According to a study done by a Professor at UC Santa Cruz and a graduate student from Italy, predicting volcanic eruptions can be very simple. Inside volcanoes magma flows through. If the volcano has been dormant for a period of time, the magma is thick and full of silica. The slow-moving magma pushes against and moves rocks inside the volcano causing a pre-eruption earthquake. By studying the eruptions of volcanoes throughout the world, they were able to predict how soon the eruption would follow the quake. However, if the volcano is active, the magma tends to be faster because it contains less silica. The active volcanoes have more frequent quakes and the eruptions are harder to predict. Read more here.
This could be very important in the future. By being able to predict when the eruption will occur, a better alarm system can be put in place. People will be able to be warned faster and given more time to evacuate. This study could save many lives in the future.
Q2-3
This is a great article. Figuring out how to warn people about possible upcoming volcanic eruptions “danger”, could save so many things including lives. “It all comes back to physics and the fluid dynamics of magma in the volcano “, as said by professor Emily Brodsky.
I also learned that the less silica the more likely its is to erupt faster and vice versa. Apparently volcanoes are all controlled by magma. Something very wise and useful for the future.
Predicting volcanic eruptions does not seem like an easy job, but it certainly is an important one. Predicting when volcanoes will erupt, could save damage to property around the volcanoes and possibly even save lives.
But studying the magma and lava of these dangerous volcanoes does not seem easy. Magma, to state the obvious, is extremely hot. I am confused about the process of studying this molten magma. If it is that hot, then what materials and tools do they use to study it and measure the silicon level? Won’t the tools and materials used to study it just melt within seconds? I’m sure scientists could study lava that has already hardened and cooled, but that does not seem like it would be effective when it comes to knowing more about when volcanoes will erupt and know more about the magma within them. Professor Emily Brodsky states that it is “really that simple.” But to me it seems like just studying the “physics and fluid dynamics of magma in the volcano” would not be enough to figure out when these volcanoes will erupt.