"Songs" From the Earth's Interior

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Earth & Space Science, Earth Systems, Geology, Nature of Science, History of Science.

There is a decoder of the rumbles and groans, the songs, of undersea volcanoes.

Quanta contributing writer Robin George Andrews interviews volcanologist and seismologist Jackie Caplan- Auerbach about this work. The essay is beautifully illustrated, too.

Here are topics to give you a sense of what the conversation covers.

-- How do you describe what you do?

--You’ve previously spoken to Quanta, for a story about how earthquakes inside volcanoes can reveal if molten rock is accumulating at depth or moving toward the surface, perhaps leading to an eruption. But how do you spy on underwater volcanoes? 

--What kinds of instruments can you use?

--I imagine that, under or above water, each new eruption is like hearing a new dialect for the first time, one that needs translating.

--What is it about submarine volcanoes that beguiles you?

--Are there any eruptions or earthquakes that lack this emotional dilemma?

--Were you ever tempted to specialize in something other than underwater volcanoes?

--Wondrous though they often are, underwater volcanoes can sometimes inspire horror. This was demonstrated in January 2022 by the violent Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai eruption — which, although it began underwater, made itself known by immediately exploding above the sea surface and punching a hole in Earth’s atmosphere. How does your fascination with volcanoes and earthquakes hold up in the face of these disasters?

--The shock wave from the Tongan eruption triggered tsunamis on the other side of the world, in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea — something that was only a theoretical possibility up to that point, right?

--We are almost two years on from that extraordinary explosive eruption. Has research into that event pushed the science of volcanology forward in any way?

--So although prominent eruptions can be dangerous, the upside is that they provide scientists with clues about the way volcanoes work?

--This summer (2023), your research caught the attention of an unexpected group: Swifties. 

--Taylor Swift performed at Lumen Field in Seattle on July 22 and 23, and you had a look at the seismic waves generated by the concerts. According to your analysis, these performances produced measurable seismic activity, just like a small earthquake. And it got a lot of press attention. How was that?

--You are presenting your work on the Swift Quake at the American Geophysical Union’s gathering in San Francisco in December. What will you be revealing?

--That’s not so different from identifying different types of activity inside underwater volcanoes.

--Many people think of a volcanologist as someone who scales fiery mountains and grabs samples of solid rock and bubbling lava. But using earthquakes to “hear” magma, gases and Swifties involves plenty of physics too — and it sounds like you’re a physicist at heart. So, what came first for you: the volcanoes, or the physics?

--It sounds a bit like watching a great magic trick being performed. 

There are also comments on what motivated Caplan-Auerbach to become a geologist.