New insight into magma chambers could improve volcano models | Science

Researchers have discovered a simple and surprising control over the depth of a volcano’s magma chamber: how much water it contains. The finding is significant because water fuels the most devastating eruptions—from Vesuvius in 79 C.E. to Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The work could also help improve models that predict eruptions, which for years have … Read more

Tonga volcano eruption unlikely to cool Earth, study confirms

The Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption that shook the South Pacific Ocean in January will not affect Earth’s climate despite sending clouds of ash dozens of miles high into the atmosphere, a new study confirmed.  Powerful volcanic eruptions, such as the one that ripped apart the uninhabited Polynesian island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai on Jan. 15, … Read more

Tonga volcano eruption yields insights into asteroid impacts on Earth

On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean, generating a tsunami and triggering resulting wave action alerts around the world.  The underwater volcanic eruption spewed ash, steam, and gas a radius of over 160 miles (260 kilometers) and more than 12 miles (19 … Read more

Tonga underwater volcano eruption shattered two records

An underwater volcano in the South Pacific erupted last month and shattered two records simultaneously: The volcanic plume reached greater heights than any eruption ever captured in the satellite record, and the eruption generated an unparalleled number of lightning strikes — almost 590,000 over the course of three days, Reuters reported. “The combination of volcanic heat and the … Read more

Scientists spot another crater on dwarf planet Ceres that may mark an icy volcano

Ceres might be spewing cryovolcanoes in yet another spot on the dwarf planet’s surface. Close-up pictures from NASA’s Dawn mission that orbited Ceres between 2015 and 2018 revealed salt deposits in a crater known as Urvara, spotted for the first time in a new study. The salt deposits may be associated with icy volcanoes, the … Read more

The Tongan Volcano Is a Reminder of Island Nations’ Vulnerabilities

On January 15 the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga, generating ashfall and a tsunami that affected 84 percent of the country’s population. A few days later, amid heat and humidity, scores of people all over Tonga came out to clean up debris and ash, even sweeping airport runways … Read more

Tonga Eruption Was Equivalent to ‘100s of Hiroshima Bombs’, Says NASA

The volcanic eruption in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga peaked on January 15 with more explosive force than 100 simultaneous Hiroshima bombs, NASA scientists reported on Monday 24 January.   Using a combination of satellite and surface-based surveys, researchers calculated the explosive power of the volcano based on the amount of rock that was removed during the blast from the … Read more

Tonga undersea volcano eruption released up to 18 megatons of energy

Scientists are starting to take the measure of the monster volcanic eruption that rocked the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga earlier this month. The undersea volcano had been burbling since late December 2021, shaking the seas near Tonga with a series of outbursts. Things kicked into higher gear this month, with powerful blasts on Jan. … Read more

Mars water: Spots at south pole thought to be lakes could be volcanic rock

Radar images of Mars’s southern ice cap indicated that there could be a lake there – but a new set of simulations hints that it could be volcanic rock instead Space 24 January 2022 By Leah Crane The icy cap over Mars’s south pole, photographed by Mars Express ESA/DLR/FU Berlin / Bill Dunford There may … Read more

Astronaut spots clouds from Tonga volcano eruption from space (photos)

Astronauts on the International Space Station captured the aftermath of the massive volcanic eruption that tore up a small island in the Pacific Ocean and sent tons of ash into the atmosphere on Saturday (Jan. 15). Several weather satellites captured the eruption as it happened, revealing the massive cloud resembling a nuclear explosion that engulfed … Read more