A massive, magma-filled secret was recently discovered under Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, a discovery that could mean larger eruptions for the park’s supervolcano.
Researchers from the University of Utah uncovered a gargantuan magma reservoir containing hot, sponge-like rock, as well as some molten rock, that dwarfs a previously known magma chamber.
The findings were recently published in the journal Science and revealed the chamber holds enough magma to fill the Grand Canyon over 11 times, the Tech Times said.
Scientists discovered the chamber while mapping the subterranean plumbing system below the supervolcano, Sciencemag.org reported.
Hsin-Hua Huang, study author and seismologist at the University of Utah, said, “For the first time, we have imaged the continuous volcanic plumbing system under Yellowstone. That includes the upper crustal magma chamber we have seen previously, plus a lower crustal magma reservoir that has never been imaged before and that connects the upper chamber to the Yellowstone hotspot plume below.”
The discovery is what Geophysicist Peter Cervelli describes as the "missing link" between the plume and magma chamber, says Sciencemag.com.
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