volcano

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to escape from the magma chamber below the surface.

For more information about volcano check the Wikipedia article here

ZME Science posts about volcano

NASA researchers use unmanned planes to trace toxic vulcanic gas

Wed, Apr 3, 2013

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Usually, the military taps into what science does and uses its technologies – but for once, it was the other way around. Using unmannes planes typically designed for city warfare, scientists were able to keep track of toxic volcanic fumes. The Dragon Eye remote-controlled plane weighs in at just under 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms), with [...]

Ancient volcanic eruptions caused mass extinction 200 million years ago

Fri, Mar 22, 2013

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Some 200 million years ago  half of all life on Earth went extinct, thus providing a window of opportunity for the dinosaurs to evolve in now unoccupied niches and dominate the planet for the next 135 million years. Curiously enough, after the dinosaurs were at their own term wiped out by a calamity - presumably at the [...]

Volcans helped slow down global warming

Mon, Mar 4, 2013

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Climate change deniers were ecstatic – our planet wasn’t warming as fast as models predicted it; ha! Everything crumbles down, global warming is a hoax and all is good in the world, right? Wrong. The main question in science is “Why?”, and researchers started asking the question. Are all the models wrong, is there something [...]

New type of volcanic eruption described

Tue, Jan 22, 2013

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The general classification splits volcanic eruptions in two: explosive or effusive. An explosive eruption is, well, explosive and violent (think Mount Helens), while an effusive eruption is associated with lava flows (think Hawaii). However, in a new study conducted by New Zealand and UK researchers described another, new type of eruption. Inside volcanoes, magma often [...]

Geologists grant full access to details of every significant recorded volcanic eruption

Tue, Jan 22, 2013

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Details of some 2000 volcanic eruptions that occurred in the past 1.8 million years are now available in a new open access database, complied by scientists at the University of Bristol with help from the UK, US, Colombia and Japan. Volcanic eruptions are among the most dangerous natural hazards, having the potential to take numerous [...]

Satellite images hint to volcano eruptions allowing for remote forecasting

Wed, Nov 7, 2012

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In a groundbreaking study, researchers at University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science used satellite imagery to study volcanic eruptions from the past years in Indonesia’s west Sunda arc, a highly active volcanic region. Their findings show that images of inflating magma balloons hint towards impending volcanic eruptions in one in two cases, on [...]

New Yellowstone study suggests volcanic activity is more frequent than previously thought

Wed, May 2, 2012

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The Yellowstone super volcano, which basically outlines the whole Yellowstone National Park, is part of one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. A recent research conducted by a joint team of international scientists from Washington State University and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre is set to cast doubts on the frequency of eruptions and, most importantly, super eruptions [...]

Ash and smoke spewed by Popocatepetl Volcano in Mexico warns of imminent eruption [PHOTOS]

Wed, Apr 25, 2012

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Mexico’s second highest peak, the  Popocatepetl Volcano, which means “Smoking Mountain” in the indigenous Nahuatl language, first began rumbling on April 13, when the first signs of ash and steam were sighted spewing from its crater. Right in the surrounding of Mexico City, columns of ash have been shooting from more than 60 openings in the [...]

Africa’s most active volcano erupts in Congo [VIDEO]

Wed, Nov 9, 2011

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Spectacular range smoke, ash and lava shot up in to the night sky last night from Africa’s most active volcano, located in  the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park. Congo’s Centre for Research and Natural Sciences claimed in a recent statement that local residents, as well as the precious endangered mountain gorillas living in the park, are not [...]

Spectacular underwater volcano eruption shows geologists a land forgotten by time

Mon, Oct 24, 2011

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Scientists who observed an underwater eruption in 2009 concluded they observed a tear in the planetary crust that mimicks the birth of a subduction zone. Subduction takes place at convergent tectonic plate boundaries; basically, one plate slides below the other – an extremely complicated and complex process that drives along a series of other processes, [...]

Mt. Etna erupts in spectacular display of lights [VIDEO]

Mon, Aug 1, 2011

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The famous volcano in Sicily has been subjected to a number of eruption in this highly active past year. This weekend however, residents of nearby towns on Sicily were treated to a spectacular show of tectonic fireworks as Europe’s most active volcano, Mt Etna, erupted in glorious fashion. Get just a hint of the real [...]

Hugely tall underwater volcanos discovered

Thu, Jul 14, 2011

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In the first ever-survey of its kind, geologists have managed to discover a chain of massive underwater volcanoes, some as tall as 2 miles, underneath the Antarctic waters near the South Sandwich Islands in the remote Atlantic Ocean. The South Sandwich Islands have always been known for their evident volcanic activity, ever since their discovery [...]

Mind blowing pictures of the recent Iceland volcano eruption

Tue, May 24, 2011

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Taken at distances as small as 1 kilometer, these pictures of Grimsvotn (the volcano that erupted recently in Iceland) reveal how beautiful and terrifying at the same time volcanic eruptions can be. Blending smoke and ash with lightning, the pictures are truly breathtaking. They were taken by Johann Ingi Jonsson, an amateur photographer from Reykjavik, [...]

