Earthquakes shouldn't occur more than 300 kilometers below Earth's surface, according to most geophysical models. Yet they commonly do a phenomenon that has mystified seismologists for decades. Now, researchers suggest water carried by tectonic.
Volcano researchers discovered a potential supervolcano in Alaska, with one scientist warning it could have a "great global impact." In recent days, Alaska has been in the headlines after an eruption of its Great Sitkin volcano last week.
Eruption forecasting asks a lot of questions. Chief among them is: When? At its core, this question is equivalent to asking when magma from below will travel up through a conduit (the pipe between the magma and the surface opening) and break through, as lava flows and ash, as volcanic glass and bombs.
When magma ascends from depth, it can alter a volcanoâs architecture, literally changing the shape of the land above. Migrating magma flows can also force rock apart, generating volcano-tectonic earthquakes. And when the pressure keeping magma trapped underground declines, it liberates trapped gas, which can escape to the surface.