Yellowstone’s volcanic activity could be shifting northeast, study finds

Magma underneath the Yellowstone Caldera — one of Earth’s biggest volcanic complexes — may be moving northeast, according to a study released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Wednesday. 

A caldera is a large cavity shaped by the eruption and subsequent collapse of a volcano. 

The study, titled “The progression of basaltic–rhyolitic melt storage at Yellowstone Caldera,” was published in the weekly journal Nature, which features peer-reviewed research in science and technology. 

According to the researchers, the basalt regions within the caldera are slowly shifting to the upper crust, where heat is being diffused northeast. This further fuels the area where the "rhyolitic melt" is stored, the liquid component of the magma.

Researchers found seven areas with a high magma focus, ranging from a depth of 4 to 47 kilometers, with some fuelling other areas. 

The scientists used a magnetotelluric technique, which measures electromagnetic fields that move through the earth, in an attempt to examine the distribution of magma below the Yellowstone Caldera.

Further examination required

Further research is needed to know estimates of when the northeastern magma reservoir could erupt, the researchers noted. 

The Yellowstone Caldera is a large crater located in the western-central portion of Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming. The park also encompasses small parts of US states Montana and Idaho.