Volcano Uturuncu
A new research explains the constant earthquakes in the Uturuncu volcano region and calms the fears that an eruption is soon.
The Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia, also known as the Zombie volcano, intrigues scientists for decades with signs of underground agitation, despite has not erupted for 250 000 years.
Now a new one published on April 28 at PNAS resolved this mystery and made the forces that act under its surface clear.
Located on the Andes, at an altitude of 6008 meters, Uturuncu is a huge stratum – a type known as explosive eruptions. Since the 1990s, satellite and GPS data have revealed that the earth around Uturuncu is deform itself in a pattern of “Sombrero”with a central elevation surrounded by areas of sinking soil. In addition, frequent earthquakes and carbon dioxide clouds have increased fears about a possible eruption.
Initially, scientists speculated that a growing magmatic body It could be causing these disturbances, potentially signaling that the volcano was awakening. Uturuncu is above the highly magma Body (APMB) altiplane, an immense underground reservoir of melted rock that extends under part of Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, which has raised concerns that magma may be rising towards the surface, reports.
However, after analyzing data from more than 1700 earthquakes and studying the geological characteristics of the region, the researchers determined that the activity is not due to the accumulation of magma.
Instead, they found that hot fluids and gases are rising from APMB through a narrow channelsimilar to a chimney, under Uturuncu. This process retains gases such as vapor and co₂ under the summit and causes salt water to spread horizontally through the surrounding slits, explaining soil deformation and seismic activity.
“This not only explains why a” Zombie “volcano remains active, but also gives clues about its eruption potential,” the investigators wrote. The findings suggest that although Uturuncu is active with underground movements, You are not preparing for an eruption catastrophic.
The methodology of the new study can also be vital to monitor other volcanoes around the world. “The methods presented in this article can be applied to more than 1400 potentially active volcanoes And to dozens of volcanoes like Uturuncu, who are not considered active but show signs of life, ”said co-author Matthew Pritchard, professor of geophysics at Cornell University.
For now, it seems that Uturuncu’s restless sleep will continue – but without danger of eruption.
