions. This challenge traditional theory, which posits that volcanoes are caused by plate movement and heat from deep within the Earth.
A team led by UW-Madison is investigating the Laguna del Maule volcanic field in Chile's Andes, where a mega-eruption could be as large as Mount St. Helens. The team aims to document the volcano's behavior before an eruption using geology, geochemistry, and seismology techniques.
Researchers have solved a long-standing mystery surrounding Australia's only active volcanic area, which spans over 500 kilometers and has seen more than 400 volcanic events in the last four million years.
A UCSB geochemist used lead and helium isotope measurements to analyze Samoan volcanoes, finding evidence of a primordial component within the deep interior. The study revealed distinct chemical configurations and mixing relationships among four endmembers, providing new insights into Earth's mantle plume structure.
Researchers confirm that textbook theory behind volcanoes is incorrect, with no evidence for narrow mantle plumes. Instead, large, slow-moving chunks of mantle drive volcano formation through plate tectonics.
A volunteer group, known as 'vigías', has been instrumental in safeguarding communities around the Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador. The network enables citizens to continue living and working in hazardous areas by enhancing their capacity to respond quickly to escalating threats.
Three previously unrecorded volcanoes have been found in southeastern Australia, adding to the Newer Volcanics Province's 400 volcanoes. The discovery provides new insights into an area of volcanic centres already known to geologists.
A new study has redefined the geology of O'ahu, revealing that it consists of three major Hawaiian shield volcanoes. The island's precursor volcano, Ka'ena, was previously unknown and formed over 100 km west of its current location.