Slugs are the Driving Factor Behind Volcanic Explosions
There is always a mollusc involved it seems. The July 13 issue of Science reports on major research titled "Magmatic Gas Composition Reveals the Source Depth of Slug-Driven Strombolian Explosive Activity"
Clearly, there is no reason to actually read this paper, it is clear from the title the slugs are driving highly explosive volcanic processes from deep with the Earth! Quite amazing really. From This Week in Science,
"The explosions are thought to be caused by gas slugs that rise faster than the surrounding magma and generate seismic activity near the surface of the volcano.[...]. they show that gas slugs form 3 kilometers beneath the summit craters, at the base of the volcanic pile and away from seismological processes at the surface."
Huh, and I thought it was flocks of migrating otters disturbing the mountain fish.
ReplyDeleteI knew there were giant slugs under volcanoes, I read Under the Mountain as a kid. But I thought they were restricted to the Auckland Volcanic Zone. They're still out there! The Wilberforces are coming!
ReplyDeleteJason, that video was brilliant on so many levels...
ReplyDeleteChistopher, actually the diagram is one I had that is supposed to depict volcanic processes under the Kermadec Arc just north of NZ. Probably with the slugs too...
We'd better start throwing virgins down into the volcanoes before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteOr B-Movie actresses...
ReplyDeletehttp://other95.blogspot.com/dx.doi.org/DOI:%2010.1126/science.1141900
ReplyDeleteOh, noes! 404 this page not found! :'-(
Thanks cow, link is fixed.
ReplyDelete