A hidden force fuels the yellowstone supervolcano

Yellowstone

doi.org/10.1126/science.ady2027
Credibility: 989
#Yellowstone

Scientists have just revealed what truly keeps the famous Yellowstone supervolcano in the United States alive

Instead of a large reservoir of liquid magma concentrated in one place, as previously thought, the system is fueled by a deep and diffuse force: a “mantle wind” that comes from the outermost layers of the Earth’s interior.

This discovery was made by researchers who created a detailed three-dimensional model of the lithosphere (the rigid part of the Earth) and the mantle that lies just below it, in the western region of North America.

They simulated how the hot material moves and discovered that the magma does not rise from a fixed, very deep point, like a “plume” coming from the center of the Earth.

In fact, it is generated by a slow horizontal flow of hot rock in the shallow asthenosphere – a kind of mantle wind that moves eastward.

This hot material, when pushed against the thicker lithosphere beneath Yellowstone, undergoes pressure that causes it to stretch and partially melt.

The result is the formation of a large region of “magma mush,” a viscous mixture of molten rock and solid crystals that spreads over a vast area and slopes southwest, traversing the entire lithosphere.

Contrary to what many thought, there is no single chamber filled with liquid magma ready to erupt.

Liquid magma only appears in small quantities and for a short time, just before major eruptions.

The rest of the time, the system functions as a vast diffuse reservoir, sustained by regional tectonic forces, including the effects of the ancient Farallon Plate, which still influences mantle movement.

This new understanding better explains how supervolcanoes form and remain active for millions of years.

It also fits perfectly with geophysical and geochemical measurements already made in the region.

The study suggests that this type of “translithosteric” system – that is, one that spans the entire lithosphere – may be common in other supervolcanoes around the world.

Understanding this hidden mechanism helps scientists better monitor volcanic activity at Yellowstone and may, in the future, improve the ability to predict when a major eruption is approaching, even though such events are extremely rare.

In short, what seemed like a mystery is now beginning to make more sense: the power of the supervolcano comes from a dynamic, broad, and deep process driven by the Earth’s own internal movement.

Published in 04/21/2026 09h53

Portuguese version

Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.

Reference article:

Original study:

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