(Press-News.org) VIDEO:
Using friction experiments University of Liverpool scientists have shown that frictional melting plays a role in determining how a volcano will erupt.
Click here for more information.
A new discovery in the study of how lava dome volcanoes erupt may help in the development of methods to predict how a volcanic eruption will behave, say scientists at the University of Liverpool.
Volcanologists at the University have discovered that a process called frictional melting plays a role in determining how a volcano will erupt, by dictating how fast magma can ascend to the surface, and how much resistance it faces en-route.
The process occurs in lava dome volcanoes when magma and rocks melt as they rub against each other due to intense heat. This creates a stop start movement in the magma as it makes its way towards the earth's surface. The magma sticks to the rock and stops moving until enough pressure builds up, prompting it to shift forward again (a process called stick-slip).
Volcanologist, Dr Jackie Kendrick, who lead the research said: "Seismologists have long known that frictional melting takes place when large tectonic earthquakes occur. It is also thought that the stick-slip process that frictional melting generates is concurrent to 'seismic drumbeats' which are the regular, rhythmic small earthquakes which have been recently found to accompany large volcanic eruptions.
"Using friction experiments we have shown that the extent of frictional melting depends on the composition of the rock and magma, which determines how fast or slow the magma travels to the surface during the eruption."
Analysis of lava collected from Mount St. Helens, USA and the Soufrière Hills volcano in Montserrat by volcanology researchers from the University's School of Environmental Sciences revealed remnants of pseudotachylyte, a cooled frictional melt. Evidence showed that the process took place in the conduit, the channel which lava passes through on its way to erupt.
Dr Kendrick, from the University's School of Environmental Sciences, added: "The closer we get to understanding the way magma behaves, the closer we will get to the ultimate goal: predicting volcanic activity when unrest begins. Whilst we can reasonably predict when a volcanic eruption is about to happen, this new knowledge will help us to predict how the eruption will behave.
"With a rapidly growing population inhabiting the flanks of active volcanoes, understanding the behaviour of lava domes becomes an increasing challenge for volcanologists."
INFORMATION:
The research, published in Nature Geoscience, was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and involved the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, the University of Padova, the INGV-Rome in Italy and the Kochi Core Center, Japan.
New insight may help predict volcanic eruption behavior
2014-05-04
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Functioning of aged brains and muscles in mice made younger
2014-05-04
Cambridge, MA, May 4 - Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers have shown that a protein they previously demonstrated can make the failing hearts in aging mice appear more like those of young health mice, similarly improves brain and skeletal muscle function in aging mice.
In two separate papers given early online release today by the journal Science – which is publishing the papers this coming Friday, Professors Amy Wagers and Lee Rubin, of Harvard's Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (HSCRB), report that injections of a protein known as GDF11, which ...
New study sheds light on global warming trends
2014-05-04
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — New research by a team of Florida State University scientists shows the first detailed look at global land surface warming trends over the last 100 years, illustrating precisely when and where different areas of the world started to warm up or cool down.
The research indicates that the world is indeed getting warmer, but historical records show that it hasn't happened everywhere at the same rate.
And that new information even took scientists by surprise.
"Global warming was not as understood as we thought," said Zhaohua Wu, an assistant professor ...
Motor cortex shown to play active role in learning movement patterns
2014-05-04
Skilled motor movements of the sort tennis players employ while serving a tennis ball or pianists use in playing a concerto, require precise interactions between the motor cortex and the rest of the brain. Neuroscientists had long assumed that the motor cortex functioned something like a piano keyboard.
"Every time you wanted to hear a specific note, there was a specific key to press," says Andrew Peters, a neurobiologist at UC San Diego's Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior. "In other words, every specific movement of a muscle required the activation of specific ...
Taking the lead out of a promising solar cell
2014-05-04
Northwestern University researchers are the first to develop a new solar cell with good efficiency that uses tin instead of lead perovskite as the harvester of light. The low-cost, environmentally friendly solar cell can be made easily using "bench" chemistry -- no fancy equipment or hazardous materials.
"This is a breakthrough in taking the lead out of a very promising type of solar cell, called a perovskite," said Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, an inorganic chemist with expertise in dealing with tin. "Tin is a very viable material, and we have shown the material does work ...
Study points to potential revision of treatment guidelines for bleeding ulcers
2014-05-04
Chicago, IL (May 4, 2014) — The current standard of care for managing patients who receive endoscopic treatment for bleeding ulcers should be replaced by an equally safe and less costly alternative that is more comfortable for patients, according to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW). Researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine compared the current recommended care plan — delivering an initial dose of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) followed by continuous PPI infusion — to a regimen using only intermittent PPI therapy, which was found to ...
Weight-loss surgery can reduce liver damage
2014-05-04
Chicago, IL (May 4, 2014) — Bariatric surgery, which is best known for its ability to help patients lose substantial weight, can also result in significant improvement in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW). Researchers at the University of South Florida-Tampa found that bariatric surgery resolved liver inflammation and reversed early-stage liver fibrosis, the thickening and scarring of liver tissue, by reducing fat deposits in the liver.
"About 30 percent of the U.S. population suffers ...
Setting the agenda for firearm injury research
2014-05-04
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Pediatric leaders and researchers will tackle the complex subject of gun violence and critical gaps in research during a symposium on Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The symposium, "Firearm Injury Prevention in Children: Setting the Research Agenda" will focus attention among child health researchers about the public health and social consequences of firearm injury in children, and to identify gaps in knowledge to inform a research agenda -- and ultimately prevention ...
Prophylactic antibiotics prevent UTI recurrences in children with vesicoureteral reflux
2014-05-04
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Children diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) following a urinary tract infection (UTI) are at risk for kidney scarring with subsequent UTIs. New research shows that children receiving antimicrobials over a two-year period to prevent infections (antimicrobial prophylaxis) had a substantially reduced risk of UTI recurrences compared with children receiving a placebo.
The study will be presented Sunday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The study also is published ...
Motivational interviewing can positively impact childhood obesity
2014-05-04
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Pediatricians and dietitians who used motivational interviewing techniques to counsel families about their young child's weight were successful in reducing children's body mass index (BMI) percentile 3.1 more points than comparison children over a 2-year period, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Motivational interviewing is a patient-centered communication style that uses techniques such as reflective listening and shared decision-making ...
Scores of bullying victims bringing weapons to school
2014-05-04
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – An estimated 200,000 high school students who are bullied bring weapons to school, according to research to be presented Sunday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Researchers also found that youths who have been victimized in multiple ways are up to 31 times more likely to carry a weapon to school than those who have not been bullied.
"Victims of bullying who have been threatened, engaged in a fight, injured, or had property stolen or damaged are much more likely to ...