The New Zealand town with a volcano growing underneath it
The New Zealand town with a volcano growing underneath it
Vast amounts of magma have built up underneath Matata, population 650, pushing up the surface by 40cm
Associated Press
Friday 3 June 2016 22.28 EDT
Scientists say they have discovered a magma buildup near a New Zealand town that could signal the beginnings of a new volcano – although they’re not expecting an eruption any time soon.
Geophysicist Ian Hamling said that since 1950, enough magma to fill 80,000 Olympic-size swimming pools has squeezed up beneath the surface near the coastal town of Matata, about 200km (120 miles) south-east of Auckland. The discovery explains a spate of earthquakes between 2004 and 20011.
A paper published on Saturday in the online journal Science Advances outlines the findings. Hamling, the paper’s lead author, said that while other parts of New Zealand have active volcanoes, there have been none near Matata for at least 400,000 years.
Using GPS data and satellite images, the scientists said they discovered an area of land about 400 sq km (154 sq m) had risen by 40cm (16in) since 1950.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/04/the-new-zealand-town-with-a-volcano-growing-underneath-it
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