Magma buildup under New Zealand town could unleash a volcano
- 8 years ago
MATATA, NEW ZEALAND — Scientists using GPS data and satellite images claim to have found a huge buildup of magma under a town in New Zealand.
The researchers say there is enough magma located 10 kilometers beneath the town of Matata on New Zealand’s North Island to fill 80,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
The scientists say the magma has caused a 400-square-kilometer area in the Taupo Volcanic Zone to rise 40 centimeters since 1950, and probably also triggered thousands of small earthquakes in recent years that were previously attributed to tectonic shifts.
The magma could cause a volcano to form, but the process would take hundreds or thousands of years. It is also possible that over time the magma may cool and solidify underneath the Earth.
The researchers say there is enough magma located 10 kilometers beneath the town of Matata on New Zealand’s North Island to fill 80,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
The scientists say the magma has caused a 400-square-kilometer area in the Taupo Volcanic Zone to rise 40 centimeters since 1950, and probably also triggered thousands of small earthquakes in recent years that were previously attributed to tectonic shifts.
The magma could cause a volcano to form, but the process would take hundreds or thousands of years. It is also possible that over time the magma may cool and solidify underneath the Earth.