Rare melt key to ‘Ring of Fire’
Monday, October 11, 2010 - 16:20
in Earth & Climate
Scientists have discovered the explanation for why the world's explosive volcanoes are confined to bands only a few tens of kilometers wide, such as those along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. Most of the molten rock that comes out of these volcanoes is rich in water, but the team has shown that the volcanoes are aligned above narrow regions in the mantle where water-free melting can take place.