Latest news with #volcano
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Major disaster from three years ago could impact Australia's winters for years
A major natural disaster that occurred two years ago could be impacting Australia's climate this winter, and may continue to do so for a number of years. Scientists say they are 'surprised' by the results in their study, which showed the effects may be felt around the world for up to a decade. On January 15, 2022, an underwater volcano off the Pacific nation of Tonga exploded, releasing 1,000 times more energy than the Hiroshima bomb. It was one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recent history, and sent up to 150 million tonnes of water vapour into the stratosphere. A study into the long-term impacts of that water vapour injection found it may temporarily alter local climates, including cooler winters in Australia, warmer winters and spring in North America, drier summers over northern Eurasia, and more rain over China's east coast. Lead author and senior lecturer of the Climate Change Research Centre at UNSW, Martin Jucker, told Yahoo News it was "really unusual" for volcanoes to leave such a long-lasting impact. "Volcanoes are generally known to impact the global climate, but that's usually a cooling due to all the smoke and for a few years. It's usually more like two to three years, not eight years." He also said the research was complex, as a multitude of things can impact the weather and worsen or placate their findings. 'One very important thing about our study is that we look into the future, and there's no way to know how the global mean temperature or sea surface temperature, El Nino, El Nina, and all of these things, how they would look in the future. So we didn't include any of those effects. I only included the volcano and nothing else,' Jucker said. In Australia, the study found anomalies in surface temperature that could see winters get up to 1°C cooler. Those in Western Australia may also see slightly lower temperatures in summer and autumn. Australia's surface temperature anomalies were described in the study as the 'most persistent, with significant cooling from year 1 to 8'. The research also picked up slightly more rain than usual in WA, and wet anomalies over northern Australia. Interestingly, the anomalies peak at years three and four after the eruption, which would be this year and next year. The three-year lag is because of the composition of the stratosphere, Jucker said. 'There are no weather systems, there's no clouds, no rain, or anything, and everything moves much more slowly. This water vapour was put into the stratosphere very locally, just above the volcano. So it needed time for this water to distribute itself across the entire globe and that takes a few years," he said. The changes can be difficult to perceive, Jucker said, and may not even be noticeable until looked at as an average over the next four years or so. 'I still hope we do [see the changes] because I just find it exciting. I'm waiting to see if we can confirm it from a scientific point of view. 'We find this effect only if we average over a long time. So four years, from now to 2029, we average, and then we see this effect. Even after year three, we don't even see these effects if we just look down one individual year, for instance.' While the study found weather anomalies around the world, the cooling in Australia and warming over North America don't have an overall impact on global temperature as they 'cancel out'. "Now, what we did find is these regional impacts which would be starting about now, so three years after. And so they globally, they sum up to zero, but locally, there's a cooling," Jucker said. "There's a cooling that we expect in winter over Australia over this time period, but there's a warming in North America in their winter, for instance. So all of these things cancel out, but regionally they're there." He added that, like all scientific studies, it's important to remember that his findings are not definitive. "So even when I say, we expect colder winters over Australia, it's really the probability of it being colder is higher. But it could be warmer, and that's fine. That would still be within our results. It's just that the probability of it being colder is higher," he said. One prediction that has so far proven correct in Jucker's study is that the volcano's eruption would contribute to a hole in the ozone layer. The large hole appeared from August to December in 2023, which is what his simulations picked up almost two years in advance. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trees can help detect volcano eruptions: Study
