Is it possible and if so how, would scientists detect an unknown
volcano?
Tjordens
Hi Tjordens,
Well, technically I guess that if a volcano is truely "unknown" it means
that nobody has detected it yet. But, to your question I guess the answer
depends on where the volcano is. For example, undersea eruptions are
sometimes monitored by military listening devices that were designed to
find enemy submarines. A few undersea eruptions have been detected this
way (although nobody ever got there in time to actually witness the
eruption). Recently, by studying some satellite images of part of
Guatemala, geologists managed to identify a large caldera called Xela,
which had not been identified before. The easiest place to hide a volcano
is in thick, cloud-covered jungle. Dr. Chuck Wood, the founder of Volcano
World, has been using radar images (which can see through clouds) to try
and identify previously-unknown volcanoes in Colombia.
Sincerely,
Scott Rowland
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