Volcanoes Like Mount Hood Can Quickly Become Active
Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 19:31
in Earth & Climate
Magma sitting 4-5 kilometers beneath the surface of Oregon's Mount Hood has been stored in near-solid conditions for thousands of years but that doesn't mean it won't change rapidly. The time it takes to liquefy and potentially erupt is surprisingly short - perhaps as short as a few months. The key seems to be elevation of the temperature of the rock to more than 750 degrees Celsius, which can happen when hot magma from deep within the Earth's crust rises to the surface. It was the mixing of hot liquid lava with cooler solid magma that triggered Mount Hood's last two eruptions about 220 and 1,500 years ago, said Adam Kent, an Oregon State University (OSU) geologist and co-author of a paper reporting the new findings. read more
