Featured
-
-
Article |
Plume-driven recratonization of deep continental lithospheric mantle
Upwelling of mantle plumes is proposed as a mechanism for craton healing after substantial disruption of their roots, enabling them to return to their original lithospheric thickness.
- Jingao Liu
- , D. Graham Pearson
- & John P. Armstrong
-
Article |
Dynamics of large effusive eruptions driven by caldera collapse
A model for eruptions resulting in caldera collapse reconciles observations of quasi-periodic stick–slip events along annular faults and the large erupted volumes characteristic of such events, highlighting the role of topography-generated pressures.
- Alberto Roman
- & Paul Lundgren
-
Article |
Earthquakes indicated magma viscosity during Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption
Rotated fault-plane solutions in earthquake swarms at volcanoes could provide an early indication of relatively viscous magma, and hence of the style and hazard potential of an impending eruption.
- D. C. Roman
- , A. Soldati
- & B. R. Shiro
-
Article |
The lithospheric-to-lower-mantle carbon cycle recorded in superdeep diamonds
Oxygen isotope measurements of mineral inclusions in superdeep diamonds indicate that carbonated igneous oceanic crust is the primary carbon-bearing reservoir in slabs subducted to deep-lithospheric and transition-zone depths.
- M. E. Regier
- , D. G. Pearson
- & J. W. Harris
-
Article |
Variable water input controls evolution of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc
Serpentine subducted below the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc supplies water to the arc, controlling the location of seismicity, volcanic productivity and thickness of crust.
- George F. Cooper
- , Colin G. Macpherson
- & Marjorie Wilson
-
News Feature |
The new science of volcanoes harnesses AI, satellites and gas sensors to forecast eruptions
Forty years after the Mount St Helens eruption galvanized volcano researchers, they are using powerful new tools to spy on the world’s most dangerous mountains.
- Jane Palmer
-
News & Views |
When it rains, lava pours
Early 2018 saw unusually heavy rainfall in Hawaii. Modelling now suggests that groundwater pressure increased owing to rainfall: this might have triggered changes in the eruption of the island’s Kīlauea volcano.
- Michael Manga
-
Article |
Extreme rainfall triggered the 2018 rift eruption at Kīlauea Volcano
Immediately before and during the eruption of Kīlauea Volcano in May 2018, anomalously high rainfall increased the pore pressure in the subsurface to its highest level in 50 years, causing weakening and mechanical failure of the edifice.
- Jamie I. Farquharson
- & Falk Amelung
-
News & Views |
Nitrogen variations in the mantle might have survived since Earth’s formation
A method for identifying atmospheric contamination of volcanic-gas samples reveals variations in the isotopic composition of nitrogen in the mantle, and provides a clearer view of the origins of this element in Earth’s interior.
- Rita Parai
-
Article |
Hydrothermal 15N15N abundances constrain the origins of mantle nitrogen
A rare nitrogen isotopologue is used to detect contamination by air in volcanic gas effusions, and thereby derive the isotopic compositions of mantle endmembers.
- J. Labidi
- , P. H. Barry
- & E. D. Young
-
Article |
Intraplate volcanism originating from upwelling hydrous mantle transition zone
The widespread intraplate volcanism in northeast China and the unusual ‘petit-spot’ volcanoes offshore Japan could have resulted from the interaction of the subducting Pacific slab with a hydrous mantle transition zone.
- Jianfeng Yang
- & Manuele Faccenda
-
Research Highlight |
Old tapes reveal new details of a deadly volcanic outburst
Scientific sleuthing uncovers data from the run-up to a massive blast at Mount St. Helens.
-
News Round-Up |
Alarm over China virus, extreme Arctic warming and a volcano on alert
The latest science news, in brief.
-
News |
Scientists fear major volcanic eruption in the Philippines
Activity on the volcanic island Taal has eased, but scientists say the threat is far from over.
- Smriti Mallapaty
-
Research Highlight |
Volcanic ash reveals historic eruption’s epic scale
The explosive outburst in what is now Peru was much bigger than scientists had realized.
-
News Round-Up |
Thousand-author papers, lab outbreaks and a prisoner exchange
The latest science news, in brief.
-
Research Highlight |
Europe’s most active volcano reveals its strength through low rumbles
An analysis of sound waves from Mount Etna showcases a method that could aid volcano monitoring worldwide.
