No such thing as a dormant volcano? Magma chambers awake sooner than thought
Friday, March 4, 2011 - 13:30
in Earth & Climate
Until now it was thought that once a volcano's magma chamber had cooled down it remained dormant for centuries before it could be remobilized by fresh magma. A theoretical model was tested on two major eruptions and completely overturned this hypothesis: the reawakening of a chamber could take place in just a few months. This research should lead to a reassessment of the dangerousness of some dormant volcanoes.