White Island eruption was difficult to anticipate: report

For story suggestions or custom animation requests, contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw. Visit to view News Direct's complete archive of 3D news animations.


RESTRICTIONS: Broadcast: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Digital: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN
The sudden eruption of New Zealand's White Island volcano has left 5 people dead and injured dozens of others, reports CNN.


According to the University of Otago, White Island straddles the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.


Magma is created beneath the island when the Pacific plate pushes against the Australian plate and sinks beneath it.


The Guardian reports that White Island magma is shallow and heats groundwater to form pockets of extremely hot steam. This causes high pressure in surrounding rocks.


The expansion of water into steam can be supersonic and its energy can shatter the rockbed, resulting in a steam-driven eruption, also known as hydrothermal eruption.


The Guardian reports that White Island's steam-driven eruption blasted hot volcanic rocks, ash and coarse particles that can inflict impact trauma, burns and respiratory injuries.


Authorities fear as many as 13 people could be dead.


CNN reports that five tourists on the island have been killed, while 27 have suffered serious burns and eight are still missing as of Tuesday.


The Guardian reports that steam-driven eruptions can happen quickly and without warning because their triggers are not well understood.


Volcanologists at GeoNet says the White Island volcano erupted with enough force that its plumes rose to a height of three kilometers.


RUNDOWN SHOWS:
1. White Island vocation is created by subduction of the Pacific tectonic plate under the Austrlian plate
2. Trapped pockets of water is heated by magma until the steam bursts from rock, causing hydrothermal eruption
3. Volcanic ejecta causes injury among island tourists
4. Extent of eruption


VOICEOVER (in English):
"According to the University of Otago, White Island straddles the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates."


"Magma is created beneath the island when the Pacific plate pushes against the Australian plate and sinks beneath it."


"The Guardian reports that White Island magma is shallow and heats groundwater to form pockets of extremely hot steam. This causes high pressure in surrounding rocks."


"The expansion of water into steam can be supersonic and its energy can shatter the rockbed, resulting in a steam-driven eruption, also known as hydrothermal eruption."


"The Guardian reports that White Island's steam-driven eruption blasted hot volcanic rocks, ash and coarse particles that can inflict impact trauma, burns and respiratory injuries."


"Authorities fear as many as 13 people could be dead."


"CNN reports that five tourists on the island have been killed, while 27 have suffered serious burns and eight are still missing as of Tuesday."


"The Guardian reports that steam-driven eruptions can happen quickly and without warning because their triggers are not well understood."


"Volcanologists at GeoNet says the White Island volcano erupted with enough force that its plumes rose to a height of three kilometers."




SOURCES: The Guardian, The University of Otago, GeoNet, CNN







***
----------------------------------------­­---------------------------------------­-­----------------

Next Animation Studio’s News Direct service provides daily, high-quality, informative 3D news animations that fill in for missing footage and help viewers understand breaking news stories or in-depth features on science, technology, and health.

Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's news animations at

To subscribe to News Direct or for more info, please visit:

Educational,animation,3D,graphics,Next Animation,Next Media,feature,sidebar,video,explainer,image,illustration,graphic,