Stanford Science Penpals
Answers to submitted questions will be answered and updated hopefully on a weekly basis. Leighton will try his hardest to answer in a timely manner. Some responses may answer multiple questions that we grouped together. Check out what other people have asked first! Your burning question might have already been answered! ---Science Penpals
1. Does the level of sound determine if the volcano is dangerous or not? (Elias - New Mexico)
Listening to the sounds generated by volcanoes provides scientists with information about the level of volcanic activity, the likelihood of an eruption, and the danger posed by the volcano. Louder sound and/or more frequent sounds are generally associated with increased volcanic activity.
However, volcanoes are complicated and there is currently no universally applicable means of predicting eruptions. In all likelihood, there never will be. Instead, scientists look to a wide range of observations to make robust forecast of eruptions, including:
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Seismometers which measure shaking of the ground that can be caused by magma moving underground.
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Very precise GPS sensors, much more accurate than the GPS in a phone, measure the deformation of the ground associated with magma accumulating beneath the volcano
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Visual observations
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Satellite observations
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Analysis of rock samples
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