Photo: MARK RALSTON / AFP / Getty Images
By: The Opinion Updated 12 Dec 2022, 0: 20 am EST
New research suggests that one of the magma deposits under the Yellowstone caldera, a huge crater and supervolcano, contains more molten liquid rock than scientists previously estimated.
According to research recently published in the magazine Science, the scientists estimated that the shallower deposit was mostly solid, with only a 5 to 20 percent of molten rock. Now they believe that this proportion is actually the 43 to 20 percent.
To reach that conclusion, the researchers used powerful supercomputers to re-analyze existing seismic data from recent 20 years.
One of the Research authors Ross Maguire of Michigan State University used a technique called seismic tomography, which uses vibrations in the ground known as seismic waves to create a 3D image of what is happening below the Earth’s surface.
With this method, Maguire was able to create an image of the structure of the magma chamber
that showed where the magma was.
The images generated by Maguire were analyzed by Min Chen, an adjunct professor at Michigan State University. using the power of supercomputing, Chen developed the method applied to Maguire images to more accurately model how seismic waves propagate through the Earth. Chen’s creativity and skill allowed these images to be better focused, revealing more information about the amount of magma molten under the Yellowstone volcano.
Doesn’t mean that the volcano will erupt
The findings of scientists do not mean that the Earth has created more liquid magma. Rather, scientists claim that they now have a more precise understanding of what already existed.
“We did not see an increase in the amount of magma,” Maguire said. “We only saw a clearer image of what was already there.”
This higher level of magma detected does not indicate that it will appear a new eruption.
“To be clear, the new discovery does not indicate that a future eruption
is likely ,” Maguire said. “Any sign of changes in the system would be picked up by the network of geophysical instruments that continuously monitors Yellowstone,” he added.
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