Is the Montserrat eruption and the recent increase of seismic activity at Nevis related?

Reader

Probably not. Each year about 50 of the worlds 800 or so volcanoes are active, and so it is possible that, occasionally, adjacent volcanoes will be active at about the same time. In the specific case of Montserrat and Nevis . . . Montserrat has been erupting for two years and Nevis hasn't erupted, but shallow earthquakes have started to occur. This could be a coincidence. Now to add confusion to my answer. Some scientists have proposed that regional changes, such as large tectonic earthquakes, are responsible for renewed activity along a chain of volcanoes, such as the Carribean volcanoes. It is an interesting idea and it might be true, BUT no one, to my knowledge has yet demonstrated such a clear relation.

Sincerely,
John Dvorak

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