Magma crystals from volcanoes offer clues to eruptions, study says

Researchers say that crystal formations in magma may help to predict when volcanoes will erupt.

A team of researchers examining the remains of the 1980 explosion of Mount St. Helens in Washington state say that a buildup of iron and magnesium-rich magma crystals may signal an impending eruption.

Volcanic eruptions are extremely difficult to predict and often occur spontaneously with devastating results for those living nearby – or those trying to fly nearby (think Iceland 2010).

Researchers at the University of Bristol, in trying to solve the mystery of how to predict eruptions, looked at the tiny orthopyroxene crystals that collect on magma, as their chemical qualities depend heavily on the magma around them.

In looking at 98 crystals from eruptions on Mount St. Helens, they found that the crystals began building up one year before and peaked just as the explosion was to occur, reported ScienceNow.

“Crystals are a bit like a book: If you know your alphabet you can read the book,” said lead author and volcanologist Kate Saunders of the University of Bristol, reported the Los Angeles Times.

“They provide a record for what happens. If we know what to look for and how to read them, we can work out the processes that formed the magma and how long it took these processes to occur.”

They also found that crystals that were rich in iron and magnesium in their cores were linked to deep earthquakes like the one that occured on Mount St. Helens.

According to Scientific American, the rapid eruption at Mount St. Helens caused 57 deaths despite an evacuation of the area.

The eruption also saw ash deposited in nearly a dozen states with more than $1 billion worth of damages to surrounding communities.

The findings were published in the journal Science.