-
Letter |
Deep roots for mid-ocean-ridge volcanoes revealed by plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions
Volatile contents of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions from volcanoes at the Gakkel mid-ocean ridge suggest that magmatic crystallization extends to depths of 16 kilometres, much deeper than suggested by olivine-hosted melt inclusions.
- Emma N. Bennett
- , Frances E. Jenner
- & C. Johan Lissenberg
-
Correspondence |
Preserve Mount Vesuvius history in digging out Pompeii’s
- Roberto Scandone
- , Lisetta Giacomelli
- & Christopher Kilburn
-
Article |
Forearc carbon sink reduces long-term volatile recycling into the mantle
In the forearc regions of Costa Rica, helium and carbon isotope data reveal that about 20 per cent less carbon is being transported into the deep mantle than previously thought.
- P. H. Barry
- , J. M. de Moor
- & K. G. Lloyd
-
Nature Video |
The secret of volcanic flows’ deadly speed
Hot mixture of rock and ash slides on thin layer of air.
- Shamini Bundell
-
News |
How AI and satellites could help predict volcanic eruptions
Emerging monitoring methods will allow scientists to keep an eye on many more volcanoes.
- Alexandra Witze
-
Letter |
Chemical differentiation, cold storage and remobilization of magma in the Earth’s crust
Magma storage and differentiation in the Earth’s crust mainly occurs by reactive melt flow in long-lived mush reservoirs, rather than by fractional crystallization in magma chambers, as previously thought.
- M. D. Jackson
- , J. Blundy
- & R. S. J. Sparks
-
News |
World’s first automated volcano forecast predicts Mount Etna’s eruptions
System tracks infrasound waves to determine when an eruption is imminent — and alerts the Italian government.
- Shannon Hall
-
Letter |
Low-temperature crystallization of granites and the implications for crustal magmatism
Thermobarometry and diffusion modelling in quartz crystals show that some granites may crystallize at much lower temperatures than we had thought, possibly explaining observations of cold magma storage.
- Michael R. Ackerson
- , B. O. Mysen
- & E. B. Watson
-
News |
Hawaii volcano eruption holds clues to predicting similar events elsewhere
Scientists scramble to analyse data from Kilauea, which shot ash 9 kilometres into the atmosphere.
- Sara Reardon
-
Letter |
Timing of oceans on Mars from shoreline deformation
Ancient shorelines on Mars must have formed before and during the emplacement of the Tharsis volcanic province, instead of afterwards as previously assumed, suggesting that oceans on Mars formed early.
- Robert I. Citron
- , Michael Manga
- & Douglas J. Hemingway
-
Letter |
Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago
Youngest Toba Tuff glass shards found together with evidence of human occupation at two archaeological sites from the southern coast of South Africa indicate that early modern humans thrived in this region despite the eruption of the Toba supervolcano about 74,000 years ago.
- Eugene I. Smith
- , Zenobia Jacobs
- & Curtis W. Marean
-
News |
Volcanologists warn world is unprepared for next major eruption
A big blast could hobble global trade, communications and financial systems.
- Alexandra Witze
-
Letter |
Hadean silicate differentiation preserved by anomalous 142Nd/144Nd ratios in the Réunion hotspot source
Neodymium-142 isotope data from young Réunion Island volcanic rocks reflect the effects of geological processes that occurred more than four billion years ago, showing that the deep mantle may preserve geochemical signatures of the primordial Earth.
- Bradley J. Peters
- , Richard W. Carlson
- & Mary F. Horan
-
Letter |
A compositional tipping point governing the mobilization and eruption style of rhyolitic magma
Measurements of the composition-dependent viscosity of rhyolitic magma reveal a tipping point that changes the physical properties of the melt and controls the transition between effusive and explosive eruptions.
- D. Di Genova
- , S. Kolzenburg
- & D. B. Dingwell
-
Research Highlight |
‘Super-eruption’ timing gets an update — and not in humanity’s favour
Civilizations face threat from enormous ash falls and climate-altering particles.
-
News |
Iceland drilling project aims to unearth how islands form
Scientists will look into the heart of Surtsey, an island created 50 years ago by a volcanic eruption.
