Right here on Earth, we have good demonstrations of effervescence in rocks. Every time we get fire fountaining from one of our volcanoes, it is caused by a large amount of gas dissolved under pressure at depth in the magma. When the pressurized magma (now lava) reaches sufficiently shallow depths, or something removes enough of the overburden that pressure abruptly is relieved, the molten rock bubbles its way up like the infamous Mentos-Diet Coke experiment.

On one of the sensational (in the sense of Wow! lookit this!) science programs on the Discovery Channel, they graphically demonstrated a mechanism that might drive a supervolcano, with a solution of resin in acetone under heat and pressure. When the pressure was released, whoosh!

Tracy Latimer

>I am thinking that effervescence following a sudden
>release of pressure might be a better process
>description -

Hm. Effervescence following a sudden release of pressure makes me think more of
a can of Coke.  :-)
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