Heated Magma Boosts Eruption of Towering Volcanic Lava Fountains

🌋 Why do volcanic eruptions vary between fluid calm and towering fiery blasts?

A recent scientific study has revealed that the secret behind the difference in volcanic eruption styles comes down to the temperature of magma inside volcanoes before it reaches the Earth’s surface. The higher heat of the magma, or what is known as “superheating,” affects the slowing of crystal formation inside magma, which may explain the appearance of giant lava fountains in some volcanoes compared with a calmer fluid flow in others.

🔥 What is superheating and what role does it play in volcanic activity?

Superheating is a state in which the temperature of magma reaches levels that exceed the limit at which crystals remain stable inside magma. As a result of this thermal saturation, magma remains highly liquid and crystals do not form easily within it. This phenomenon means that magma retains greater fluidity for a longer period while rising toward the Earth’s surface.

As the scientific journey of an international team from the University of Manchester progressed, and relying on materials from the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano in La Palma, Spain, it became clear that superheating temporarily halts the processes of crystal formation and growth. This directly affects the viscosity of magma, or how thick it is, which is a decisive factor in the speed of its flow and the way trapped volcanic gases escape.

🧪 The effect of crystals on magma viscosity and eruption behavior

• Under normal conditions, crystals begin to form inside magma as it cools, using some preexisting tiny crystals as starting points.
• Superheating leads to the melting of these microscopic crystals, preventing the growth of new crystals for a long period.
• As a result, magma becomes more fluid and less viscous.

This smooth flow allows magma to rise more quickly, which leads to greater trapping of rising volcanic gases inside the magma. When these gases erupt, they drive lava upward forcefully and create towering lava fountains for which some violent eruptions are famous.

🔬 A scientific experiment tracks crystal formation and reveals the difference

In advanced laboratories using X-ray tomography at the British Diamond Light Source center, scientists followed the growth of crystals inside magma samples under conditions that mimic the Earth’s interior. The results showed that magma exposed to superheating delays the onset of crystal formation for more than eight hours, compared with about half an hour for rocks that had not previously reached high temperatures.

This major delay in crystal formation explains how magma remains liquid and flexible long enough to form massive, towering lava jets in some volcanic eruptions, something that had not been seen before in traditional studies.

🌍 The impact of these findings on our understanding of volcanic eruptions

This study offers a deeper understanding of how the thermal history of magma affects volcanic behavior. The heating history of magma before it rises to the surface may be the factor that determines whether a volcano will erupt violently, producing lava in the form of fountains, or whether it will emit lava that flows calmly on the surface.

This discovery explains why the nature of eruptions differs even in volcanoes with similar magma and gas compositions. Accordingly, superheating characteristics and delayed crystallization can be used to improve models for predicting volcanic behavior and assessing the risks associated with it.

🛰️ A future outlook for monitoring volcanoes and reducing risks

Earthquake and volcano agencies around the world monitor indicators such as seismic activity, ground deformation, and gas emissions to study volcanic fluctuations. However, the challenge lies in predicting the exact shape and nature of an eruption.

Incorporating data related to superheating and delayed crystal formation could help improve scientists’ ability to interpret monitoring data, and thus increase the accuracy of eruption warnings that may affect nearby communities.

These new dimensions enhance the general understanding of volcanic activity, but at the same time they confirm that temperatures alone do not control the type of eruption; rather, they are part of a system of complex and intertwined factors.

Source: University of Manchester website

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