Yellowstone Caldera Has Twice More Magma Than Previously Thought: Should the Public Panic?

The Yellowstone Caldera or also known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano, is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano located in Yellowstone National Park in the Western US. It is measured about 43 by 28 miles (70 by 45 km), but new research suggests that it is bigger than scientists had expected.

In their paper, titled "What lies beneath Yellowstone?" published in the journal Science, the team claims that magma levels beneath the supervolcano are greater than how much scientists believed it contains. People know that the Yellowstone Caldera is an active volcano, but they may not realize how active it is.

Researcher's Legacy Reveals How Much Magma There Is in Yellowstone Caldera

Ross Maguire was a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University (MSU) when he thought of studying the volume and distribution of molten magma underneath the Yellowstone Supervolcano. According to SciTech Daily, he used seismic tomography to create an image of the magma chamber framework where it is located.

Seismic tomography is a method that uses ground vibrations or seismic waves to create a 3D image of the activity below. However, Maguire still failed to get crystal clear images, so he looked for experts in computational-based seismic tomography, otherwise known as waveform tomography.

He found MSU's Min Chen, a renowned world expert in the field. Chen developed the method applied to Maguire's images to model more accurately the seismic waves propagated underneath the supervolcano using the power of supercomputing. She brought those images into sharper focus and revealed more information about the amount of molten magma underneath Yellowstone Caldera.

Whereas previous images only showed a low concentration of magma underneath the supervolcano, the result of the new images showed that there is twice that amount existing within the magmatic system of Yellowstone.

It was a great discovery, showing a clearer picture of the supervolcano. However, Chen's untimely death in 2021 prevented her from seeing the final results of their research. To this day, her death sent shockwaves throughout the earth science community, mourning the loss of Chen's passion and expertise.

Is the Discovery a Cause for Worry?

Maguire clarified that the new discovery does not indicate that an eruption is likely to happen anytime soon. Although any signs of changes to the system will be monitored by the geophysical instruments that check on Yellowstone.

That means there is no reason for the public to worry as the Yellowstone supervolcano is not likely to erupt for at least another few thousand years, BGR reported. But in case it does, researchers claim that there will be decades of warnings so people can prepare.

An eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera is terrifying, especially considering that previous eruptions of the supervolcano have been Earth-shattering. Researchers discovered that there is at least about 16% to 20% reservoir of melted rock on average, compared to the 10% they previously thought.

Furthermore, magma reservoirs in the Yellowstone supervolcano are expected to be deeper. Supervolcanoes like that are iconic because they can often create islands in the ocean and unleash thousands of pounds of ash, soot, ad chemicals into the air.

Therefore, there is no doubt that a Yellowstone supervolcano eruption would be a tragedy recorded in history as it would endanger the lives of animals, plants, and humans in the area.