2023-12-14 09:40:56
Imagine a volcano that seemed to have been dormant for tens of thousands of years suddenly erupted, releasing intense energy. It sounds like something out of a movie, but new research from scientists has found that it’s not only possible, but potentially extremely damaging. A new study by Hungarian scientists has revealed the secret behind the sudden eruption of a long-dormant volcano, letting us find out.
The research team, from Hungary’s ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, focused on studying Ciomadul, the youngest volcano in the Carpatho-Pannonian region. They used high-resolution mineral texture and chemical composition data to quantify magma evolution conditions, reconstruct the structure of the magma reservoir beneath the volcano, and identify the various factors that trigger eruptions.
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Sleeping does not mean peace
The eruption history of the Comadur volcano was originally a mystery. But by conducting U-Th-Pb-He geochronological studies on tiny crystals called zircon, the team found that the volcano experienced multiple long periods of dormancy during its nearly million-year lifespan. The most amazing thing is that even following being dormant for tens of thousands of years, or even more than 100,000 years, volcanoes will still erupt once more.
The most recent significant volcanic activity occurred 160,000 years ago and was dominated by the extrusion of lava domes. However, following more than 30,000 years of dormancy, the volcano erupted once more regarding 56,000 years ago. This outbreak is more dangerous and explosive than previous periods of activity.
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Key minerals in volcanic eruptions revealed
Scientists have reconstructed the magma storage system beneath Ciomadul volcano during its last eruption regarding 56,000 to 30,000 years ago. This reconstruction reveals how magma in the lower part of a volcano is stored, evolves, and ultimately leads to an eruption. (Photo/Bianca Németh)
The key to this research is a mineral called hornblende. The crystal structure of this mineral can incorporate many elements, but its elemental replacement is strictly controlled by magma conditions. Scientists have found that the amphibole from the Comadur volcano shows huge changes in chemical composition. Some amphibole represents a reservoir of low-temperature, highly crystalline magma at a depth of 8 to 12 kilometers, but most is made from Deeper, high-temperature replenishment magma is brought into this shallow magma reservoir.
The research team obtained information regarding the magma conditions before the explosion by analyzing the outer edges of the crystals and the composition of the iron-titanium oxides. They found that the temperature of the erupting magma was between 800 and 830 degrees Celsius, and it was in an oxidized state.
Currently, Ciomadul volcano shows no signs of restarting. However, the study also notes that volcanic reactivation might occur rapidly, within weeks or months, if hot, watery magma is replenished. Not only was the research conducted on a long-dormant volcano, but it also brought Ciomadul to international attention. This helps highlight that, in addition to the roughly 1,500 potentially active volcanoes on Earth, long-dormant volcanoes can also pose previously unrecognized dangers, especially if they still have molten lava beneath them.
The research is published in the latest issue of the journal Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology.
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First image source: István Fodor ccBY4.0
Internal image source: Bianca Németh ccBY4.0
Reference papers:
1.Constraints on the pre-eruptive magma storage conditions and magma evolution of the 56–30 ka explosive volcanism of Ciomadul (East Carpathians, Romania) Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
Further reading:
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