Nature Blog Network

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Slugs are the Driving Factor Behind Volcanic Explosions

There is always a mollusc involved it seems. The July 13 issue of Science reports on major research titled "Magmatic Gas Composition Reveals the Source Depth of Slug-Driven Strombolian Explosive Activity"

Schematic diagram depicting the location and role of slugs near the magma chamber of a typical strombolian volcano. Figure NOT from article in Science...

Clearly, there is no reason to actually read this paper, it is clear from the title the slugs are driving highly explosive volcanic processes from deep with the Earth! Quite amazing really. From This Week in Science,
"The explosions are thought to be caused by gas slugs that rise faster than the surrounding magma and generate seismic activity near the surface of the volcano.[...]. they show that gas slugs form 3 kilometers beneath the summit craters, at the base of the volcanic pile and away from seismological processes at the surface."

It is clear that slugs are attempting world domination. It is only a matter of time before all the world's volcanoes will explode all at once and exterminate human life whereupon slugs will emerge from the dark earthen depths to dine on our smoldering carcasses.


  1. Huh, and I thought it was flocks of migrating otters disturbing the mountain fish.

  2. I knew there were giant slugs under volcanoes, I read Under the Mountain as a kid. But I thought they were restricted to the Auckland Volcanic Zone. They're still out there! The Wilberforces are coming!

  3. Jason, that video was brilliant on so many levels...

    Chistopher, actually the diagram is one I had that is supposed to depict volcanic processes under the Kermadec Arc just north of NZ. Probably with the slugs too...

  4. We'd better start throwing virgins down into the volcanoes before it's too late.


    Oh, noes! 404 this page not found! :'-(

