Michael Manga on Wet Eruptions

About this episode

Michael Manga discusses the impact of water on volcanic eruptions and explores water-driven volcanism on other celestial bodies.

Water can have a dramatic effect on the style of an eruption. In the podcast, Michael Manga explains how the most powerful eruptions, such as the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, occur when hot magma comes into contact with water and suddenly generates vast quantities of steam. Water dissolved in magma as it rises to the surface and depressurizes can also drive destructive volcanic eruptions. Manga also talks about water-driven volcanism on Mars and on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Manga is a Professor in the Earth and Planetary Science department of the University of California, Berkeley.

People in this episode

Host: Oliver Strimpel

Guest: Michael Manga

Topics covered

• wet eruptions
• volcanism
• steam generation
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn

Keywords

• volcanic eruptions
• water
• steam
• Hunga Tonga
• Mars volcanism
• Jupiter moons
• Saturn moons

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of California, Berkeley

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