This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Volcanoes emit smoke. Beneath a volcano lies a huge chamber filled with liquid magma.
A series of earthquakes means an eruption is imminent. And if a "supervolcano" like Yellowstone were to awaken, a global catastrophe would be upon us. These are images and ideas that regularly crop up in news reports, documentaries and on social media.
But scientifically speaking, the reality is often far more complex. An international research team, led by New Zealand volcanologist Janine Krippner and former VUB volcanologist Sam Poppe, is now setting the record straight on these persistent misconceptions about volcanoes: from the Ring of Fire and supervolcanoes to mega-tsunamis and the prediction of eruptions. The volcanologists have compiled 18 of the most common misconceptions about volcanoes and volcanic eruptions in the Journal of Applied Volcanology.
The authors address not only spectacular concepts such as "supervolcano" and "mega-tsunami," but also fundamental misunderstandings about earthquakes, climate, volcanic ash, magma systems and the possibility of predicting eruptions. "Volcanoes provide spectacular imagery, which makes them a fertile ground for tall tales," says Poppe. "But simplifications can easily take on a life of their own, with all the consequences that entails.
Through our research, we aim to clarify what science can actually tell us, and where we need to exercise caution." A dark cloud above a volcano is often described as "smoke." But what we see consists of various materials. During explosive eruptions, water vapor and other volcanic gases are blown into the air mixed with volcanic ash. This ash does not consist of the soft, charred material left behind after a wood fire, but of extremely small fragments of rock, minerals and volcanic glass.
That distinction is important: Volcanic ash can have consequences for aviation, infrastructure and health, and volcanic ash clouds can cause hot chunks of rock and cooled magma to rain down if you get too close. The words used to describe a volcanic plume are therefore more than just a detail. Anyone who hears the term "magma chamber" easily imagines an enormous underground cave completely filled with churning magma.
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