Geology, Earthquakes & Volcanism News and Discussions

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Scientists decipher, catalog the diverse origins of Earth's minerals
https://phys.org/news/2022-07-scientist ... erals.html
by Carnegie Institution for Science
A 15-year study led by the Carnegie Institution for Science details the origins and diversity of every known mineral on Earth, a landmark body of work that will help reconstruct the history of life on Earth, guide the search for new minerals and ore deposits, predict possible characteristics of future life, and aid the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life.

In twin papers published today by American Mineralogist and sponsored in part by NASA, Carnegie scientists Robert Hazen and Shaunna Morrison detail a novel approach to clustering (lumping) kindred species of minerals together or splitting off new species based on when and how they originated.

Once mineral genesis is factored in, the number of "mineral kinds"—a newly-coined term—totals more than 10,500, a number about 75% greater than the roughly 6,000 mineral species recognized by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) on the basis of crystal structure and chemical composition alone.
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Fiber Optic Sensing Detects Tremor From Icelandic Subglacial Volcano
July 6, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) Researchers used a fiber optic cable on the ice cap of an Icelandic subglacial volcano to detect low-frequency volcanic tremor, suggesting this technology could be useful in monitoring other ice-covered volcano systems.

Their research published in The Seismic Record indicates that the floating ice cap, part of the Vatnajökull glacier, acted as a natural amplifier of the tremor signals generated by the Grímsvötn volcano, one of Iceland’s most hazardous.

This appears to be the first observation of a floating ice sheet acting as an amplifier of tremor, said Andreas Fichtner, a professor of seismology and wave physics at ETH Zürich. “Oscillations of ice shelves in Antarctica or Greenland have been known for a long time,” he explained, “but they are mostly excited by ocean waves.”

Although the exact mechanisms behind volcanic tremor can differ, it can be an indicator of deep volcanic or geothermal activity, Fichter said. “In addition to providing information about the underlying processes, tremor may also serve as a precursor of volcanic eruptions that should be monitored closely.”

Grímsvötn is one of Iceland’s largest and most active volcanoes, with major eruptions taking place on average every ten years. Geothermal heating melts the ice cap, creating a subglacial lake on the volcano that occasionally bursts forth and floods the coastal plains. Its explosive eruptions create towering ash plumes that affect agriculture, human health and aviation. Ash from the last major eruption in May 2011 closed Iceland’s main airport and led to the cancellation of 900 flights.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/958098
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Novel model of fluid distribution in Cascadia Subduction Zone aids understanding of seismic activity

by Michelle Klampe, Oregon State University
https://phys.org/news/2022-07-fluid-cas ... -aids.html
A novel three-dimensional model of the fluid stored deep in Earth's crust along the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides new insight into how the accumulation and release of those fluids may influence seismic activity in the region.

The fluid collects near but does not penetrate a thickened section of the crust known as Siletzia lies beneath much of western Oregon and Washington. The pressure associated with these fluids could be a factor in the seismic phenomenon known as episodic tremor and slip, or ETS, said Gary Egbert, an electromagnetic geophysicist in Oregon State's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and lead author of a new paper detailing the findings.

Episodic tremor and slip is a fault behavior that includes both localized non-volcanic tremors and slow-slip events that may occur over hours or days. It occurs throughout the Cascadia Subduction Zone, from northern California to British Columbia, but is less frequent and intense beneath the central core of Siletzia, which runs primarily under the Oregon Coast range and ends near Roseburg.

The findings, just published in the journal Nature Geosciences, have applications for increasing understanding of seismic activity along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Egbert said.

"Water is a key player in both seismic activity and volcanism in Cascadia," he said. "This is a new view of these fluids. It's information that could be used in conjunction with other data, and more detailed model studies, to better understand large earthquakes in Cascadia."
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Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupts, triggering evacuation
Source: AP

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

TOKYO (AP) — A volcano on Japan’s main southern island of Kyushu erupted Sunday night, spewing ash and rocks. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in nearby towns but residents were advised to evacuate.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said Sakurajima volcano erupted at around 8:05 p.m., blowing off large rocks as far as 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) away in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima.

Footage on Japan’s NHK public television showed orange flames flashing near the crater and dark smoke of ash billowing from the mountaintop high up into the night sky.

“We will put the people’s lives first and do our utmost to assess the situation and respond to any emergency,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told reporters. He called on residents in the area to pay close attention to the latest update from the local authorities to protect their lives.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/science-japa ... d492bc7cc6
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7.1-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Philippines
Source: CNN
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake struck in northern Luzon, the country's most populous island, at 8:43 a.m. local time (8:43 p.m. ET), according to USGS.
Its epicenter was about 13 kilometers (8 miles) southeast of the small town of Dolores, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to USGS.
The impact was felt in the capital city, Manila, more than 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) away, where workers and residents evacuated from buildings and gathered on the street.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/asia/phi ... -intl-hnk/
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Scientists Reveal the Full Danger of the World's Largest Active Volcano
by David Nield
August 3, 2022

Introduction:
Active for at least the last 700,000 years, and dominating the landscape of Hawaii, Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano on Earth (above water, at least) – and scientific data reveals more about what might be enough to set off future eruptions.

