New Study Identifies Future Eruption Area for Yellowstone Supervolcano

A recent study has pinpointed the northeastern part of Yellowstone National Park as the most likely area for future eruptions of the Yellowstone supervolcano. The research, published in the journal Nature, indicates that melted magma exists in four separate reservoirs beneath the park, with the northeastern region being actively heated by deeper mantle rocks.

Co-author Ninfa Bennington, a volcano seismologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, explained that while the magma in the western section is expected to cool and solidify, the northeastern reservoirs will remain hot. The research used a technique called magnetotellurics to detect mini-magnetic fields created by pockets of liquid magma, mapping hidden magma reservoirs that are currently larger than those present during prehistoric caldera-forming eruptions.

Despite the significant amount of magma underneath Yellowstone, experts believe an eruption is not imminent. Current estimates suggest that only about 20% of the pore spaces where the magma resides are filled. Bennington emphasized that for an eruption to occur, over 40% of these spaces would need to be filled, suggesting that significant geological changes would take thousands of years.

With the research providing critical insights into the volcanic activity of Yellowstone, discussions around the management and preparedness for future eruptions will likely intensify in the coming years.