Volcanic activity can range from gaseous emissions with nonexplosive lava all the way to what is known as super-eruptions. Super-eruptions are massive and explosive and have widespread and sometimes global implications. They can also pose risks to the environment. A team of researchers studied deposits from an ancient super-eruption in the Central Andes to provide new information about what happens just before the eruption takes place. The team recently published its findings in Nature. Marissa Tremblay, assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in Purdue University\u2019s College of Science, was part of the team and used geochronology to help determine the outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Purdue professor\u2019s expertise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Marissa Tremblay<\/a> is a noble gas geochemist interested in understanding the physical and chemical processes that shape the surface of the Earth and other planetary bodies. Her research centers on the development and application of geochemical techniques involving noble gases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Journal name<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nature (Link to Article: https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-022-04921-9<\/a>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There was no funding to Purdue associated with this research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brief summary of methods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The team used careful measurements of argon gas inside crystals from deposits of ancient super-eruptions in the Central Andes to provide new information about what happens just before a super-eruption takes place. They were able to use this new data and models to say how fast and in what ways the subsurface plumbing system of a large volcano changes that can lead to a super-eruption. This discovery may lead to better predictability of future super-eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today\u2019s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at\u00a0https:\/\/stories.purdue.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\nAbout Purdue University<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n