Manchester Scientists Link 8-Hour Crystal Delay to Towering Lava Fountains
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 1
Manchester Scientists Link 8-Hour Crystal Delay to Towering Lava Fountains
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 1
Summary
Nature Communications research on La Palma’s 2021 Tajogaite eruption found superheated magma can suppress crystal formation for more than eight hours, a delay the team says can help drive towering lava fountains.
Extreme heat dissolves tiny crystal “seeds” and makes magma’s internal structure more uniform, keeping it fluid longer as it rises and changing how easily volcanic gases escape.
Laboratory tests showed non-superheated magma began crystallizing after about 20 minutes, while synchrotron imaging and follow-up experiments tracked the much longer delay under volcanic heat and pressure.
Numerical models indicated that delayed crystallization lets magma ascend faster and erupt more explosively, while earlier crystal growth thickens magma, slows ascent and favors gentler lava outpourings.
The researchers said volcanic hazard models may need to weigh magma’s thermal history alongside chemistry, gas content and pressure to better forecast eruption behavior.