Africa-Press – Rwanda. Despite frequent eruptions, volcanologists misinterpreted the seismic data several times, erroneously thinking that the source of the volcano’s magma lay close to the surface.
Scientists from Monash University in Australia believe they have finally discovered the true source of the magma that Kilauea, Earth’s most active volcano located in Hawaii, has been spewing.
Previously, they considered a shallow chamber located 11 kilometres under the surface to be the source for the frequent eruptions. However, recent studies showed that the magma came from a chamber located as deep as 100 kilometres underground.
The previous evaluation was based on the seismic waves registered back in 2014, but upon studying the composition of the magma, the scientists realised that the volcano’s “heart” must lie much deeper. A closer look revealed that it contained fragments of rock and materials that can only be found in layers some 90 kilometres below or lower.
In addition to the discovery, scientists detected garnet, a crystal that forms in layers between 100 and 150 kilometres down, in Kilauea’s magma, meaning that its source had to lie very deep underground.
The researchers’ discovery also shed light on how the Kilauea volcano came to be. While originally it was believed to have been formed out of a solid rock melted by the emerging lava, now scientists believe it was created following a shift of the Pacific tectonic plate almost 300,000 years ago which led to magma being cast out into the sea and eventually solidifying and creating the volcano on the surface.
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