Ready To Erupt?

Volcanoes are pretty difficult and expensive to predict ahead of time. But there are little clues to help scientists determine approximately when it’s going to erupt, and when to evacuate the surrounding people.
Even though it’s pretty hard to predict the exact time for an eruption, scientists can still tell if it’s coming by little clues that the mountain itself gradually begins to show. First, the scientists determine if the volcano has been active in the past, if it has it’s called an active volcano. The likeliness of it erupting is higher when the volcano is active. Then they observe the ground on and around the volcano, and see if there is any deformation. If there is any deformation, that means that the volcano is swelling and inflating from the magma, and the eruption is getting closer every minute. A form of deformation may be a dome that began to form that was never there before.
Scientists also examine the surrounding rocks around the volcano and see if there are any specific/chemical changes in them. They also check the magma movement, and if it releases different gases to signify an upcoming eruption. Seismographs are placed on and around the volcano to check for small earthquakes that the volcano is giving off from pressure. This may conclude that the volcano is coming because earthquakes may start some volcanoes. Changes in the temperature all around gets hotter by a few degrees, usually it’s not noticed by everybody though. The ground water temperature also gets higher in the ground all around from the volcano’s heat.
When all these signs change really significantly, then it’s time for the surrounding people to evacuate. It’s really hard to tell when exactly the volcano is coming, but by the signs that the volcano is showing, it’s important to get the people out sooner than later.
by:np 4