NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — The unsettling and looming prospect of a supervolcano eruption has sent shockwaves through the scientific community. Researchers are deeply concerned about the possibility that this dormant volcanic giant, which has been dormant for a staggering 100,000 years, might be awakening from its slumber.
This formidable volcanic entity, nestled in the Eastern California region near the Long Valley Caldera, has recently been exhibiting signs of restlessness, and experts from the California Institute of Technology (CIT) have been closely monitoring its behavior.
According to their observations, this geological behemoth appears to be undergoing significant changes in its internal dynamics, akin to “tossing and turning” as its deep magma chamber cools down, hinting at a prolonged period of inactivity.
The sheer magnitude of the potential eruption is enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone residing near this natural titan.
Historically, the Long Valley supervolcano has displayed its fearsome power, with its last eruption showering the modern city of Los Angeles in a scorching hot deluge of ash and sediment, stretching over a staggering one kilometer.
Fortunately, the volcano has remained dormant for the vast majority of the past century, allowing it to fade into relative obscurity.
However, in the late 1970s, residents in the area became increasingly anxious when a series of earthquakes emerged from the caldera, which is essentially a depression located above the concealed volcano.
In the decades that followed, the volcano periodically entered phases of what scientists refer to as “pronounced unrest.” During these episodes, the surrounding terrain would swell and recede, much like the breathing of a slumbering giant.
Nevertheless, there is some reassuring news for the residents of Los Angeles and surrounding areas. In-depth research and scientific analysis have led experts to conclude that the likes of Universal Studios and Santa Monica Boulevard will not be obliterated by a catastrophic eruption anytime soon.
This discovery has cast the current activities within the supervolcano in a different light.
Scientists believe that the ongoing phenomenon is not necessarily an ominous precursor to a massive eruption. Instead, they suggest it is more likely associated with a cooling process occurring within the volcano. In essence, as the deeper magma chamber cools, it is causing gases and liquids to ascend toward the surface.
While this may trigger localized earthquakes and minor eruptions, it is not indicative of an imminent supervolcanic explosion.
As Geophysicist Zhongwen Zhan explained, “We don’t think the region is gearing up for another supervolcanic eruption, but the cooling process may release enough gas and liquid to cause earthquakes and small eruptions. For example, in May 1980, there were four magnitude six earthquakes in the region alone.”
To gather data and delve deeper into these geological mysteries, the research team employed an innovative method.
They utilized a 100-kilometer-long segment of fiber optic cable equipped with distributed acoustic sensing technology. This allowed them to record approximately 2,000 seismic events, many of which would have gone unnoticed by human observers.
The insights gathered from this research have been instrumental in differentiating the larger magma chamber, which is buried beneath 12 kilometers of Earth‘s crust, from the shallower hydrothermal system located on the surface.
It is this unique relationship between the deep chamber’s cooling process and the subsequent release of gases and liquids that seems to be responsible for the unusual geological activity, such as the ground swelling and trembling.
While the prospect of a supervolcanic eruption remains highly unlikely, this research serves as a crucial reminder of the unpredictable and awe-inspiring forces that lie beneath the Earth’s surface.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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