Volcanic eruptions underwater follow a different set of rules than those on land. “I
Volcanic eruptions underwater follow a different set of rules than those on land. “In the water, things get really quite complicated.”— Rebecca Carey, a researcher at the University of Tasmania and co-author on a study that explored the Havre volcano. Rule #1: Pressure Kills the BubblesIn any volcanic eruption, magma (molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface) rises from the depths of the Earth to the surface of the land or the seafloor. The magma contains dissolved gases, which form bubbles as the pressure on the magma is reduced during its ascent. An explosive eruption occurs on land when these dissolved gases are released suddenly—think of the bubbles in a coke bottle spurting out when a shaken bottle is opened and the pressure is released all at once. But underwater the magma still faces the crushing pressure of tons and tons of ocean water once it reaches the seafloor. The bubbles are unable to expand and the eruption is less explosive.Rule #2: Vapor is PowerfulWhen water hits hot magma at 800 degrees Celsius it vaporizes in an instant. Its rapid expansion into steam can be strong enough to break the lava apart. Rule #3: Instantaneous Solid RockWhen magma comes in contact with water the temperature change is so dramatic that the magma instantly solidifies in a process called quenching.__________________________________________________________________Read more about underwater volcanos and the Havre volcano here.Photo Credit: Courtesy of University of Tasmania -- source link
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