Edge Hill lecturer helps predict volcano activity
AN EDGE HILL academic is among a team of scientists who have developed a new technique to help predict when a volcano is most likely to erupt.
With the help of scientists from the Open University and the University of Edinburgh, Dr Joaquin Cortes, senior lecturer in geography at Edge Hill University and Dr Stephen Blake, a reader in volcanology at The Open University have coauthored the research.
The study aims to help predict eruptions based on measurements of how much the nearby ground swells, or inflates.
This is because gradual inflation of the ground often occurs before an eruption and is a wellknown phenomenon at many active volcanoes.
The cause of the swelling is attributable to pressurised magma accumulating within a shallow chamber and usually culminates in a rapid deflation caused by magma escaping from the chamber, which could produce a volcanic eruption.
Through analysing this activity at Krafla volcano in Iceland, the team of scientists found that the time when eruptions started was closely related to the changing rate of ground swelling, which can be measured ahead of time and used to make forecasts.
Speaking of the findings, Dr Cortes said: “Although our methodology has been applied to a specific type of eruption triggering at Krafla volcano, we are currently working to develop a more general approach, which will have deep implications on monitoring other active volcanoes.”