Latest news with #volcanicActivity
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth's Hidden Heartbeat Is Slowly Creating A New Ocean
Deep beneath the surface of Africa, something extraordinary is happening: The Earth's mantle beneath Ethiopia is pulsing like a slow, steady heartbeat. This underground rhythm, though invisible to us, is causing a dramatic geological transformation. It is slowly tearing Africa apart and laying the groundwork for a new ocean. This process is unfolding in the Afar Triangle region of Ethiopia, where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian tectonic plates meet. This area is part of the East African Rift, a vast crack in the Earth's surface that has been forming for millions of years and pulling those plates away from one another. However, recent research revealed something even more dynamic. Waves of molten rock are rising from deep within the Earth's mantle in periodic, pulsing surges. These pulses are called mantle upwellings. Each pulse pushes magma upward in bursts, weakening the crust above it, resulting in volcanic eruptions and seismic activity. It is impossible to study the exact place where the plates all diverge from each other, but researchers can examine surface volcanic rocks from the Afar region. After looking at samples from 130 young volcanoes in the area, they combined chemical analysis with geological data and modeling. This showed them that the upwelling is not a uniform plume. 'We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary -- it pulses," explained lead author Emma Watts. As the molten rock from deep within the Earth rises, it pushes the African tectonic plates away from one another. This process will take millions of years, but when the pulses eventually cleave apart the continent, a new ocean basin will form. While this transformation is unfolding on a geologic time scale -- far too slowly to witness during a human lifetime -- it gives scientists a rare chance to study how continents break apart.
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Massive volcano eruption in Indonesia spews ash 10,000 metres high
Indonedia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupted on Tuesday (17 June), sending a towering ash plume 10,000 metres into the sky. Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and extended the danger zone to 8km. The eruption followed an intense spike in volcanic activity—50 incidents in two hours, far above the daily average. No casualties were reported. Ash clouds were seen from cities 90 to 150km away. 'This is the first time I have seen an eruption this big,' said local villager Frans Kino. Residents were warned about possible lava flows triggered by rainfall.
