Scientists to study rebirth of an island after volcanic eruption

October 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have suggested that a real tsunami may have inspired the legend of Atlantis, with evidence coming from islands close to Greece.he islands that make up the small circular archipelago of Santorini, roughly 200 km southeast of Greece, are what remain of what once was a single island, before one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human antiquity shattered it in the Bronze Age some time between 1630 B.C. to 1550 B.C.

October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have found that seismic forces have twisted an Italian supervolcano's interiors, giving scientists an unprecedented glimpse deep into the feature's explosive plumbing-and a better shot at deciphering when the next one might blow. The now fossilized supervolcano last erupted about 280 million years ago, leaving behind an 8-mile-wide (13-kilometer-wide) caldera, which was recently discovered in the Italian Alps' Sesia Valley.

September 21st, 2009 SYDNEY - A scientist has said that a volcanic eruption is "well overdue" in Australia from the past 3,000 years and there are hundreds of volcanoes that could cause trouble, from South Australia and Victoria through to Queensland. According to a report by Fairfax Digital Network, Melbourne geologist Bernie Joyce has made the warning.

August 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA scientists have placed about a dozen monitoring 'spiderbots' inside the volcanic crater in Mount St Helens in the US, which are high-tech devices that can detect an impending eruption. Mount St. Helens is one of the most active volcanoes in the US.

August 8th, 2009 LONDON - In a new research, scientists have determined that the use of geo-engineering to slow global warming may increase the risk of droughts. Methods put forward include reflecting solar radiation back into space using giant mirrors or aerosol particles.

July 10th, 2009 Philippines' most active volcano restive againMANILA, Philippines — Scientists say the Philippines' most active volcano is rumbling again while emitting steam and a strong glow at the summit crater that can be seen with the naked eye. State volcanologists say the frequency of volcanic earthquakes has increased on Mayon signifying the possible movement of magma below the surface that could lead to ash explosions and eventually eruption.

July 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Climate model simulations by a team of scientists has suggested that Indonesia's Toba supervolcano, when it erupted about 74,000 years ago, triggered a 1,000-year episode of ice sheet advance, and also may have produced a short-lived "volcanic winter", which drastically reduced the human population at the time. Previous climate model simulations of the eruption have been unable to produce the glaciation, and there are no climate observations to support the volcanic winter.

July 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has determined that glaciers are the reason behind seismic activity and earthquakes in Iceland. The study was carried out by Kristin Jonsdottir, Roland Roberts, Veijo Pohjola, Bjorn Lund, Zaher Hossein Shomali, Ari Tryggvason, and Reynir Boovarsson from the Department of Earth Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

June 30th, 2009 Scientists lower Alaska volcano threat levelANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaskans can put away their dust masks and spare air filters, for now, because Mount Redoubt seems to have cooled off since its last major eruption nearly three months ago. The Alaska Volcano Observatory said Tuesday that seismic activity has slowed under the volcano and it's possible that eruptions have stopped.

June 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered a unique species of a thumb-sized bat in a volcanic island in Africa's Comoros chain. According to a report in National Geographic News, weighing just 0.2 ounce (5 grams), the bat is a unique species, as confirmed by a DNA analysis later on.

May 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at the University of Leeds in the UK have uncovered a previously unknown giant volcanic eruption that led to global mass extinction 260 million years ago. The eruption in the Emeishan province of south-west China unleashed around half a million cubic kilometers of lava, covering an area 5 times the size of Wales, and wiping out marine life around the world.

May 8th, 2009 Scientist says volcanic eruption in Congo imminentKINSHASA, Congo — Scientists found evidence of intense volcanic activity — including tremors, pools of lava and plumes of smoke — at two volcanoes near a major city in eastern Congo, and said some residents had fled for fear of an eruption. The volcanoes in the central African nation could be about to erupt, threatening Goma, which has a population of more than half a million people, scientists said Thursday.

May 5th, 2009 Scientists: another Mount Redoubt eruption likelyANCHORAGE, Alaska — Geologists in Alaska say the Mount Redoubt volcano may be getting ready to awaken after being relatively quiet for more than a month. Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say activity at the volcano about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage suggests a significant explosive event is likely with days — although that's not certain.

March 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists have determined that studying tornado-like rotation in volcanoes can help them to better predict the effects of volcanic eruptions. The research is based on a 200-year-old report by a sea captain and photographs of the 2008 eruption of Mount Chaiten.

January 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Big volcanic eruptions cooled the tropics over the past 450 years, an effect masked by rising global temperatures, says a new study. Scientists already agree that large eruptions have lowered temperatures at higher latitudes in recent centuries, because volcanic particles reflect sunlight back into space.