"A sheet of magma that could fill about 32,000 Olympic-size swimming pools had rocketed up from a depth of at least 12 miles to just a mile below Sao Jorge's surface in no more than a day."
"This is a bit of a wake-up call that these things could happen really quickly, and perhaps more quietly, than we anticipated."
"The Azores islands have twin volcanic engines: one is a rising fountain of superheated rock known as a mantle plume, and the other is the islands' location atop three diverging tectonic plates."
In March 2022, Sao Jorge Island in the Azores experienced thousands of tremors indicating possible volcanic activity. A study revealed that a massive sheet of magma rose rapidly to just below the surface without causing significant quakes. This magma utilized existing fault lines, leading to a seismic swarm only after nearing the surface. If an eruption had occurred, it could have endangered residents before alerts were issued. The Azores' volcanic activity is influenced by tectonic plate dynamics and a mantle plume, suggesting future eruptions are likely.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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