The volcano Uturuncu, located in the central Andes, appears to have risen from the dead. Although the volcano has not erupted in more than 250,000 years, it has recently shown signs of activity similar to an active volcano. Uturuncu is unlikely to erupt for some time, but analyzing its activities can help procure and prepare for the rise of other volcanoes.
Uturum of the Dead
Uturuncu is called a zombie volcano. This means that, “although technically dead,” the volcano shows signs of turmoil, including earthquakes and gas feathers. ” Oxford University. According to a study published in the Journal PNAS.
For decades, volcanoes have been Earthquake activitiesincluding “small earthquakes and unique ‘sombrero’ ground deformation pattern, the center of the volcano slowly rises while the surrounding areas sink.” BBC. The study attributes activity to “shallow water systems under the volcano, where hot water migrates upward to the ground” Science Alert. “Below the crater is a reservoir where gas is accumulating, pushing the surface upward at a rate of about 1 cm (0.4 inches) per year.”
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Volcanoes pass through life cycle. They tend to “go through a catastrophic phase of activeness first, a more drowsy dormant phase until they eventually become extinct.” Popular Mechanics. “Dormanent volcanoes usually show little activity, and are concerned about Uturuncu unless they are on the inevitable path to eruption. Fortunately, the chances of eruption are low. “A bad sign will be an increase in seismicity, which then begins to migrate from depth to shallower depths,” said Mike Kendall, director of the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford University and a co-author of the study. CNN. “We didn’t see anything like this,” he said. “It looks like it’s just dehydration of the volcano, put down the steam and calm down, if anything.”
Night of active volcano
Although we may be safe from UTURUNCU for the moment, the findings from this study are still valuable. “It’s still going on,” said Matthew Pritchard, a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in Cornell’s engineering. Cornell University. “The UTURUNCU process is particularly interesting because they tell us about liquids and gases that may become or even today’s gases-mineral reservoirs that may be useful for technology.” Hydrothermal systems under the surface may cause Valuable metal Just like copper, nickel and platinum, all of this is used in today’s technology. Further research may also lead to a new approach to harnessing geothermal energy.
Uturuncu is not the only zombie volcano that exists. “For more than a decade, the Global Volcanism Project has recorded about 50 zombie volcanoes about 12,000 years, but 2.6 million years younger,” CNN said. In Bolivia alone, there are about 12 dormant volcanoes, and any day may be reborn. Oxford Release said the researchers hope the method used in the study could be “used to view the anatomy of other volcanic systems in the future.”
