Under the violent forests and hot springs of the Yellouston National Park, an ancient magmatic system lies, which has been suspected for decades in the ability to cause a global catastrophe. But a recent study radically changed our understanding of this "sleeping giant".
For the first time with such accuracy, a group of scientists from several leading US universities have recorded a new key element in the Subsoil structure of Ellowostoon - a partially molten "hat", which acts as a natural pressure reset valve. This discovery explains why the system remains stable, despite all the fears of its possible eruption. With the help of a powerful seismic installation weighing 24 tons and a network of 600 seismometers, scientists have found a clear limit at a depth of 3.8 km below the surface. It is there that a layer of gases and molten rock, which slowly releases pressure - like a bottle of carbonated water, which was opened only a little.
This system allows the volcano to "breathe", reducing the likelihood of accumulation of dangerous pressure. Thus, instead of preparing for a catastrophe, we observe stable functioning ventilation of subsoil, where geysers, steam sources and mud boilers play the role of surface valves. According to a study published in Nature, the content of melt and gases in the system is now far from the critical limit. However, as scientists warn, further monitoring of changes in the "hat" is extremely important: its structure can be an early indicator of approaching a potentially dangerous state.
Despite myths and ominous scenarios, Yelloustonon today is not a time mechanism on the verge of explosion, but a complex and self -regulating system, which, thanks to its natural properties, remains safe.
