During a recent analysis of 2.5-billion-year-old Australian rocks, researchers have found that volcanic eruptions might have stimulated population surges of marine microorganisms, creating the first puffs of oxygen into the atmosphere.
Indonesia’s most active volcano erupted Monday with its biggest lava flow in months, sending a river of lava and searing gas clouds flowing 3.5 kilometers (more than 2 miles) down its slopes on the densely populated island of Java.