Latest news with #MatthewPritchard
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Say This Zombie Volcano Is Still Alive
Although dormant volcanoes are usually quiet, 'zombie volcanoes' like Bolivia's Uturuncu display a surviving amount of activity for a volcano that hasn't erupted in 250,000 years. A new study uses seismic topography, combined with other data sets including rock composition, to create a 3D map of the magmatic and hydrothermal plumbing beneath Uturuncu. The study shows that the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body, the largest in the world, is feeding hot fluids and gasses toward the surface and trapping CO2 and steam under the summit. Although not a living, breathing thing like you and me, volcanoes experience their own 'life cycles.' Filled with veins of magma and toxic gas rather than blood and plasma, these rumbling geologic formations first experience a calamitous active phase, a more sleepy dormant phase, until eventually going extinct. Although technically not dead, dormant volcanoes usually show little activity unless they're on the inevitable road to eruption. In a way, these volcanoes exist in a liminal space between active and extinct. However, some volcanoes defy this easy categorization, and chief among them is the long-dormant Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia. Meaning 'jaguar' in the indigenous language Quechua, Uturuncu hasn't erupted for 250,000 years—give or take 5,000 years or so. However, that hasn't stopped this volcano from showcasing extensive gas and earthquake activity, inspiring some toward the label of a 'zombie volcano.' Now, a new study from scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Oxford University, and Cornell University have unraveled the mystery of Uturuncu's undead activity. The results of the study were published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 'When people look at volcanoes, they're like, 'Oh, if it's not going to erupt, we're not interested in it,'' Cornell University's Matthew Pritchard, a co-author of the study, said in a press statement. 'But actually volcanoes that look dead on the surface are not dead underneath. There are still processes going on. And the processes in Uturuncu are particularly interesting because they're telling us about the liquids and the gasses that are moving through there that might become, or maybe even today are, a reservoir of minerals that could be useful for technology.' Shaped sort of like a sombrero—with the volcano jutting upwards while the area surrounding it sinks below—Uturuncu rests on the largest magma body in the Earth's crust in what's known as the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex. Scientists know that a hydrothermal system connects this body to the surface but has no idea how the internal fluid mechanics of that system work. To get a clearer picture, the research team used seismic tomography, which uses seismic waves from 1,700 earthquake events. Because these waves interact differently with varying materials in the Earth, scientists were able to construct a 3D model of Uturuncu's interior. This model was then combined with other data, including rock composition, for an even higher-resolution snapshot of Uturuncu's magmatic and hydrothermal plumbing. What the scientists discovered is that the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body is likely sending gasses through a narrow pipe, which causes liquids and gasses to accumulate below the volcano's crater and is what likely forms Uturuncu's sombrero-like shape. Because this is caused by liquids and gasses, and not magma, an impending eruption is low, a sigh of relief for locals who live near the volcano. However, studying the internal layout of volcanoes like Uturuncu provides more valuable information than just its explosive probability. 'Fluids are flowing through molten rock and they pick up some minerals on their way, and then they take them somewhere and deposit them,' Pritchard said in a press statement, stating how volcanoes can be breeding grounds for important minerals. 'Even though we're not really worried about this particular volcano erupting in the next few years, we can sort of see in real time the processes of this happening. Clearly there is activity underground that may be even, at some point, economically useful.' Uturuncu also isn't the only 'zombie volcano' of its kind, as many similar formations around the world that haven't erupted for thousands of years though still show a surprising amount of activity. Understanding these signs of activity could help scientists sort through which volcanoes are an impending threat and which are simply blowing smoke. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Volcano dormant for 250,000 years could be on verge of devastating eruption, researchers fear
A 'zombie' volcano that has lain dormant for 250,000 years is on the brink of blowing its top, scientists fear. Experts at Oxford University say Uturuncu, in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, is showing increased seismic activity and gas emissions. The unrest suggests a deadly and destructive eruption is imminent, they predict. This unrest is visible in a distinctive 'sombrero' pattern of ground deformation, where the land at the center of the volcano is rising while the surrounding area is sinking. The Oxford researchers discovered that this activity is due to the movement of liquid and gas beneath the crater, which sits above the largest known magma body in the Earth's crust. Uturuncu stands over 19,700ft high and is a stratovolcano - a large, steep, cone-shaped volcano built up by layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash and rock. Mount St Helens and Mount Vesuvius are also