Collapsing volcanoes: the sleeping giants' threat

摘要

Dormant volcanoes are typically thought of as relatively safe environments to live around. However, under certain geological conditions, such volcanoes can be prone to collapse and may generate massive rockslide avalanches reaching tens of kilometres from the volcano. On Earth and other planets, volcanoes are extremely dynamic systems within fairly short geological times-cales. Erupted lava and pyroclastic debris build up volcanic landforms, and the threat the associated processes cause to surrounding populations are one of the central focuses of volcanology. Through observation of eruptions at the surface, measurements of gas and seismicity, or through the study of the products they generate, we have made substantial progress towards understanding and reducing hazards associated with volcanoes.