{
  "id": 19131661,
  "title": "Crystals hint at a volcano's ability to erupt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/crystals-hint-at-a-volcanos-ability-to-erupt",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T10:00:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-11-crystals-hint-volcano-ability-erupt.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tiny crystals embedded in rocks from Central Andean volcanoes may offer a key to predicting when these volcanoes might erupt, according to a new study. University of Queensland researchers analyzed the chemical makeup of a common white crystal called plagioclase, which forms deep within the Earth's mantle. Despite being extracted from rocks of varying ages and eruptive styles, the smallest plagioclase crystals exhibited strikingly similar chemical signatures. These findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that these crystalline signatures could be a reliable indicator of imminent volcanic activity. The researchers' analysis revealed that the plagioclase crystals' chemical signatures were most likely linked to magma that had risen from deep within the Earth, entering a shallow magma reservoir. This process destabilizes the volcano's plumbing system, eventually leading to an eruption. The team has dubbed this newly discovered geochemical pattern the \"plagioclase eruptibility field.\" Associate Professor Terese Ubide, the study's senior author, expressed interest in exploring whether this pattern could be found in volcanoes across different tectonic settings. Additionally, understanding the plagioclase crystals' chemical signatures could potentially help identify volcanoes that may require closer monitoring due to their heightened eruption risk. Furthermore, the study highlights the possibility that plagioclase crystals could reveal how magma systems accumulate valuable metals, such as copper and gold, creating new connections between volcanology and critical minerals research.",
  "summary": "University of Queensland researchers have shown tiny crystals are a window to activity inside volcanoes and could provide clues to when they might erupt.",
  "key_points": [
    "Tiny plagioclase crystals reveal chemical signatures linked to volcanic eruptions.",
    "Crystals' signatures indicate magma rising from deep Earth entering shallow reservoir.",
    "Study suggests plagioclase signatures could predict eruptions and monitor high-risk volcanoes."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}