Scientists Say 'Super Volcano' May Be Brewing Beneath Mount St. Helens
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A team of scientists say they have evidence that a "super volcano" may be brewing underneath Mount St. Helens, NewScientist.com reports.
Researchers say indicators suggest Mount St. Helens and other northwest volcanoes are plugged into a huge subterranean pool of magma that could one day burst to the surface in a "super" eruption.
If what they believe is true, the structure beneath the mountain would be comparable in size to the biggest magma chambers ever discovered, such as the one below Yellowstone National Park.
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Scientist Graham Hill led a team of researchers that set up magnetotelluric sensors around Mount St Helens. The measurements revealed a column of conductive material that extends downward from the volcano which they found to connect to a much bigger zone of conductive material.
Not all scientists are convinced that Mount St. Helens may be capable of a giant eruption.
Magnetotellurics specialist Gary Egbert of Oregon State University in Corvallis says he's cautious over the idea of that a super volcano sits under Mt. St. Helen.
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"It seems likely that there's some partial melt down there," given that it is a volcanic area, he told NewScientist.com. "But part of the conductivity is probably just water."