stratovolcanoes known for their catastrophic eruptions. Uturuncu lies within 25 miles of three towns, and an eruption could cause widespread damage and pose a serious threat to life, researchers warned. It is about halfway between two major cities in South America - La Paz in Bolivia and Santiago in Chile. Lava flows would engulf these nearby communities, while volcanic ash could spread across Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. More than 1,700 earthquakes have been detected around the volcano recently, leading scientists to study Uturuncu and determine how a dead volcano could come back to life. The research team used seismic tomography, a technique similar to medical scans, to create images of the inside of the volcano. By studying how seismic waves move through different materials, they were able to build a detailed 3D view of Uturuncu's interior. They also looked at the volcano's physical makeup, including the types of rocks, to better understand what's happening underground. Their analysis revealed possible paths where hot fluids are moving upward and where gases and liquids are gathering in chambers beneath the crater. The scientists believe this buildup is likely causing the ground in the center to rise - but they said the chances of a full eruption are still low. Co-author Professor Matthew Pritchard from Cornell University said: 'The methods in this paper could be applied to the more than 1,400 potentially active volcanoes and to the dozens of volcanoes like Uturuncu that aren't considered active but that show signs of life - other potential zombie volcanoes.' California's Long Valley Caldera, a supervolcano, is also deemed a 'zombie' volcano as it last erupted more than 550 years ago. As is the Yellowstone Caldera that is closely monitored by scientists. 'The most recent volcanic activity at Yellowstone consisted of rhyolitic lava flows that erupted approximately 70,000 years ago,' according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). 'The largest of these flows formed the Pitchstone Plateau in southwestern Yellowstone National Park.' One of the most famous volcanoes on Earth, Yellowstone is located beneath a national park spanning three states – Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. While scientist are unsure if the two volcanoes in the U.S. will ever erupt, they are preparing for Mount Spurr to blow. In March, Alaskan officials warned it could erupt in the next few weeks or months after observing increase seismic activity, ground deformation and gas emission. Mount Spurr also sits about 78 miles from Anchorage, home to nearly 300,000 people, which would be blanketed in thick volcanic ash. In a Thursday updated, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) said 'unrest continues,' as 'frequent small volcanic earthquakes were detected beneath the volcano over the past day.' The eruption would set off a chain reaction causing i nternational chaos. A massive cloud of ash billowing 50,000ft into the air would force international hubs such as Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and potentially Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) to shut down. Halting all incoming and departing flights at these airports could have a ripple effect across the country, resulting in widespread delays and cancelations and even disrupting the global supply chain. Hundreds of planes fly over Anchorage and Fairbanks every day, and it's not just passenger flights that would be impacted. ANC is the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world, with more than 8,000 cargo flights passing through each month. Then last time Mount Spurr erupted - in 1992 - ANC shut down for 20 hours while the ash cloud hung over Anchorage. It darkened skies in the middle of the day, and ultimately settled an eighth of an inch thick across the city. When Mount Spurr blows, the resulting ash cloud will pose a significant hazard to airplanes because the particles are highly abrasive. Flying through an ash cloud can quickly damage windscreens, fuselage surfaces, compressor fan blades and even kill the plane's engine. Ash particles can also cause critical navigational and operational instruments to fail. All of this means that it is extremely dangerous to fly a plane while a volcanic eruption is occurring nearby. So, all airports in areas affected by the ash cloud will have to shut down.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Zombie' volcano dormant for 250,000 years awakens as scientists warn of eruption
A volcano that has not erupted in 250,000 years is showing signs of an imminent eruption that would cause destruction and loss of life. Uturuncu, a so-called 'zombie' volcano located in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, has experienced increased seismic activity and gas emissions, sparking fears that an eruption may be imminent. This unrest is visible in a distinctive 'sombrero' pattern of ground deformation, where the land at the center of the volcano is rising while the surrounding area is sinking. A team of scientists led by the University of Oxford in the UK discovered that this activity is due to the movement of liquid and gas beneath the crater, which sits above the largest known magma body in the Earth's crust. Uturuncu stands over 19,700 feet high and is a stratovolcano—a large, steep, cone-shaped volcano built up by layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash and rock. Mount St. Helens and Mount Vesuvius are also stratovolcanoes known for their catastrophic eruptions. Uturuncu lies within 25 miles of three towns, and an eruption could cause widespread damage and pose a serious threat to life, researchers warned. It is about halfway between two major cities in South America, La