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Prediction of a volcanic eruption requires monitoring of the volcano with teams of scientists tracking many different aspects of the volcano. First thing that scientists will do upon any sign of unrest at a potentially active volcano is look to see what geologic records are available. The key to understanding what a volcano could do in the future is understanding the past history of eruption at a volcano. If it is believed that a threat of eruption is possible a team of scientists will deploy to the volcano to set up monitoring systems as well as take many different kinds of readings. Some of the main things that they look for as a potential sign of impending eruption are as follows:

  1. Seismicity: Increased earthquake activity is one of the main signs that a volcano can be preparing for an eruption. Within these earthquakes there are certain patterns that scientists look for within their data that can indicate the movement of magma under a volcano. One major indication to scientists within these earthquake records is a change over time from deep earthquake events to shallow and focused events around a specific area of the volcano.
  2. Gas Emission: Increases in CO2 and SO2 output at any above ground vents around the volcano can be an indication of magma making its way to the surface. Gas emissions are not always present before eruption, as with composite volcanoes the gasses can be blocked by a plug in the vent of the volcano.
  3. Deformation: One major indication of an impending eruption is deformation of the volcano. Deformation was catalogued before the May 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens and has been documented at many other volcanoes before highly explosive eruptions. The deformation is a result of pressures within the volcano building often times due to the viscosity of the magma allowing gasses within to build to build to explosive levels.
  4. Thermal Anomaly: At some volcanoes there have been thermal anomalies detected at the summit before explosive eruptions. This is an indicator that there is a heat source close to the surface that would have the ability to visibly heat rock above it.

Although all of these things on their own cannot be used to predict future eruptions at volcanoes, through analysis of these factors as well as others there have been successful warnings given before composite eruptions.

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Q: How do you predict a composite volcanoes' eruptions?
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Related questions

Do composite volcanoes erupt violently?

Yes. Composite volcanoes often produce violent eruptions.


What volcanoes are formed by explosive eruptions that are followed by lava outpourings?

composite volcanoes


Volcanoes typically have the most explosive eruptions?

Large explosive eruptions are generally characteristic of stratovolcanoes.


Name the different types of volcanoes according to their shape?

There are three types of volcanoes which have different shapes and types of eruptions. * Shield Volcanoes - are low and flat and have small, flowing eruptions. * Composite Volcanoes - are a mixture between shield volcanoes and cone volcanoes, their eruptions are explosive. * Cone Volcanoes - are the tallest and largest volcanoes, and they have VERY explosive eruptions.


What kind of explosions do composite volcanoes?

Composite volcanoes have subduction zone eruptions. Some of the most spectacular of volcanoes such as Krakatoa and Mt. St. Helen's have had this type of explosion.


What are three facts about composite volcanoes?

Multiple eruptions form composite volcanoes. Andesite magma is the most common type of magma that erupts from composite volcanoes. Composite volcanoes can grow so high that their slopes become unstable and collapse.


True or false scientists can prevent volcanoes eruptions by carefully monitoring volcanoes?

False. Nobody can prevent a volcanic eruption, though scientists have some ability to predict eruptions.


Cinder cones are the most potentially dangerous volcanoes because they generate the most explosive eruptions?

No. The most explosive variety of volcanic activity would be the caldera-forming eruptions of stratovolcanoes. Cinder cone eruptions are only mildly explosive.


Does an island composite volcano explode rapidly or slowly?

The phrase "explode slowly" is an oxymoron. Composite volcanoes, regardless of whether they are island volcanoes or mainland volcanoes, will produce both explosive and non-explosive eruptions.


Can meteorologists predict volcanoes?

The fact of whether or not geologists can measure or predict a valcano is silly each valcano is different and it is of nature thus there is not way to predict what it will do and when it will do it.


What are the three types volcano?

A shield volcano, cinder cone volcano, and the composite volcano. Shield volcanoes are on of the three types of volcanoes. Shield volcanoes have quiet eruptions and the lava is basaltic. Its slope is shallow compared to a composite volcano and a cinder-cone volcano. They are produced by hotspots and mid-ocean ridge. Cinder-cone volcanoes are the second of the three types of volcanoes. Cinder-cone volcanoes. Cinder-cone volcanoes have explosive eruptions that release lava high in the air. They are created by tephra, volcanic ash. Its slope ranges between 30 degrees and 40 degrees. The lava is andesitic. Composite volcanoes are the third type of volcanoes. Their eruptions vary from loud and explosive to quiet. Composite volcanoes cab rise as high as 8000 feet and are steep. An example of composite volcanoes is Mount Fuji. Composite volcanoes spew felsic lava and they are built up by layers of harden lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash.


Can you predict when volcano?

scientists are almost able to predict volcano eruptions because of all the signs we get that we can compare to what has happened before other volcanoes erupted...