- Alexandra Witze
-
Article |
Strong constraints on aerosol–cloud interactions from volcanic eruptions
Investigations of an Icelandic volcanic eruption confirm that sulfate aerosols caused a discernible yet transient brightening effect, as predicted, but their effect on the liquid water path was unexpectedly negligible.
- Florent F. Malavelle
- , Jim M. Haywood
- & Thorvaldur Thordarson
-
Letter |
Multi-phase volcanic resurfacing at Loki Patera on Io
Interferometric telescope observations of the Jovian moon Io reveal that the floor of the Loki Patera volcano has been resurfaced in two waves, with different starting times and velocities.
- K. de Kleer
- , M. Skrutskie
- & C. E. Woodward
-
News |
An expensive dodo, an even more expensive telescope, and a ‘fog rainbow’
November’s sharpest science shots, selected by Nature’s photo team.
- Daniel Cressey
-
Letter |
Implications for metal and volatile cycles from the pH of subduction zone fluids
A thermodynamic model of fluid pH and its variability in Earth’s mantle and subducting crust highlights chemical feedbacks that connect deep Earth to surface processes.
- Matthieu E. Galvez
- , James A. D. Connolly
- & Craig E. Manning
-
Letter |
Dynamics of a seafloor-spreading episode at the East Pacific Rise
Seismic observations clarify the roles of magma pressure and tectonic stress in the development of seafloor spreading during the most recent eruption at the East Pacific Rise.
- Yen Joe Tan
- , Maya Tolstoy
- & William S. D. Wilcock
-
News |
Effort to wrangle geoscience data faces uncertain future
Five years in, the US EarthCube programme has struggled to deliver on its promises.
- Alexandra Witze
-
News |
Magma slides stealthily beneath New Zealand
Chamber accumulates off the main volcanic zone, raising questions about volcano hazards.
- Alexandra Witze
-
News |
North Korea lets scientists peer inside dangerous volcano
Seismic images from an unprecedented international collaboration hint at future eruption hazards.
- Alexandra Witze
-
Letter |
Bubble accumulation and its role in the evolution of magma reservoirs in the upper crust
Here, the authors model the fluid dynamics that controls the transport of the magmatic volatile phase (MVP) in crystal-rich and crystal-poor magmas; they find that the MVP tends to migrate efficiently in crystal-rich parts of a magma reservoir but to accumulate in crystal-poor parts—possibly explaining why crystal-poor silicic magmas are particularly prone to erupting.
- A. Parmigiani
- , S. Faroughi
- & Y. Su
-
News & Views |
Gravity measurements on chips
Gravimeters have applications ranging from oil exploration to the detection of underground tunnels, but size and lack of portability have limited their field use. A device the size of a postage stamp promises fresh opportunities. See Letter p.614
- Hazel Rymer
-
Letter |
Measurement of the Earth tides with a MEMS gravimeter
A light-weight, low-cost microelectromechanical system gravimeter is presented with sensitivity and stability high enough to measure the elastic deformation of the Earth’s crust as a result of tidal forces, enabling many applications.
- R. P. Middlemiss
- , A. Samarelli
- & G. D. Hammond
-
Books & Arts |
Books in brief
Barbara Kiser reviews five of the week's best science picks.
- Barbara Kiser
-
Letter |
Late Tharsis formation and implications for early Mars
By calculating the rotational figure of Mars and its surface topography before the Tharsis volcanic region caused true polar wander, it is shown that Tharsis formed during the Noachian and Hesperian periods at about the same time as the valley networks; early Mars climate simulations suggest icy precipitation in a latitudinal band in the southern hemisphere.
- Sylvain Bouley
- , David Baratoux
- & Francois Costard
-
News |
'Cave of forgotten dreams' may hold earliest painting of volcanic eruption
France's iconic Chauvet cave holds mysterious spray-shaped imagery, made around the time when nearby volcanoes were spewing lava.
- Ewen Callaway
-
Letter |
Thermal vesiculation during volcanic eruptions
A textural examination of volcanic ash erupted from Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala coupled with an analysis of the geophysical signals indicates that rapid heating during fault friction can cause melting and vesiculation (development of bubbles) of hydrated silicic magma, thus strongly affecting magma strength and eruptive behaviour.
- Yan Lavallée
- , Donald B. Dingwell
- & Gustavo Chigna
-
News |
Nature's news quiz: gene-edited animals, the world's biggest volcano, and a sense of fair play
Have you been paying attention to the science news?