All articles tagged with #magma reservoir
A Kobe University-led study using underwater seismic surveys mapped a large magma reservoir beneath Japan’s Kikai Caldera and found that fresh magma is being injected to refill the system after its 7,300-year-old eruption, supporting a general refill model for giant calderas like Yellowstone and Toba and potentially improving monitoring of future giant eruptions.
Scientists studying seismic activity in the Denali volcanic gap region of Alaska accidentally discovered evidence of a magma reservoir about 7 miles beneath the surface, challenging the belief that the area was devoid of volcanic activity. The discovery was made by analyzing seismic data collected following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in 2018, revealing a "seismic-velocity anomaly" indicating the presence of slow-moving, molten magma. Further research is needed to confirm the findings and understand the nature of the anomaly in this volcanoless region.
Scientists have gained new insights into the structure and composition of Yellowstone's magma reservoir using seismic data from hundreds of sensors. The data revealed that the magma is stored in two reservoirs, with the upper reservoir containing more melt than the lower one. The recent study also found that the magma is stored in a sheet-like manner, with horizontally elongated areas of localized magma storage called sills. The improved understanding of Yellowstone's system could help in studying other volcanic systems and improving eruption forecasts. However, many questions about the magmatic system still remain.
A team of geologists and seismologists has used seismic wave data to measure the content of the Yellowstone magma reservoir and found that the upper part is approximately 28% melted rock, higher than previous estimates. The percentage of melt in the reservoir is important for assessing the risk of volcanic eruption, and this new measurement aligns with prior assessments indicating a low risk of eruption in the park.