Using vibrations to see into Yellowstone's magma reservoir

Yellowstone’s Magma Reservoir Reveals Insights Into Future Volcanic Activity

Learn how the boundaries of the magma chamber beneath Yellowstone have been located, and discover how these boundaries hint at the volcano’s future behavior.

Inside Yellowstone's fiery heart: Researchers map volatile-rich cap, offering clues to future volcanic activity

Beneath the steaming geysers and bubbling mud pots of Yellowstone National Park lies one of the world's most closely watched volcanic systems. Now a team of geoscientists has uncovered new evidence that sheds light on how this mighty system may behave in the future -- and what might keep it from erupting.

Critical new insights into Yellowstone’s volcanic hazards

Seismologists who created their own artificial earthquakes to peer inside the Yellowstone caldera have revealed important hidden features of its reservoir of molten and superheated rocks and gas. Due to limitations in imaging techniques, researchers haven’t been able to precisely locate the reservoir’s upper boundary, nor get a good understanding of its contents, before. These characteristics strongly influence the stability of hazardous volcani…

Using vibrations to see into Yellowstone's magma reservoir

Beneath Yellowstone lies a magma reservoir, pulsing with molten and superheated rock and exsolved gases. Scientists have long known about the chamber's existence, but have yet to precisely locate its uppermost boundary and characterize the contents of the chamber closest to the surface—information crucial for understanding the potential perils this volcanic feature poses.

A sharp volatile-rich cap to the Yellowstone magmatic system

The stability of hazardous volcanic systems is strongly influenced by the uppermost magma storage depth and volatile exsolution1–3. Despite abundant evidence for an upper crustal magma reservoir beneath Yellowstone caldera4–7, its depth and the properties at its top have not been well constrained. New controlled-source seismic imaging illuminates a sharp reflective cap of the magma reservoir approximately 3.8 km beneath the northeastern caldera.…

Scientists Uncover New Details About Yellowstone’s Supervolcano as Magma Chamber Sits Just 2.3 Miles Below Surface

Yellowstone’s upper magma chamber is just 2.3 miles deep, closer than previously thought, raising new questions about eruption risks. Scientists used advanced seismic imaging to map the magma system, revealing a silica-rich upper chamber and a larger basalt reservoir below. Volatile gases venting naturally reduce pressure but don’t eliminate the long-term threat of a catastrophic eruption. Past supereruptions reshaped landscapes and altered glob…