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Science 3 February 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5761, p. 587
DOI: 10.1126/science.311.5761.587d
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Figure 1
Lava channel on Mount Etna.

Lava and ice couldn't be farther apart on the thermal spectrum, but when it comes to carving up mountains, the two have a lot in common. In the 20 January issue of Physical Review Letters, researchers show that--during a 2001 volcanic eruption on Sicily's Mount Etna--lava carved a channel 6 meters deep in a mere 12 hours. That's far too fast for the gully to have melted, meaning the lava plowed its way through the rock much as a glacier would. The researchers say the results may provide new understanding of how ancient lava flows dug the large channels on Venus and the moon.

CREDIT: C. FERLITO AND J. SIEWERT




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