Paz in Bolivia and Santiago in Chile. Lava flows would engulf these nearby communities, while volcanic ash could spread across Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. More than 1,700 earthquakes have been detected around the volcano recently, leading scientists to study Uturuncu and determine how a dead volcano could come back to life. The research team used seismic tomography, a technique similar to medical scans, to create images of the inside of the volcano. By studying how seismic waves move through different materials, they were able to build a detailed 3D view of Uturuncu's interior. They also looked at the volcano's physical makeup, including the types of rocks, to better understand what's happening underground. Their analysis revealed possible paths where hot fluids are moving upward and where gases and liquids are gathering in chambers beneath the crater. The scientists believe this buildup is likely causing the ground in the center to rise—but they said the chances of a full eruption are still low. Co-author Professor Matthew Pritchard from Cornell University said: 'The methods in this paper could be applied to the more than 1400 potentially active volcanoes and to the dozens of volcanoes like Uturuncu that aren't considered active but that show signs of life — other potential zombie volcanoes.' California's Long Valley Caldera, a supervolcano, is also deemed a 'zombie' volcano as it last erupted more than 550 years ago. As is the Yellowstone Caldera that is closely monitored by scientists. 'The most recent volcanic activity at Yellowstone consisted of rhyolitic lava flows that erupted approximately 70,000 years ago,' according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). 'The largest of these flows formed the Pitchstone Plateau in southwestern Yellowstone National Park.' One of the most famous volcanoes on Earth, Yellowstone is located beneath a national park spanning three states – Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. While scientist are unsure if the two volcanoes in the US will ever erupt, they are preparing for Mount Spurr to blow. In March, Alaskan officials warned it could erupt in the next few weeks or months after observing increase seismic activity, ground deformation and gas emission. Mount Spurr also sits about 78 miles from Anchorage, home to nearly 300,000 people, which would be blanket in thick volcanic ash. In a Thursday updated, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) said 'unrest continues,' as 'frequent small volcanic earthquakes were detected beneath the volcano over the past day.' The eruption will set of a chain reaction that would cause international chaos. A massive cloud of ash billowing 50,000 feet into the air would force international hubs such as Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and potentially Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) to shut down. Halting all incoming and departing flights at these airports could have a ripple effect across the country, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations and even disrupting the global supply chain. Hundreds of planes fly over Anchorage and Fairbanks per day, and it's not just passenger flights that would be impacted. ANC is the fourth-busiest cargo airport in the world, with more than 8,000 cargo flights passing through each month. Then last time Mount Spurr erupted in 1992, ANC shut down for 20 hours while the ash cloud hung over Anchorage. It darkened skies in the middle of the day, and ultimately settled an eighth of an inch thick across the city. When Mount Spurr blows, the resulting ash cloud will pose a significant hazard to airplanes because the particles are highly abrasive. Flying through an ash cloud can quickly damage windscreens, fuselage surfaces, compressor fan blades and even kill the plane's engine. Ash particles can also cause critical navigational and operational instruments to fail. All of this means that it is extremely dangerous to fly a plane while a volcanic eruption is occurring nearby. So, all airports in areas affected by the ash cloud will have to shut down.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Zombie Volcano Hasn't Erupted in 250,000 Years—But Scientists Say It's Still Alive
Although dormant volcanoes are usually quiet, 'zombie volcanoes' like Bolivia's Uturuncu display a surviving amount of activity for a volcano that hasn't erupted in 250,000 years. A new study uses seismic topography, combined with other data sets including rock composition, to create a 3D map of the magmatic and hydrothermal plumbing beneath Uturuncu. The study shows that the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body, the largest in the world, is feeding hot fluids and gasses toward the surface and trapping CO2 and steam under the summit. Although not a living, breathing thing like you and me, volcanoes experience their own 'life cycles.' Filled with veins of magma and toxic gas rather than blood and plasma, these rumbling geologic formations first experience a calamitous active phase, a more sleepy dormant phase, until eventually going extinct. Although technically not dead, dormant volcanoes usually show little activity unless they're on the inevitable road to eruption. In a way, these volcanoes exist in a liminal space between active and extinct. However, some volcanoes defy this easy categorization, and chief among them is the long-dormant Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia. Meaning 'jaguar' in the indigenous language Quechua, Uturuncu hasn't erupted for 250,000 years—give or take 5,000 years or so. However, that hasn't stopped this volcano from showcasing extensive gas and earthquake activity, inspiring some toward the label of a 'zombie volcano.' Now, a new study from scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Oxford University, and Cornell University have unraveled the mystery of Uturuncu's undead activity. The results of the study were published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 'When people look at volcanoes, they're like, 'Oh, if it's not going to erupt, we're not interested in it,'' Cornell University's Matthew Pritchard, a co-author of the study, said in a press statement. 