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volcano

Ask Dr. Universe: Why do volcanoes ‘die?’

PULLMAN, Wash. – Each volcano’s life is a little different. Many of them are born when big chunks of the Earth’s crust, or tectonic plates, collide or move away from each other. The moving plates force hot, liquid rock, or magma, to rise up from deep within the Earth.

Ask Dr. Universe: What happens under a volcano?

PULLMAN, Wash. – This question takes us on a journey deep into the Earth. Figuratively speaking, of course. It’s really hot under Earth’s surface. It’s so hot it can melt rock. This melted rock is known as magma. And anything that erupts magma is a volcano.

Rock Doc: A step forward in predicting volcanic eruptions

By E. Kirsten Peters, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PULLMAN, Wash. – There are two main things most people would like to know about particular volcanoes: when is the next eruption and how big will it be? Scientists in Iceland have taken a step forward in monitoring volcanoes to best predict when they will […]