Rapidly Inflating Volcano Creates Growing Mystery
By Andrea Mustain | LiveScience.com
Monday, Oct 24, 2011
This week I read an article about an inflating volcano in the southwest of Bolivia which is South America. I bet you are wondering, what this does mean and how is the volcano inflating. In my article, they compare the volcano to blowing up a balloon because when you blow up a balloon it will inflate. Scientists believe that this volcano, called the Uturuncu is inflating because the magma is building up inside on the volcano at a much, much faster rate than it usually does. It has been growing at one cubic meter per second which is ten times quicker than other volcanoes the same size. Scientists noticed this uncommon growth from satellite pictures. They are trying to find out why this is happening to Uturancu and not others. They need this information to predict when Uturancu might erupt once again. The scientists are research to find out more about this inflating volcano by looking for changes in the nearby topography in Bolivia.
When I first saw this article, I thought other things I had read about volcanoes before. This was is interesting to me because I never thought a dormant volcano could wake up again. I think it’s great that scientists discovered this inflating volcano and are trying to learn more about it. Maybe dormant volcanoes are only in a coma and wake up very slowing over thousands and thousands of years. In conclusion, I hope scientists find out more about Uturuncu the inflating volcano so they can prepare for the big eruption.
When I read that a volcano was inflating I immediately thought of a balloon. I never knew that they could inflate.
ReplyDeleteMe too , I never knew that a volcano can inflate.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest ladies, I never knew that either. Very interesting article Emma! Thanks for sharing!
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