Scientists discover 'breathing' magma cap under Yelllowstone - that stops the supervolcano from erupting
27 April 2025, 13:59
A "breathing" cap of magma has been discovered by scientists just 4km under Yellowstone National Park.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Yellowstone National Park is known to sit on a huge lake of active magma, which causes steaming geysers, hot springs and boiling mud pots.
A team of geologist have discovered a cap of magma that is full of dissolved gases that cause volcanic eruptions.
The cap is just 3.8km below the surface, releasing gases and pressure from the volcanic depths of the park.
Scientist believe the release of pressure could stop the supervolcano from erupting.
This discovery reveals how the magma system today compares to conditions before historic eruptions.
Read More: Experiments to dim the sun set to be approved within weeks
Read More: Apple to move production of US iPhones from China to India over tariffs – report
"It looks like the system is efficiently venting gas through cracks and channels between mineral crystals," researcher Brandon Schmandt from Rice University in Texas told Sky News.
He likened the volcanic activity to "steady breathing" in a report in the Nature science journal, alongside researchers from Rice University, the University of Utah, the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas at Dallas.
The team used 53,000lb vibroseis vehicle, usually reserved for oil and gas exploration.
Vibroseis is a seismic surveying method that uses a vibrating truck to create artificial seismic waves to bounce off layers underneath the earth's surface that scientists can analyse.
Scientists used more than 600 seismometers to collect their findings.
The study has to be carried out at night due to the popularity and business of Yellowstone.
Before this discovery, scientists thought Yellowstone magma system could be up to 8km beneath our feet.
The 2,219,791 acres of Yellowstone National Park stretches over Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in the United States.
Established in 1872, Yellowstone was the first national park established in the US.
The park is home to elk, bison, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly bears, and more than 1,000 species of native plants.
10,000 geothermal features make this park one of the greatest geyser areas on the planet.
