Geologists use jelly, lasers and water to unravel mystery of volcanic eruption

An experiment to work out why magma travels along vertical and horizontal fractures reveals a previously unrecognised potential trigger for eruptions

Scientists have discovered a previously unrecognised potential trigger for volcanic eruptions during an experiment involving jelly, lasers and coloured water.

Sandy Cruden, a geologist at Monash University in Melbourne, said the scientists came to the finding by accident during a study of how magma moves through layers of rock in the earth's crust.