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Abstract In their article entitled “Trapdoor Fault Activation:A Step Toward Caldera Collapse at Sierra Negra,Galapagos,Ecuador” Shreve and Delgado (2023,https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb026437) examine co‐eruptive deformation during the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra Volcano. One of their major conclusions is that the 2018 eruption, and specifically co‐eruptive faulting, represents the initial stages of caldera collapse. They reach this conclusion because they focus their analysis solely on co‐eruptive deformation, and do not investigate the total (net) deformation for the 2005 to 2018 eruption cycle. Bell, La Famina, et al. (2021,https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467‐021‐21596‐4) investigated both the pre‐ and co‐eruptive phases of the 2018 eruption and showed that net deformation was one of caldera resurgence, not subsidence. In this comment, we demonstrate that the conclusion of collapse, or even initiation of collapse, is attributable to not accounting for pre‐eruptive deformation on the intra‐caldera Trapdoor Fault system and incorrectly assuming that the volcano‐tectonic dynamics of Sierra Negra mimic those of other basaltic calderas. 

Last year, a new collaborative initiative conducted a hypothetical volcano response exercise. A month later, they put the knowledge gained to use during an actual eruption. 

Virtual and immersive virtual reality, VR and iVR, provide flexible and engaging learning opportunities, such as virtual field trips (VFTs). Despite its growing popularity for education, understanding how iVR compared to non-immersive media influences learning is still challenged by mixed empirical results and a lack of longitudinal research. This study addresses these issues through an experiment in which undergraduate geoscience students attended two temporally separated VFT sessions through desktop virtual reality (dVR) or iVR, with their learning experience and outcomes measured after each session. Our results show higher levels of enjoyment and satisfaction as well as a stronger sense of spatial presence in iVR students in both VFTs compared to dVR students, but no improvement in learning outcomes in iVR compared to dVR. More importantly, we found that there exists a critical interaction between VR condition and repeated participation in VFTs indicating that longitudinal exposure to VFTs improves knowledge performance more when learning in iVR than through dVR. These results suggest that repeated use of iVR may be beneficial in sustaining students’ emotional engagement and compensating the initial deficiency in their objective learning outcomes compared to other less immersive technologies.