'But actually volcanoes that look dead on the surface are not dead underneath. There are still processes going on. And the processes in Uturuncu are particularly interesting because they're telling us about the liquids and the gasses that are moving through there that might become, or maybe even today are, a reservoir of minerals that could be useful for technology.' Shaped sort of like a sombrero—with the volcano jutting upwards while the area surrounding it sinks below—Uturuncu rests on the largest magma body in the Earth's crust in what's known as the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex. Scientists know that a hydrothermal system connects this body to the surface but has no idea how the internal fluid mechanics of that system work. To get a clearer picture, the research team used seismic tomography, which uses seismic waves from 1,700 earthquake events. Because these waves interact differently with varying materials in the Earth, scientists were able to construct a 3D model of Uturuncu's interior. This model was then combined with other data, including rock composition, for an even higher-resolution snapshot of Uturuncu's magmatic and hydrothermal plumbing. What the scientists discovered is that the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body is likely sending gasses through a narrow pipe, which causes liquids and gasses to accumulate below the volcano's crater and is what likely forms Uturuncu's sombrero-like shape. Because this is caused by liquids and gasses, and not magma, an impending eruption is low, a sigh of relief for locals who live near the volcano. However, studying the internal layout of volcanoes like Uturuncu provides more valuable information than just its explosive probability. 'Fluids are flowing through molten rock and they pick up some minerals on their way, and then they take them somewhere and deposit them,' Pritchard said in a press statement, stating how volcanoes can be breeding grounds for important minerals. 'Even though we're not really worried about this particular volcano erupting in the next few years, we can sort of see in real time the processes of this happening. Clearly there is activity underground that may be even, at some point, economically useful.' Uturuncu also isn't the only 'zombie volcano' of its kind, as many similar formations around the world that haven't erupted for thousands of years though still show a surprising amount of activity. Understanding these signs of activity could help scientists sort through which volcanoes are an impending threat and which are simply blowing smoke. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
30-04-2025
- Science
Scientists solve mystery of 'zombie' volcano displaying signs of eruption for decades
Researchers have solved the mystery on why a South American "zombie" volcano has displayed possible signs of an eruption for decades. The Uturuncu, a dormant volcano located in the Andes mountains in Bolivia, has not erupted in 250,000 years. But signs of unrest at the site -- including earthquakes and plumes of gases -- prompted researchers to look into whether a possible eruption is imminent. Since the 1990s, the ground around Uturuncu has appeared to deform in a "sombrero" pattern, with the land in the center of the volcanic system rising up and surrounding areas sinking down, satellite radar and GPS measurements have shown, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday. Over the last 50 years, the central rising measured at uplifting rates up to 0.4 inches per year. Scientists from the U.S., the U.K. and China combined seismology, physics models and analysis of rock composition to identify the cause of the unrest. By visualizing the way that magma and gases move around underneath the volcano, they determined that the rumblings and other signs of unrest were the result of the movement of liquid and gas beneath the crater, according to the paper. An eruption at Uturuncu -- which sits above the world's largest-known magma body in the Earth's crust -- could cause widespread damage and threaten human lives for local populations, the researchers said. However, there is a low likelihood of explosion, they concluded. The researchers compared the imaging of the interior of the volcano to methods used in medical imaging of the human body. Seismic waves provided high-resolution insights into the inner workings of Uturuncu -- and in three dimensions, according to the paper. The imaging let researchers map out possible pathways for geothermally heated fluids to migrate upwards, as well as how liquids and gases accumulate in reservoirs directly below the volcano's crater. This activity is most likely the cause for the deformation at the center of the volcanic system, the paper notes. "Our results show how linked geophysical and geological methods can be used to better understand volcanoes, and the hazards and potential resources they present," co-author Mike Kendall, head of the University of Oxford's department of earth sciences, said in a statement. The methods could be applied to more than 1,400 potentially active volcanoes around the world, as well as dozens of volcanoes that are not considered active but show signs of life, co-author Matthew Pritchard, a geophysicist at Cornell University, noted in a statement.
