[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

We’ll email you as it develops, and you can follow the whole thread from day one.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

4 clusters · 9 sources · 33 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: INTERNATIONAL · TECHNOLOGY

Magma superheating drives Tajogaite eruptions

Entities: CSIC · University of La Laguna · Instituto Geográfico Nacional · University of Manchester · Volcán Tajogaite

Overview

Initial laboratory work by the University of Manchester showed that elevated magma temperatures can suppress crystal nucleation for many hours, keeping magma fluid and retaining gas, which fosters explosive behavior. Field data from the 85‑day 2021 Tajogaite eruption later confirmed a superheated magma “blob” rising from a deep source 5–8 km below the surface without a pre‑existing conduit, preserving low viscosity until rapid degassing produced ash‑rich eruption columns.

A 2026 study extended this work by examining near‑intact magma samples with X‑ray micro‑tomography, identifying a stratified reservoir of a cooler, water‑rich upper layer (~1,065 °C) and a hotter, drier lower layer (~1,135 °C). The superheated lower layer delayed crystal formation, showing such conditions can persist for years and allow silent re‑activation over a decade‑plus.

Further analysis of the September‑2021 eruption, involving 80 rock samples from Manchester, La Laguna, CSIC and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional, quantified the crystallisation delay: normal magma begins to crystallise within ~20 minutes, whereas superheated magma may remain fluid for over eight hours. This prolonged fluidity enables gas buildup that can convert an otherwise effusive flow into an explosive ash column. The research also linked the eruption to a decade of undetected uplift with no seismic precursors, highlighting the importance of monitoring deep‑source temperature, deformation and gas signatures for improved hazard forecasts on La Palma.

Timeline

  1. 4 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Tajogaite Volcano Study Reveals Superheated Magma Mechanics

    Research on La Palma’s 2021 Tajogaite eruption found superheated magma can delay crystallisation for hours, turning fluid lava into explosive eruptions, and revealed a decade‑long silent magma re‑activation.

  2. 7 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    La Palma volcano magma study reveals superheating that drives explosive eruptions

    Scientists studying 2021 La Palma eruption samples found superheated tephritic magma delayed crystallization, producing fluid, explosive eruptions and exposing a layered, decade‑long magma reservoir.

  3. 19 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    La Palma's Tajogaite volcano magma study links superheating to explosive eruptions

    Research on La Palma's 2021 Tajogaite eruption shows superheated, seed‑free magma caused delayed crystallization and explosive eruptions, suggesting new parameters for volcanic warning systems.

  4. about 1 month ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Manchester researchers find magma temperature drives volcanic eruption intensity

    Manchester study shows magma overheating delays crystal formation, increasing explosivity, based on experiments replicating the 2021 La Palma eruption.

Sources

evreninsesi.com · medicalfacts.it · meteored.cl · meteored.com.ar · neysoftballs.com · punjanetwork.com · tempo.com · torreonnoticias.com · yourathletics.com