New Zealand (Commonwealth Union) – Volcanoes occur when an opening of the earth’s surface causes magma to flow out. USA, Russia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are some of the nations with the greatest number of volcanoes.
A new study is using infrasound, which is undetectable to human ears, to evaluate volcanic activity that may possibly be used to warn of possible eruptions.
University of Canterbury (UC) postdoctoral researcher Dr Leighton Watson partnered with scientists at the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and Boise State University, which have formed a modelling tool that implements waves from volcanic activity to assist in understanding and predicting volcanic behavior.
Dr Watson stated that the movement of magma of certain volcanoes emits sound resembling musical instruments and further explained that even though certain sounds are detectable to humans, the vast majority of energy is undetectable, where specialized microphones can be utilized to get pick up sounds from volcanoes to gain further knowledge on their behavior. “By listening to the changing pitch, we can track the movement of magma within the crater. This has the potential to provide several hours of warning prior to an eruption, which could make a significant difference to those living near or visiting active volcanoes,” he said.
Dr Watson and his team researched these volcanic melodies at Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy with an active volcano where eruptions often take place, ejecting lava across 1km over the summit. The study continues Dr Watson’s prior work in Villarrica in Chile and Cotopaxi in Ecuador. The next step is to adapt the model to make it relevant to New Zealand, which also sees frequent volcanoes, particularly on the North Island.
A technology that can forecast potential volcanoes prior to eruptions can most certainly save lives and would be of particular interest to countries with the most frequent volcanoes.
