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volcanoes

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geophysics

Scientists Unravel How the Tonga Volcano Caused Global Tsunamis

By Robin George Andrews
April 13, 2022
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The Tonga eruption in January was “basically like Krakatoa 2.” This time, geophysicists could explain the tiny tsunamis that cropped up all over the planet, solving a 139-year-old mystery about Tonga’s predecessor.

A 3D model showing red plumes in the mantle.
geophysics

A Massive Subterranean ‘Tree’ Is Moving Magma to Earth’s Surface

By Robin George Andrews
September 15, 2021
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Deep in the mantle, a branching plume of intensely hot material appears to be the engine powering vast volcanic activity.

Lava bubbling out of the top of a volcano.
geophysics

A Burp or a Blast? Seismic Signals Reveal the Volcanic Eruption to Come

By Robin George Andrews
June 1, 2021
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Scientists have begun to decipher the subtle signs that reveal how explosive a volcanic eruption is going to be.

planetary science

Iceland’s Eruptions Reveal the Hot History of Mars

By Robin George Andrews
April 6, 2021
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The new volcanic fissures are more otherworldly than they first appear.

A mosaic of five microscope images of igneous rocks. The rocks are dappled with blue, pink, orange and multicolor inclusions.
geology

Scientists Pin Down When Earth’s Crust Cracked, Then Came to Life

By Howard Lee
March 25, 2021
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New data indicating that Earth’s surface broke up about 3.2 billion years ago helps clarify how plate tectonics drove the evolution of complex life.

Paleontologist Pincelli Hull
Q&A

A Rapid End Strikes the Dinosaur Extinction Debate

By Joshua Sokol
March 25, 2020
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The paleontologist Pincelli Hull has nailed down the timing and speed of the extinction that killed off the dinosaurs — details that carry ominous warnings for today.

A man standing in the Arctic tundra holds up a large photo of a swamp.
geology

Sudden Ancient Global Warming Event Traced to Magma Flood

By Howard Lee
March 19, 2020
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A study has cemented the link between an intense global warming episode 56 million years ago and volcanism in the North Atlantic, with implications for modern climate change.

Spinning globe highlighting LLVSPs.
geophysics

Continents of the Underworld Come Into Focus

By Joshua Sokol
January 7, 2020
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Giant blobs nestled deep in the Earth may influence everything from the structure of island chains to mass-extinction events.

Rosaly Lopes above one of the lava lakes at Ambrym, an exceptionally active volcano in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.
Q&A

To Understand Volcanoes on Other Worlds, Stand On Our Own

By Shannon Hall
August 28, 2018
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Rosaly Lopes has visited dozens of active volcanoes on Earth and discovered even more elsewhere in the solar system. Her work is helping to establish whether volcanoes on distant moons could create conditions friendly to life.


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