Japanese scientists have discovered signs of the awakening of a powerful supervolcano

Scientists from Kobe University have discovered that the magma reservoir responsible for the most powerful eruption of the current geological epoch, the Holocene, has begun to fill up again. The results of the study can help predict future catastrophic events in systems such as Yellowstone in the United States and Toba in Indonesia. This was reported on March 29 by Science Daily magazine.

The object of the study was the underwater Kikai caldera, located south of the Japanese island of Kyushu. Its last eruption occurred 7.3 thousand years ago. To study the structure of the earth's crust, experts used pneumatic cannons and bottom seismometers, which made it possible to create a detailed map of the subsurface.

The study confirmed the presence of an extensive magma-saturated zone directly under the site of the ancient cataclysm. The researchers were able to map the size and shape of this magmatic reservoir and determine its relationship to past activity.

"Due to its size and location, it is clear that this is the same magma reservoir as in the previous eruption," said Nobukazu Seama, a geophysicist at Kobe University.

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Chemical analysis has shown that the current substance is different from that released thousands of years ago. This means that under the lava dome, which has been forming for the last 3.9 thousand years, there is not residual raw materials, but fresh magma coming from the depths. This "recharge" process corresponds to the development models of other major calderas in the world.

"We need to understand how such a huge amount of magma accumulates in order to understand the mechanism of giant eruptions," Seama stressed.

According to the scientists, the underwater position of Kikai provides a unique advantage for conducting systematic large-scale research. The ultimate goal of the mission is to develop methods for monitoring critical indicators that will allow timely warning of the beginning of a new phase of supervolcanic activity.

Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii on March 11. According to the US Geological Survey, the ash particles reached the size of a soccer ball. Lava fountains rose to a height of 400 m.

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