volcanism
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NASA Probe Spies Plumes Above Jupiter Moon’s Lava Lakes
It’s not a big moon relative to some of its neighbors, but Jupiter’s Io is exceedingly active, with volcanoes by the hundreds spewing lava plumes dozens of miles above its surface, per NASA. Infrared tech aboard the space agency’s Juno probe mapped two such eruptions in February, returning valuable data on the mysterious happenings beneath…
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X-Ray Analysis of Pompeii Victims’ Bones Suggest They Suffocated to Death
Researchers studying the remains of six individuals from Pompeii concluded they asphyxiated during the volcanic eruption that doomed the town nearly 2,000 years ago. The research team used portable X-ray fluorescence to determine the elemental composition of the Pompeii victims’ bones, as well as the plaster used to make casts of the victims’ death poses.…
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Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Is Erupting for First Time in Almost 40 Years
The world’s largest active volcano is erupting for the first time in almost 40 years. The Mauna Loa volcano, which is located on the Big Island in Hawaii, started erupting on Sunday night, breaking its longest quiet streak in recorded history.
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Boston Dynamics’ Spot Is Being Tested as a Robotic Security Guard Protecting the Remains of Pompeii
Serving as a robotic security guard might feel like a dystopic use of the amazing technology powering Boston Dynamics’ Spot, but the robotic dog is actually well suited to protecting a historically significant area like Pompeii, whose crumbling ruins still pose a safety hazard, especially when it comes to protecting what’s left of the city…