Seismic Imaging Breakthrough
Scientists, using seismic imaging techniques akin to an Earth's MRI, discovered a magma cap under that helps release pressure, reducing the likelihood of large eruptions.
This cap, found to be a few hundred feet thick, efficiently transfers gas bubbles to the surface, preventing pressure buildup, challenging previous assumptions about eruption risks.
Eruption Patterns and Misconceptions
of the emphasizes that Yellowstone's eruptions are predominantly lava flows, with the last one occurring 70,000 years ago, and not massive volcanic explosions as often depicted in fiction.
Hydrothermal explosions, more common on human timescales, are characterized by energetic geyser eruptions capable of throwing rocks, further diversifying the eruption types at Yellowstone.