The magma reservoir under the Yellowstone National Park is 50 miles (80km) long and 12 miles (20km) wide : more than two and a half times larger than expected. Nature describes the reservoir as "a 4,000 cubic kilometer underground sponge," between six and eight percent of it filled with molten rock.
Nature reports the imaged magma blob is three to six miles below the earth’s crust, and separated from the surface by "cooler and more brittle" rocks that fracture easily under geomorphic pressure. Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah Jamie Farrell made the discovery after studying data recorded from more than 4,500 earthquakes. Yellowstone is one of the world’s most geologically active places : Farrell and his Utah team noted small quakes occurring "as often as every few seconds."
The magma reservoir under the Yellowstone National Park is 50 miles (80km) long and 12 miles (20km) wide : more than two and a half times larger than expected. Nature describes the reservoir as "a 4,000 cubic kilometer underground sponge," between six and eight percent of it filled with molten rock.
Nature reports the imaged magma blob is three to six miles below the earth’s crust, and separated from the surface by "cooler and more brittle" rocks that fracture easily under geomorphic pressure. Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah Jamie Farrell made the discovery after studying data recorded from more than 4,500 earthquakes. Yellowstone is one of the world’s most geologically active places : Farrell and his Utah team noted small quakes occurring "as often as every few seconds."