Yellowstone’s Seven Magma Chambers Found, Risk of Eruption Low

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Scientists have discovered important changes happening deep beneath Yellowstone National Park, home to one of the world's largest volcanoes.

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Scientists using magnetotellurics, found that instead of one large pool of magma, there are seven smaller pools spread out underground.

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The percentage of magma stored in the reservoirs was actually quite low which means that none of the reservoirs have enough magma to produce an eruption anytime soon.

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The northeast region contains chambers of rhyolitic magma in the upper crust, heated by basaltic magma in the lower crust

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The rhyolitic magma volume is estimated at 388 to 489 cubic kilometers which is similar to the previous major eruptions at Yellowstone.

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Yellowstone's last major eruption about 640,000 years ago created the current 30-by-40-mile wide caldera and covered an area the size of Rhode Island

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Magnetotelluric surveys measure variations in the Earth's natural electromagnetic fields that help track changes in the underground magma system and understand potential future volcanic activity.

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The research shows that while Yellowstone's volcanic system continues to evolve, the current magma levels indicate no immediate volcanic threat.

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