(NewsNation) — A recent study says trees may now be able to help detect when a volcano is about to erupt. The study by NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, looking at carbon dioxide levels around Mount Etna in Italy, compared data from sensors around the volcano with satellite imagery and discovered a strong relationship between more carbon dioxide and greener trees. 'There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis,' said Nicole Guinn, a volcanologist at the University of Houston. Dozens sickened in expanding salmonella outbreak linked to recalled cucumbers Across the course of two years, Guinn and a group of researchers found 16 clear spikes in carbon dioxide and the NDVI, matching magma movements underground. The patterns of the spikes were even observed farther away from faults in the mountain. When volcanoes become more active and near eruption, they push magma up closer to the surface while also releasing increased levels of carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide boosts the health of the surrounding trees and makes the leaves greener. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
The closer a volcano is to erupting, the greener the trees around it look from space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists can tell whether a volcano is about to erupt from the greenness of the trees around it, with more vibrant leaves indicating a potentially imminent blast. Until now, these subtle color changes could be observed only from the ground — but researchers have recently found a way to monitor them from space. A new collaboration between NASA and the Smithsonian Institution could "change the game" when it comes to detecting the first signs of a volcanic eruption, volcanologists said in a statement published by NASA earlier this month. These signs can help to protect communities against the worst effects of volcanic blasts, including lava flows, ejected rocks, ashfalls, mudslides and toxic gas clouds. "Volcano early warning systems exist," Florian Schwandner, a volcanologist and chief of the Earth Science Division at NASA's Ames Research Center in California, said in the statement. "The aim here is to make them better and make them earlier." Current indicators of an imminent volcanic eruption include seismic activity, changes in ground height and sulfur dioxide emissions, which are visible from space. Scientists also look out for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions linked to magma near Earth's surface, but these are harder to pinpoint with satellites than sulfur dioxide due to the ubiquity of CO2 in the atmosphere. "A volcano emitting the modest amounts of carbon dioxide that might presage an eruption isn't going to show up in satellite imagery," Robert Bogue, a doctoral student in volcanology at McGill University, Canada, said in the statement. Related: Watch mesmerizing 1,000-foot-tall lava fountains: Kilauea volcano erupting in ways not seen for 40 years But researchers are particularly interested in detecting these emissions because CO2 is one of the very first signs of a coming eruption — preceding even sulfur dioxide, according to the statement. To that end, scientists have been developing methods to monitor carbon dioxide based on the color of trees around volcanoes. Clouds of CO2 wafting from volcanoes that are about to blow boost the health of surrounding trees and plants, making their leaves greener and more lush. "The whole idea is to find something that we could measure instead of carbon dioxide directly," Bogue said in the statement. Until recently, scientists had to trek to volcanoes if they wanted to measure their CO2 levels. By using the color of tree leaves as an indicator of volcanic gas concentrations, researchers can save themselves the trouble of accessing remote and potentially dangerous locations — instead relying on satellites to do the hard work. A 2024 study published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment revealed a strong correlation between the carbon dioxide and trees around Mount Etna in Italy. Using pictures taken by Landsat 8 and other Earth-observing satellites between 2011 and 2018, the study's authors showed 16 clear spikes in both the amount of CO2 and vegetation's greenness, which coincided with upward migrations of magma from the volcano. "There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis," study lead author Nicole Guinn, a doctoral student in volcanology at the University of Houston in Texas, said in the statement. RELATED STORIES —Mystery of Bolivian 'zombie' volcano finally solved —Alaskan volcano Mount Spurr showing activity that will 'most likely end in an explosive eruption,' scientist says —Never-before-seen chain of volcanoes discovered hiding near the Cook Islands Measuring the greenness of trees from space won't be useful in all volcanic settings, however. Many volcanoes don't host trees – or at least not enough trees to measure with satellites, according to the statement. Some trees and forests may respond unexpectedly to changing carbon dioxide levels — for example, if they have been affected by fires, diseases or abnormal weather conditions. "Tracking the effects of volcanic carbon dioxide on trees will not be a silver bullet," Schwandner said. "But it is something that could change the game." To expand on the potential of the new method, researchers from NASA, the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations recently launched the Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean (AVUELO), which will compare satellite images of trees around volcanoes with ground observations. The aim is to ensure the data match, so that scientists can calibrate space-borne instruments and take the research forward.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Living next to an active volcano
