A massive body of magma surged upward beneath São Jorge Island in Portugal's Azores archipelago in March 2022, triggering thousands of earthquakes before stalling underground. The event, detailed in a new study, represented a failed eruption that raised but ultimately eased fears of volcanic activity.
The magma originated from more than 20 kilometers below the surface and ascended rapidly over just a few days. It contained enough molten rock to fill roughly 32,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools yet halted at a depth of 1.6 kilometers, causing the island's surface to rise by about six centimeters. Most earthquakes occurred after the magma stopped moving upward, with activity concentrated along the Pico do Carvão Fault Zone.
