WHITE ISLAND / NEW ZEALAND—The sudden eruption of New Zealand's White Island volcano has left 5 people dead and injured dozens of others, reports CNN.<br /><br />According to the University of Otago, White Island straddles the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.<br /><br />Magma is created beneath the island when the Pacific plate pushes against the Australian plate and sinks beneath it.<br /><br />The Guardian reports that White Island magma is shallow and heats groundwater to form pockets of extremely hot steam. This causes high pressure in surrounding rocks.<br /><br />The expansion of water into steam can be supersonic and its energy can shatter the rockbed, resulting in a steam-driven eruption, also known as hydrothermal eruption.<br /><br />The Guardian reports that White Island's steam-driven eruption blasted hot volcanic rocks, ash and coarse particles that can inflict impact trauma, burns and respiratory injuries.<br /><br />Authorities fear as many as 13 people could be dead.<br /><br />CNN reports that five tourists on the island have been killed, while 27 have suffered serious burns and eight are still missing as of Tuesday.<br /><br />The Guardian reports that steam-driven eruptions can happen quickly and without warning because their triggers are not well understood.<br /><br />Volcanologists at GeoNet says the White Island volcano erupted with enough force that its plumes rose to a height of three kilometers.
