
The warm bubble puts New England at huge risk if it turns into an eruption
A recent research indicates quite a serious danger that people in New England are exposed to. It turns out they are living above a moving bubble made of molten rock which keeps advancing towards the surface. Once it reaches the surface, it threatens to turn into a volcanic eruption which might cause great damage in the entire region.
A warm bubble is moving towards Earth’s crust
New England doesn’t lie on calm ground, as the moving bubble gets closer to the surface every day. The good news is the danger is not imminent, and the eruption probably won’t take place for several millions of years. The bad news is the effect this phenomenon might have on the region once it happens.
Beneath New England, there lies a big bubble of air resembling a balloon. This formation resembles the magma which keeps rising right before a volcanic eruption. Also, this is not the only region endangered by the imminent phenomenon. It is unlikely to reach the proportions the Yellowstone supervolcano might cause, but it can still cause a great deal of damage.
The activity is unusual for a calm area like New England
Geologists detected this mass of bubble beneath Earth’s crust while measuring the seismic activity in the US. Also, before that, they detected a spot beneath New England which was warmer than the rest of the underground material. After making a connection between the two findings, they reached the dangerous conclusion.
Researchers have also discovered the worrying formation hasn’t been there for long. There was no volcanic activity in its vicinity to trigger it, and it didn’t lift any material above the ground. However, as the blob moved through different materials of different densities and consistencies, it released a series of vibrations which were picked up by the seismographs.
The New England area is quite stable from a geological point of view, so detecting the activity of the bubble suggested something unusual was happening. Now, researchers are trying to learn how this is happening, and if it’s possible to stop it. The study was published in the journal Geology.
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