The reservoir beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano does not currently contain enough liquid magma to pose a risk of eruption. (Image credit: Sandy Huffaker/Corbis via Getty Images)The amount of molten rock beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano is much higher than previously estimated, a new study has found. Although researchers say there are no signs of an impending eruption, the discovery provides a closer look at what’s happening inside the vast magma chamber that lies beneath the national park.
Far from being a smooth mixture of molten rock, igneous reservoirs contain a large amount of solid rock, semi-liquid crystals, gases and other volatiles. This “magmatic slurry” is highly dynamic, but tends to erupt deep underground when the liquid or melt ratio exceeds a certain threshold.