First expedition inside a volcano

Sun, Apr 10, 2011

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Volcanoes have fascinated human beings since the dawn of time; thankfully, now we know enough not to think of them as powerful earth/fire gods, but to understand them as the magnificent phenomena they are. However, there are still many things we still haven’t been able to figure out them, and even if we would have, [...]

Stunning pictures and videos from the Kilauea Eruption in Hawaii

Mon, Mar 7, 2011

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As I was telling you just earlier, the Kilauea volcano erupted, with a fissure throwing lava up more than 20 meters towards the sky in a dazzling display of volcanic power. The Hawaii eruption took place just after one of the volcano’s floors collapsed, thus creating the necessary conditions for lava to come out to [...]

Volcanic eruption in Hawaii

Mon, Mar 7, 2011

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Hawaii isn’t all warm breezes, mojitos and surfing; it’s what geologists call a hot spot, one of the most active volcanic regions on the face of the planet, so it was little surprise when Kilauea erupted; after all, it is one of the most potent volcanoes in the world, being in a constant eruption since [...]

Mining sulphur in an active volcano

Wed, Feb 9, 2011

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Whenever you think you have the worst job ever, you definitely should think about the sulphur miners from Eastern Java, the men who treat poisoned lungs, burns, scars and constant danger as part of their everyday living. Each day, a few hundred men go deep in the heart of the Ijen volcano, with the sole [...]

The big picture on Icelandic eruption

Fri, Apr 16, 2010

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Eyjafjallajökull (how ever you pronounce) is a volcano located in Iceland, covered by a small glacier with the same name. It’s crater has a diameter of about 3-4 kilometers, and it erupted the second time this month, causing a cloud of ash that forced authorities to stop almost all flights above Iceland. The problem, when [...]

Melt rises up 25 times faster than previously believed

Mon, Jan 4, 2010

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Scientists have for the first time determined the actual permeability of the asthenosphere in Earth’s upper mantle, which is basically responsible for how fast the melt rises towards the surface of the earth, and the results were surprising to say the least. Researchers found that it actually moves 25 times faster than previously assumed, which [...]

4 hottest volcano events of 2009

Sat, Jan 2, 2010

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Boy 2009 passed quite quickly, but it didn’t go without a blast, that’s for sure ! I’m gonna show you some really amazing stuff that happened during 2009, most of which you probably have no idea of, and this is the first one from that series. 4th place (honorable mention): Mayon, Philippines It may have [...]

Rift in African desert will become ocean

Tue, Nov 3, 2009

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In 2005, a huge 35 mile rift broke the Ethiopian desert apart and immediately led to geological claims that a new ocean was appearing there because two parts of the African continent were being pulled apart. However, the claims were quickly dismissed as being too controversial. However, a new study published in the latest issue [...]

Volcano eruption could have caused global extinction

Sat, May 30, 2009

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A previously unknown volcanic eruption was uncovered by scientists at the University of Leeds. It’s believed that this massive eruption took place 260 million years ago in South West China and released half a million cubic kilometers of lava covering a land mass the size of Great Britain and destroying marine life everywhere throughout the [...]

Spectacular underwater volcano eruption near Tonga

Fri, Mar 20, 2009

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Near Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, an underwater volcano has been shooting smoke, ash, steam, etc for thousands of feet, and the good thing is the islanders are not threatened by this. Still, it remains such a spectacular phenomenon that scientists just had to inspect it and make a photo shoot. Pictures from boston.com. There’s also a [...]

11 hot pics and videos of lava vs ocean

Wed, Jan 21, 2009

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A volcanic eruption is one of the most spectacular phenomena in nature, and despite the fact that they’re not even nearly as common as thunder or rainbows, there’s still a whole bunch of active volcanoes today that fascinate both scientists and tourists. But things get even more wicked when lava meets ocean water; really amazing [...]

Volcano Eruption And Lightning Storms In Chile

Sat, May 10, 2008

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Every once in a while, nature gives us samples of some amazing pictures; may they be landscapes, space pictures or microscopic pictures, it’s only fair that these pictures receive the attention they deserve. Such a fantastic display of natural forces was displayed in Chile, by volcano eruption and lightning storm. Still, it’s not quite your [...]

6 deadliest volcano eruptions

Wed, Apr 16, 2008

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Volcanic eruptions are impressive natural phenomena; it begins when pressure on a magma chamber forces magma up through the conduit and out the volcano’s vents. Seen on the TV or in the newspaper, they’re just fantastic and gorgeous. But if you’re unlucky enough to be there… it’s really deadly. But volcanic ash can also bring [...]

First evidence of under-ice volcanic eruption in Antarctica

Wed, Jan 23, 2008

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A volcano in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet erupted 2000 years ago (325BC) and remains active thus giving us the first evidence of an under-ice volcanic eruption. This volcano has a volcanic explosion index of about 3-4. The heat from the volcano melt-water that lubricates the base of the ice sheet and increases the flow [...]

Volcanic Eruptions, Not Meteor, May Have Killed The Dinosaurs

Tue, Oct 30, 2007

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This debate has been indecided for years and years and there are serious evidence which backs up both theories. Recently a vast number of scientist leaned towards the meteor theory; they claim that a meteor impact in the Gulf of Mexico made changes which the dinousaurs could not adapt to. But scientists found out how [...]

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