Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. How and if a volcano explodes depends on how and when bubbles of ...

Volcanoes erupt because hot, melted rock from deep inside the Earth finds a way to reach the surface. This melted rock is called magma, and it forms when parts of the Earth’s mantle become so hot that ...

Volcanic eruptions often appear sudden to nearby communities, even though the physical processes that drive them unfold over weeks, months, or years beneath the surface. Some volcanoes display clear ...

The explosiveness of a volcanic eruption depends on how many gas bubbles form in the magma – and when. Until now, it was thought that gas bubbles were formed primarily when the ambient pressure ...