One of Earth’s most explosive supervolcanoes is recharging

Japan's giant caldera volcano is refilling 7,300 years later

Japan's giant caldera volcano is refilling 7,300 years later The magma reservoir of the largest volcanic eruption of the Holocene is refilling. This Kobe University insight on the Kikai caldera in Japan allows us to understand giant caldera volcanoes like Yellowstone or Toba more generally and…

One of Earth’s most explosive supervolcanoes is recharging

Far beneath the ocean near Japan, scientists have discovered that the magma system linked to the most powerful eruption of the Holocene is slowly rebuilding. By using seismic imaging, researchers mapped a large magma reservoir under the Kikai caldera and confirmed it is the same system that fueled the massive eruption 7,300 years ago. However, the magma now present is newly injected, not leftover, as shown by changes in the chemistry of recent v…

How do giant caldera volcanoes fill up?

The magma reservoir of the largest volcano eruption of the Holocene is refilling. This Kobe University insight on the Kikai caldera in Japan allows us to understand giant caldera volcanoes like Yellowstone or Toba more generally and gets us closer to predicting their behavior, too. Some volcanoes erupt so violently, ejecting more magma than could cover all of Central Park 12 km deep, that all that’s left is just a wide and rather shallow crater,…