Volcanologist Answers Volcano Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

Volcano Eruptions and Activity

• Mount Vesuvius last erupted in 1944. (30s)
• The volcano that has erupted most continuously is the Santiago volcano in Guatemala, which has been erupting since 1902. (10m16s)
• Volcanoes are categorized as potentially active, active (currently erupting), or extinct, with dormant volcanoes considered potentially active as they could erupt again. (13m49s)
• Volcanic ash can disrupt flights because the ash particles, when heated in airplane engines, can turn into a magma-like substance that can damage the engines. (16m40s)
• The explosivity of a volcano is influenced by the type of magma and its gas content. For instance, Kilauea's magma allows for gas to escape easily, resulting in less explosive eruptions, while other magmas trap gas, leading to pressure build-up and explosive eruptions. (19m8s)

Volcano Formation and Location

• Volcanoes transported water and oxygen from the interior of the Earth to the outside. (1m30s)
• The Earth is not expanding despite volcanic activity creating new landmasses because plate tectonics simultaneously forces plates under one another, destroying land and keeping the Earth's size stable. (15m49s)
• The Ring of Fire, marked by plate boundaries where one plate is forced under another, is located around the Pacific Ocean and is known for its high concentration of explosive volcanoes. (18m34s)
• The Ring of Fire, a zone surrounding the Pacific Plate, is characterized by a high concentration of volcanoes due to plate boundaries. (18m53s)
• Magma is not universally present beneath the Earth's crust; it forms under specific conditions. In subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another, heat and pressure force fluids from the descending plate, creating conditions for magma generation. (20m37s)

Volcano Characteristics and Phenomena

• The blue color seen at the Indonesian volcano Kawah Ijen is from the combustion of sulfuric gases. (2m7s)
• The tallest volcano, when measured from its base on the sea floor, is either Mona Loa or Mauna Kea in Hawaii. (7m10s)
• The tallest volcano, when measured from sea level, is Nevada do Ojos del Salado in the Andes mountain range. (7m47s)
• Obsidian was used as a cutting tool by various cultures, including Native Americans in South America and the Māori people of New Zealand. (12m51s)
• Volcanic lightning is created when ash ejected during an eruption carries an electrostatic charge, and the differences in charges within the ash plume generate lightning. (13m11s)
• While volcanoes don't communicate through sound like in the movie "Lava," nearby magmatic systems can impact each other through ground vibrations and movements. (17m10s)