Before a volcano erupts violently: the warning signs

Volcanoes prone to explosive eruptions exist all over the world, but the warning signs are not well understood. Now, in a new study, a group of scientists including a senior author from Yale identifies the key signals of imminent eruption. The paper appears online. Violent volcanoes exist in areas near oceanic trenches where tectonic plates are sinking into the mantle. The plates drag down water which then facilitates melting in the hot mantle - and drives eruption at the surface. Some examples of these volcanoes include Mt. St. Helens and Mt.