Scientists have long believed that active volcanoes expel large magma bodies during eruptions and then dissipate as they become dormant. However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience challenges this notion. Researchers from Cornell University used seismic waves to identify large magma chambers beneath six volcanoes in the Cascade Range, including half of the US volcanoes designated as “very high threat.”
The team found that all six volcanoes, including dormant ones like Crater Lake volcano in Oregon, have persistent and large magma bodies. This contradicts previous assumptions that magma bodies only exist during active eruptions.
“We see large magma bodies beneath many volcanoes,” said postdoctoral researcher Guanning Pang. “It appears that these magma bodies exist beneath volcanoes over their whole lifetime, not just during an active state.” The discovery has significant implications for volcanic monitoring and prediction.
The US Geological Survey is expanding its volcanic monitoring networks to detect signals of impending eruptions earlier. Researchers hope to use this knowledge to better target and optimize monitoring efforts, especially for sparsely monitored or under-studied volcanoes like those in Alaska.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-large-magma-bodies-beneath-dormant.html