New study reveals insights into Yellowstone Volcanic System’s Hidden Magma Reservoirs
HILO, Hawaii — Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and Oregon State University examined the area beneath Yellowstone Volcanic system finding that although an eruption is unlikely anywhere in the area, changes to the northeast area of the volcanic system will be the key to understanding future eruptions. Scientists at USGS mapped underground areas containing magma in this volcanic system. Understanding where magma is located is essential for predicting volcanic activity and keeping the public informed about potential risks. This study gave a clear picture of how magma is distributed through the crust at Yellowstone using a method that is most sensitive
Volcanic explosion penetrates both upper atmosphere and upper crust around the globe
The January 15, 2022 satellite view of the small, uninhabited South Pacific island known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai, from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 17 (GOES-17). This looping video shows the intense series of eruptions that generated atmospheric shock waves, sonic booms, and tsunami waves. On January 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcano, 44 miles/70 kilometers south of the Tongan capital of Nuku’alofa, began erupting with a violent explosion. The eruption, one of the largest in the past century, pushed a plume of volcanic ash higher in the atmosphere than ever recorded, about 35 miles/56 kilometers into the sky. In addition to
Using Distant Seismometers to Monitor and Analyze Volcanic Eruptions
(a) The three closest seismic stations (red inverted triangles) to the Tonga eruption are more than ~760 km (~472 mi) away. (b) The timeline of earthquakes (yellow circles) at the Tonga eruption site shows the increase of seismicity immediately after the M5.8 during the initial eruption, followed by decreasing seismicity after the first couple of weeks. (from Kintner et al., 2022) There are more than 1000 active volcanoes on the planet that are not locally monitored, and some of them are very near potentially impacted populations. One such location is the Tongan capital of Nukualofa, where the only warnings before