Earth scientists have discovered a magma cap in Yellowstone National Park, which may play a key role in preventing large-scale eruptions of one of the world’s largest active-fire volcanic systems.
It was found that the “volatile” hat made of magma is about 2.4 miles below the Earth’s surface and basically acts as a cover – trapping pressure and heat underneath.
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This was discovered after scientists used 53,000-pound tobacco leaf trucks to send out tiny earthquakes, according to a paper published last week in Nature. The measured wave reflection reflects from the subterranean layer, revealing the sharp boundary at the depth where the magma cover is located.
Brandon Schmandt, professor of Earth, Environment and Planetary Sciences at Rice University and co-author of the study, said in a statement that scientists were surprised to see “what happened on the body.”
Photo: The tillage of morning glory pool in the upper geyser basin of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (Marina_poushkina/Getty Images/Istockphoto)
The paper says the stability of dangerous volcanic systems is “strongly affected” by the highest magma storage depth. Furthermore, the magma reservoirs of the epithelial beneath the Yellowstone crater have not been restricted, the researchers said.
“For decades, we’ve known that there’s magma under Yellowstone, but the exact depth and structure of its upper boundary have been a big problem,” Schmanter said. “What we’ve discovered is that this reservoir isn’t closed – it’s been sitting there for millions of years, but it’s still full of vitality.”
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In 2022, researchers found that Yellowstone’s supervolcano had much more magma reservoirs under the crater than previously thought. The lava also flows in shallow depths, which are the previous eruptions.
The researchers modeled a variety of rock, melting and volatile conditions to determine which material is made up of the magma cap – a mixture of silicate melt and supercritical water bubbles in porous rocks. As the magma rises and decompresses, bubbles form, causing gases such as water and carbon dioxide to separate from the melt.
Photo: The Grand Prism Hot Spring is one of the many hydrothermal features of the national park created by Supervolcano in Yellowstone. Photographed on July 22, 2014 at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (Jonathan Newton/Washington Post via Getty Image)
As bubbles accumulate and increase buoyancy, a volcanic eruption can occur, driving an explosion.
However, the Yellowstone outbreak may not be about to happen, researchers say.
Data from seismic imaging and advanced computer modeling suggest that magma reservoirs are actively releasing gas but maintaining a stable state. Schmanter described the system as a “stable breathing” where bubbles rise and release through the porous rocks of the magma cap.
“Although we detected a volatile-rich layer, its bubble and melt content are lower than the levels typically associated with an upcoming eruption,” Schmanter said. “Instead, it looks like the system is effectively exhausting through cracks and channels between mineral crystals.”
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The complex geology of Yellowstone has proven to be a challenging environment for obtaining data, the researchers say. Scattered seismic waves produce noisy data that is difficult to explain.
“Don’t give up when you see noisy, challenging data,” said Chenlong Duan, co-author of the study.
Duan, who developed the technology, said geoscientists were able to capture one of the first “ultra-clear” images of the top of a magma reservoir using structural seismic imaging.
The researchers say the discovery could provide clues to future activities in Yellowstone’s wide range of volcanic systems.
The hidden magma hat found in Yellowstone National Park originally appeared on abcnews.go.com.
