PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

2022 Hunga-Tonga eruption triggered fast and destructive submarine volcanic flows

2023-09-07
(Press-News.org) In 2022, the eruption of the submerged Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha apai volcano triggered a fast-moving and destructive underwater debris flow that severed telecommunication cables and reshaped the surrounding seafloor. The findings – representing some of the first fieldwork to document what happens when large volumes of erupted volcanic material are delivered directly into the ocean – provide new insights into the behavior and hazards of submerged volcanoes. Explosive volcanic eruptions on land create pyroclastic flows of hot ash and rock that, when they reach the ocean, can trigger damaging tsunamis, surges, and turbidity currents. This creates hazards for underwater infrastructure and marine biological communities. However, it is estimated that the majority of Earth’s volcanoes are underwater. Despite this, explosive underwater eruptions are poorly understood, limiting the grasp of associated risks. Michael Clare and colleagues address this knowledge gap by evaluating observations of underwater volcaniclastic flows triggered during the 2022 Hunga eruption in Tonga, which destroyed nearly 200 kilometers of crucial subsea telecommunications cables. Combining data from the timing and extent of cable breaks, repeated bathymetric surveys, eruption observations, and rock core sampling, Clare et al. show that the rock and ash ejected during the Hunga eruption collapsed vertically and directly into the ocean and traveled as an extremely fast-moving and highly destructive underwater debris flow. According to the findings, the submarine density current traveled more than 100 kilometers across the seafloor, reaching speeds of 122 kilometers per hour. What’s more, the volcanoclastic currents reshaped the seafloor around the Hunga volcano, excavating >100-meter-deep scours and channels into the surrounding seabed. Similar landforms observed around many other submerged volcanoes suggest that powerful underwater flows have occurred during large eruptions at other sites worldwide. “Ultimately, the Hunga volcano will be a vital case study for better understanding the risk that undersea and shallow-water volcanoes pose to the submarine environment and critical seafloor infrastructure,” write Rebecca Williams and Pete Rowley in a related Perspective.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Are large corporations upholding their conservation promises?

2023-09-07
Large transnational corporations (TNCs) are positioning themselves as environmental leaders, carrying out environmental restoration projects that go beyond their legal obligations. However, some corporations oversell their efforts. In this Policy Forum, Timothy Lamont and colleagues present an evaluation of sustainability reports of 100 of the world’s largest businesses, revealing the extent to which TNCs are claiming to contribute to, but failing to report on, ecosystem restoration. “Increased rigor, consistency, transparency, and accountability are needed to ensure that corporate-led restoration delivers quantifiable, ...

Nudging food delivery customers to skip the fork drastically cuts plastic waste, study shows

2023-09-07
In 2021, more than 400 million metric tons of plastic waste were produced worldwide, and it is predicted that the world’s plastic waste growth will continue to outpace the efforts to reduce plastic pollution in the coming decades. As food delivery services became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge in plastic waste generated by single-use cutlery has become a key environmental challenge for many countries. A new study finds “green nudges” that encouraged customers to skip asking for cutlery with their delivery orders were dramatically successful and could be a powerful policy tool to reduce plastic waste. “Few policies target plastic waste ...

First device to monitor transplanted organs detects early signs of rejection

First device to monitor transplanted organs detects early signs of rejection
2023-09-07
A body can reject a transplanted organ at any time — even decades later Signs of rejection must be caught early to intervene, preserve the organ Current monitoring methods are intermittent, imperfect and sometimes invasive New implant offers continuous monitoring by tracking the organ’s temperature When temperatures change, an alert is sent to a smartphone or tablet in real time EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern University researchers have developed the first electronic device for continuously monitoring ...

Fiber from crustaceans, insects, mushrooms promotes digestion

2023-09-07
Who can forget the stomach-churning moments when “Survivor” contestants forced down crunchy insects, among other unappetizing edibles, for a chance to win $1 million? In daring culinary challenges, the TV show’s contestants exhibited gastronomic bravery as viewers watched in discomfort. Digesting a crunchy critter starts with the audible grinding of its rigid protective covering — the exoskeleton. Unpalatable as it may sound, the hard cover might be good for the metabolism, according to a new study, in mice, from Washington University School of Medicine ...

They fall more easily for conspiracy theories

They fall more easily for conspiracy theories
2023-09-07
People who primarily use their own gut feeling to determine what is true and false are more likely to believe conspiracy theories. That is the conclusion of researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, who have investigated the relationship between susceptibility to misleading information and the conviction that the truth is relative.  “I think many people who emphasise a more relativistic view of what truth is mean well. They believe that it’s important that everyone should be able to make their voice heard. But these results show that such a view can actually be quite dangerous,” says PhD student ...

Almoosa Specialist Hospital is first to be certified as a Comprehensive Chest Pain Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2023-09-07
DALLAS and Al Mubarraz, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, September 7, 2023 — Almoosa Specialist Hospital, in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia has been recognized by the American Heart Association, the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, as a the first Comprehensive Chest Pain Center in the country. This designation signifies the hospital’s status as a critical element in the kingdom’s effort to create a system of healthcare that seeks to save lives in Saudi Arabia by closing the gaps ...

Psilocybin – a promising therapy for treatment-resistant depression?

2023-09-07
September 7, 2023 – A growing body of evidence suggests that psychedelic drugs may be useful in treating various mental health conditions. However, many challenges remain in defining their clinical benefits and overcoming the complex regulatory obstacles to their use. The September issue of Journal of Psychiatric Practice presents a research review and update on therapeutic use of psychedelics – focusing on the use of psilocybin for treatment of depression. The journal is published in ...

NASA’s Swift learns a new trick, spots a snacking black hole

NASA’s Swift learns a new trick, spots a snacking black hole
2023-09-07
Using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which launched in 2004, scientists have discovered a black hole in a distant galaxy repeatedly nibbling on a Sun-like star. The object heralds a new era of Swift science made possible by a novel method for analyzing data from the satellite’s X-ray Telescope (XRT). “Swift’s hardware, software, and the skills of its international team have enabled it to adapt to new areas of astrophysics over its lifetime,” said Phil Evans, an astrophysicist at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and longtime Swift team member. “Neil Gehrels, the ...

U of M study suggests hepatitis C patients should consider revaccination for hepatitis B

2023-09-07
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (09/07/2023) — Recently published research from the University of Minnesota Medical School suggests individuals with hepatitis C should consider revaccination for hepatitis B. The study was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Previous research has shown individuals with hepatitis C infection have a lower response to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine.  “This study has broad implications for public health in hepatitis-infected individuals,” said Jose Debes, MD, PhD, an ...

NYU Tandon School of Engineering researchers develop hurricane power outage prediction model that outperforms traditional methods

2023-09-07
Utility companies are generally well-equipped to handle routine blackouts, but often struggle with extreme weather events like hurricanes.  Conventional hurricane power-outage prediction models often produce incomplete or incorrect results, hampering companies’ abilities to prepare to restore power as quickly as possible, especially in cities that are susceptible to prolonged hurricane-induced power outages.  New research from NYU Tandon School of Engineering may help solve that problem. By combining wind speed and precipitation ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] 2022 Hunga-Tonga eruption triggered fast and destructive submarine volcanic flows