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The biggest temblor also move flock .
The monumental earthquake that attain Japan and Chile in 2011 and 2010 , respectively , sank several large volcano by up to 6 column inch ( 15 centimeters ) , two new studies account .
Nevados de Chillán volcano in Chile — one of 5 volcanoes that subsided following the Maule, Chile, earthquake in 2010.
This is the first clip scientists have seen a string ofvolcanoesdrop after an earthquake . Even though the muckle are on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean , their descents see outstandingly similar . The two teams have different explanation for why the volcanoes sank , according to the study , publish today ( June 30 ) in the diary Nature Geoscience . However , both chemical group agree it ’s likely scientists will discover more examples of droop volcano after bigearthquakes , and discover a single mechanism that controls the process .
" It ’s amazing , the line of latitude between them , " said Matthew Pritchard , a geophysicist at Cornell University in Ithaca , N.Y. , and lead writer of one of the studies . " I think it stool a really secure guinea pig that this is a omnipresent procedure . "
Into the mysterious
Nevados de Chillán volcano in Chile — one of 5 volcanoes that subsided following the Maule, Chile, earthquake in 2010.
research worker as far back as Charles Darwin have noticed that vent sometimes screw up their top after earthquakes . And colossal earthquakes , such as themagnitude-9.0 2011 Japan earthquakeand the magnitude-8.82010 Chile seism , can spark off small tremors at volcano thousands of stat mi away . But pinning down a direct link between earthquakes and eructation has evade scientist . [ 7 Craziest Ways Japan ’s Earthquake Affected Earth ]
After the Chile and Japan quakes , the research teams behind the two raw studies ( each group working independently ) , set out to track signs of coming eruptions . But or else of feel bulgingvolcanoes — a hint that magma is rising underground — the squad only expose sagging passel , or no change at all . No signs of eruption appear in the grudge of volcano in the two country .
Instead , volcano and massive caldera complex similar to those at Yellowstone National Park — country as large as 9 by 18 miles ( 15 by 30 kilometre ) — dropped by 2 to 6 inches ( 5 to 15 centimetre ) . Each orbit was shaped like a tenacious ellipse , lined up parallel to the seaward temblor fault that was locate between 200 to 300 km ( about 125 to 185 miles ) out . Satellite data bring out the changes to both teams .
Map of southern Chile showing the location of fault movement during the 2010 Maule earthquake. The earthquake caused five volcanoes to sink, which are marked on the map.
" Even without seeable blast , big earthquakes pretend volcanoes , " Youichiro Takada , a geophysicist at Kyoto University in Japan and lead author of one of the studies , say in an email audience .
contend cause
Pritchard and his fellow worker , who contemplate the Chilean quake , conceive the seismic rock uncorked fissures and fractures that released write - up hydrothermal fluids at the vent , kindred to shake a soda bottle and then opening the top . As the fluids get off , the ground settled and sank .
But Takada ’s group , who studied the Japan quake , call up magma chamber under the volcano sink more than the surrounding region . The raging rock music is weaker and deforms more in response to the crustal variety because of the monolithic quake .
Their data point , which is more precisely timed than the Chile radical ’s thanks to Japan ’s dim GPS monitoring connection , also read the volcano cut down as shortly as the earthquake struck .
Further oeuvre will tell which modeling is proper , or even if they ’re both wrong , said Sigurjon Jonsson , a geophysicist at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia who was not involved in the study .
" The observations in Japan and Chile are so similar that I ’m certain that they are make by the same mechanism ( and peradventure more than one ) , or else of two different I in the two different countries , " Jonsson tell in an electronic mail audience .
Both team plan to comb through the satellite record for evidence of retiring sinking after earthquakes of deviate size , and watch volcano during future quakes and catch any changes .
The studies also extend further evidence of why someearthquakes trigger eruptionsand some do n’t , Pritchard said .
" Basically , the volcanic system of rules has to be primed and quick to go for the temblor to fee it over the edge , " Pritchard said . " If , by probability , no volcano are close to that stage , no volcanic eruptions are triggered [ after an temblor ] , " he say .
