Superheated Magma Identified as Key Factor in Volcanic Eruption Styles

An international research team, led by the University of Manchester, has discovered that superheated magma can dissolve tiny crystal seeds, delaying crystallization and allowing molten rock to remain fluid longer as it rises. This heat-driven process, studied using magma from the 2021 Tajogaite eruption, could explain why volcanoes with similar characteristics erupt differently, influencing whether they produce lava fountains or slower lava flows.