During a volcanic eruption, massive amounts of sulphur are released into the earth’s atmosphere. Now a new study has looked at the source of the sulphur and its movement.
The research focused on molten rock known as magma which exists deep within the Earth’s crust. This magma contains what is known as ‘sulphide melts’ – a mix of sulphur and metals such as copper and gold. Because these sulphide melts are dense they were thought to sink rather than rise to the surface.
In the lab, the authors have shown that sulphide melts can attach to a vapour bubbles and travel upwards. This mechanism could allow for the release of massive amounts of sulphur into the atmosphere.
Original research paper published in Nature Geoscience on February 23, 2015.
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