Chinese researchers have discovered that the Yellowstone supervolcano is fed by magma from a layer of partially molten rock located directly beneath the Earth's crust.
Science magazine notes that the prevailing belief was previously that the chambers beneath giant volcanoes were filled with magma coming from deep within the Earth, but recent studies have shown that the magma chamber is much closer to the Earth's surface, which is of interest to scientists, especially with increasing tectonic activity.
Supervolcanoes are capable of ejecting thousands of cubic kilometers of rock, ash, and lava, which can lead to widespread climate change. If Yellowstone were to erupt, ash could blanket vast areas of the United States.
The volcano lies beneath the Yellowstone caldera, which measures approximately 48 by 64 kilometers, and has erupted twice in the last 2.1 million years. It was previously thought to be fed by narrow plumes of superheated rock rising from deep within the Earth, but this view has recently been revised.
According to the new theory, magma originates from the asthenosphere, a layer directly beneath the Earth's solid crust, where molten rock mixes with the surrounding solids. The movement of this hot rock weakens the upper crust and fills magma chambers, potentially leading to an eruption when pressure reaches critical levels.
The U.S. Geological Survey indicates that the long-term probability of an eruption could extend to 100,000 years, with no signs of imminent danger. However, scientists using artificial intelligence techniques have detected more than 86,000 silent earthquakes between 2008 and 2022—far more than previously thought—and half of these occurred in clusters typically associated with volcanic activity.
Experts believe that understanding the mechanisms of magma chamber filling, whether from deep within the Earth or due to tectonic activity, contributes to improving risk assessment and estimating the likely timing of any future eruption.
