US EditionScientists make 'tiny earthquakes' to find how close magma is to the surface in Yellowstone
- In summer 2020, seismologists led by Brandon Schmandt used a 53,000-pound vibroseis truck near Yellowstone's Continental Divide to generate seismic vibrations for imaging the magma chamber.
- This effort aimed to better locate the magma reservoir top, estimated between 3 and 9 kilometers deep, and clarify if its boundary is gradual or sharp beneath the volcanic caldera.
- The team recorded seismic waves with about 600 temporary sensors plus permanent stations along roads and trails near the Yellowstone River to create a detailed subsurface image.
- They identified a distinct top boundary of the magma reservoir at approximately 3.8 kilometers deep, characterized by a thin layer under 100 meters thick. The composition at this interface is best explained by a mixture of three components: gas bubbles in a supercritical state, molten rock, and crystalline solids.
- Study results show Yellowstone's magma system remains mostly solid and stable, with magmatic gases escaping efficiently and no current concern for eruption, improving volcanic hazard understanding.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The 'Lid' on Yellowstone's Supervolcano Is Preventing a Massive Eruption
Deep beneath the scenic tourist hotspot of Yellowstone, scientists discovered something simultaneously cool and a little bit scary in the park’s legendary supervolcano. According to a study published in Nature, there’s a massive cap of magma just 2.36 miles under the surface. It’s called a “volatile-rich layer,” and it’s all that separates us from a gigantic, violent eruption that could have devastating consequences for all life on Earth. This l…
Scientists make 'tiny earthquakes' to find how close magma is to the surface in Yellowstone
The following is taken from Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles, a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This was written by Brandon Schmandt, professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences, and Chenglong Duan, postdoctoral researcher, both at Rice University. When standing in many places in Yellowstone National Park, the signs of […]
'Customized earthquakes' reveal how close magma is to Yellowstone's surface • Daily Montanan
A 53,000-pound vibroseis truck, with a hydraulic vibration plate that creates signals like tiny earthquakes. The truck is parked at a roadside pullout near the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park. (Photo by Jamie Farrell, University of Utah, September 2020, taken under Yellowstone National Park research permit YELL-2020-SCI-8146. Support for the field research was provided by the National Science Foundation) When standing in many pla…
‘Customized earthquakes’ reveal how close magma is to Yellowstone’s surface
When standing in many places in Yellowstone National Park, the signs of a buried heat source are unmistakable, making one inclined to wonder “how far beneath my feet is there magma?” The answer is important to fundamental science questions about…
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