Photo: Brad Scott - GNS Science Graham Leonard Photo: Jeff McEwan, Capture Studios Taranaki Mounga is one of New Zealand's about a dozen active volcanos - but what does that actually mean for locals? Volcanologist and GNS principal scientist Graham Leonard shares the latest research and preparedness advice.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn Italy's supervolcano is showing signs of awakening
A powerful series of earthquakes at Campi Flegrei, a massive supervolcano in Italy, has raised fresh concerns among scientists about the risk of a major eruption. In May, the Phlegraean Fields near Naples was shaken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, the strongest in 40 years. Over the past six months, scientists have recorded more than 3,000 smaller quakes, known as tremors, a figure far above normal seismic activity for the area. Adding to the alarm, carbon dioxide emissions from Campi Flegrei have surged, with Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reporting daily levels between 4,000 and 5,000 tons. Experts say increased gas emissions often mean magma is moving closer to the surface, putting more pressure on the volcano. According to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), magma is now just a few miles below the surface, a shallow depth that raises more concern. If pressure continues to build, it could trigger an eruption with little warning, especially with all the recent quakes and gas releases. Christopher R. J. Kilburn, leading volcanologist of IGNV said: 'Distinguishing between gas emissions caused by magma movement versus those resulting from natural rock interactions is absolutely critical.' Campi Flegrei poses a serious threat to over four million people living in the metropolitan area of Naples. If it erupts, the damage could be widespread. Buildings could be destroyed by lava flows, ash clouds, and fast-moving hot gases. Roads, power, and water supplies might be cut off, making life dangerous and chaotic. The city of Naples and nearby towns like Pozzuoli sit close to the Campi Flegrei, putting many lives and homes in the danger zone. A new study led by Gianmarco Buono, a PhD student at University of Naples Federico II shows that about 80 percent of the carbon dioxide released from the Solfatara crater comes directly from magma beneath the Earth's surface. This means the magma is letting out gases, which is a strong sign it might be moving closer to the surface. The other 20 percent of the gas comes from hot fluids reacting with underground rocks, a natural process that doesn't always mean an eruption is coming. Scientists watch these gas releases along with ground swelling and thousands of small earthquakes because they are key warning signs for future eruptions. When magma moves up, it pushes gases out, building pressure inside the volcano. Too much pressure can cause cracks and trigger a dangerous eruption. Campi Flegrei means 'burning fields.' It's a big volcanic crater formed when a massive eruption thousands of years ago made the ground above the magma chamber collapse. Campi Flegrei's last eruption was in 1538. While it doesn't erupt often, major eruptions happen every few thousand years, the volcano has shown signs of unrest in recent decades. Scientists say it's not possible to predict exactly when the next eruption will happen, but the recent activity means it could come sooner rather than later. Since 2005, the ground in the area has been slowly rising and falling in a process called bradyseism. This happens when magma and gas build up underground, pushing the surface up or letting it sink back down. For example, in the nearby town of Pozzuoli, the ground has risen by about 4.7 feet during the current phase. This is like the Earth's surface gently swelling like a balloon as magma pushes from below. Using a mechanical failure model, commonly applied in structural engineering, they studied how the rock beneath Campi Flegrei is responding to stress. Their findings suggest the crust is shifting from simply bending to cracking, a change that often precedes eruptions. 'We are seeing a clear progression toward a state where rupture is more likely,' the scientists noted. Since rising warning signs began in 2005, officials raised the volcano's alert level from green to yellow in 2012. Authorities have developed comprehensive evacuation plans for the millions living in the metropolitan area of Naples, but the challenge remains in ensuring these plans can be executed swiftly and effectively should an eruption become imminent. Campi Flegrei's threat is not just local. About 40,000 years ago, Campi Flegrei erupted with such force that it caused one of the worst volcanic disasters in Earth's history, triggering major changes in the global climate. If a similar eruption happened today, its impact would reach far beyond Italy. Ash clouds could blanket much of Europe, grounding flights, damaging crops, and cutting power. Volcanic gases could block sunlight, causing years of cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather that would threaten food supplies worldwide.