Looking at shifts in the ground tracked by GPS and satellite data, researchers in 2021 were able to model the flow of magma on the inside of the volcano, as well as figuring out what would and wouldn't be likely to trigger the next major eruption from Mauna Loa.

In the 'would be likely' column: a sizable earthquake. That conclusion is based on measurements of magma influx that have happened since 2014, directed by the topographic stress of the surrounding rock.

"An earthquake of magnitude 6 or greater would relieve the stress imparted by the influx of magma along a sub-horizontal fault under the western flank of the volcano," said Bhuvan Varugu, a geologist at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, in a press release accompanying the 2021 study.

"This earthquake could trigger an eruption."

Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientist ... e-volcano

For a technical discussion, read here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-89203-6
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Scientists Find that Volcanic Super Eruptions are Millions of Years in the Making – Followed by Swift Surge
August 3, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) Researchers at the University of Bristol and Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre have discovered that super-eruptions occur when huge accumulations of magma deep in the Earth’s crust, formed over millions of years, move rapidly to the surface disrupting pre-existing rock.

Using a model for crustal flow, an international team of scientists were able to show that pre-existing plutons – a body of intrusive rock made from solidified magna or lava - were formed over a few million years prior to four known gigantic super eruptions and that the disruption of these plutons by newly emplaced magmas took place extraordinarily rapidly. While the magma supplying super eruptions takes place over a prolonged period of time, the magma disrupts the crust and then erupts in just a few decades.

The findings, published today in Nature, explain these extreme differences in time ranges for magma generation and eruption by flow of hot but solid crust in response to ascent of the magma, accounting for the infrequency of these eruptions and their huge volumes.

Professor Steve Sparks of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences explained: “The longevity of plutonic and related volcanic systems contrasts with short timescales to assemble shallow magma chambers prior to large-magnitude eruptions of molten rock. Crystals formed from earlier magma pulses, entrained within erupting magmas are stored at temperatures near or below the solidus for long periods prior to eruption and commonly have very short residence in host magmas for just decades or less.”

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/960462
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1 in 6 chance of catastrophic volcano eruption within a hundred years

19th August 2022

The world is "woefully underprepared" for a massive volcanic eruption and the likely repercussions on global supply chains, climate and food, according to experts from the University of Cambridge's Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), and the University of Birmingham.

Read more: https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/202 ... s-2100.htm


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Ultra-Plinian volcanic eruption. Credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
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Wave created by Tonga volcano eruption reached 90 meters—nine times taller than 2011 Japan tsunami
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-tonga-vol ... aller.html
by University of Bath

The initial tsunami wave created by the eruption of the underwater Hunga Tonga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga in January 2022 reached 90 meters in height, around nine times taller than that from the highly destructive 2011 Japan tsunami, new research has found.

An international research team says the eruption should serve as a wake-up call for international groups looking to protect people from similar events in future, claiming that detection and monitoring systems for volcano-based tsunamis are '30 years behind' comparable tools used to detect earthquake-based events.

Dr. Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Secretary-General of the International Tsunami Commission and a senior lecturer in the University of Bath's Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, authored the research alongside colleagues based in Japan, New Zealand, the UK and Croatia.

By comparison, the largest tsunami waves due to earthquakes before the Tonga event were recorded following the Tōhoku earthquake near Japan in 2011 and the 1960 Chilean earthquake, reached 10 meters in initial height. Those were more destructive as they happened closer to land, with waves that were wider.
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Tonga volcano eruption released more energy than the most powerful nuclear bomb

by University of Sheffield
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-tonga-vol ... erful.html
The eruption of the underwater volcano in Tonga that triggered a tsunami earlier this year (January 2022), released more energy than the Tsar Bomba—the most powerful nuclear bomb ever detonated—according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield harvested data from weather stations and social media worldwide and compared it against historical data to determine that the eruption released more energy than the largest human-made explosion in history.

On January 15, 2022, the volcano at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Island erupted producing a devastating tsunami and volcanic plumes that reached the stratosphere. Another recent study revealed the explosion generated acoustic-gravity waves that reached the edge of space and were recorded by satellites and instruments across the globe, including in the U.K.

Weather stations all over the world, including sites in London, Fife and the Scottish Highlands, registered the passing of a type of acoustic-gravity wave called a Lamb wave. Data from the sites shows how local atmospheric pressure suddenly increased with a pressure pulse, followed by a negative phase, before returning to ambient conditions that typically lasted for around 45 minutes—in comparison, earthquakes typically last for a few seconds to only a few minutes.

Weather enthusiasts in every continent began sharing screenshots of their measurements on social media, including location, local time of arrival of the Lamb wave, and pressure data, which were a valuable source of scientific information to help researchers determine the size of the volcanic eruption.
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