"Variability in the composition of deep magma is what leads to explosive or effusive eruptions, with the more gas-rich magmas producing the more explosive eruptions.
"Gas-rich magmas are 'predisposed' to rise quickly through the Earth's mantle and crust and erupt powerfully," said University of Hawaii volcanologist Bruce Houghton.
For scientists mapping real-time hazards and risks associated with volcanic eruptions, being able to predict the type or eruption and the direction it will flow in are critical. At an early stage, it is difficult to make accurate predictions of which way the eruption will flow and what form the eruption will take on."