Screaming Volcanoes

Volacnic eruptions are driven by pressurization of magma by exsolution of dissolved volatiles like water. Because these processes take place deep within the Earth, direct observation is impossible.  Here we exploit some remarkable seismic waves from volcanoes in Alaska and Hawaii to place constraints on pre-eruptive processes and the magma plumbing system.  Check out some volcano "sounds" here that we think are caused by repeating earthquakes popping off at up to twenty times per second!

Speaker: Dr. Eric Dunham, Stanford