New study to help officials predict impact of future volcanic eruptions

MANCHESTER, England, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A team of researchers in England and Italy recently teamed up to analyze the role magmatic crystal formation plays in determining the severity of volcanic eruptions. Scientists shared their findings in a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

"This Manchester-led study examined the behaviour of basalt magmas so we can better forecast the impact of future volcanic eruptions," Mike Burton, a professor of volcanology at the University of Manchester's School of Earth and Environmental Science, said in a news release. "Studying how these magmas erupts will put us in a better position to judge impacts and will help policy-makers during crises."

For inhabitants of Western Europe, the largest threat posed by nearby volcanoes is the risk of gas and aerosol inhalation. Scientists hope their new prediction model will help officials better predict the risk of exposure in the wake of an eruption.

As revealed by the latest analysis, different types of crystals and their abundance levels are correlated with different types of basaltic eruptions.

"During a volcanic eruption magma ascends so quickly that crystals which are trying to form don't have time to do so," Burton explained. "In our work we use a combination of modelling and observations of the 2001 eruption of Mount Etna to calculate the growth rate of crystals during ascent, a key parameter in modelling future eruptions."