Science Alert December 8, 2022
An obvious but key requirement for an eruption is the presence of magma. This magma also needs to be distributed so that it can mobilize and erupt as a coherent body. A key issue for eruption hazard assessment is to ascertain how much magma is below the surface and where. Researchers at UC Davis modeled seismic data to image melt beneath the Yellowstone Caldera. They concluded that more melt is present than had been recognized, and it is located at shallow depths in the crust. But the melt fraction they estimated is substantially lower than what would be expected if a large fraction of the Yellowstone reservoir were in the eruptible stage of its life cycle. Although their results indicate that Yellowstone’s magma reservoir contains substantial melt at depths that fueled prior eruptions, their study does not confirm the presence of an eruptible body or imply a future eruption…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Credit: zrfphoto/iStock/Getty Images Plus