Geology Lijun Liu used computer simulations to study the origins of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Understanding the complex geological processes that form supervolcanoes could ultimately help geologists determine what triggers their eruptions. A new study using an advanced computer model casts doubt on previously held theories about the Yellowstone supervolcano's origins, adding to the mystery of Yellowstone's formation. "Our model covered the entire history of Yellowstone volcanic activities," said Lijun Liu , a geology professor at the University of Illinois. Liu's computer model accounted for the last 40 million years, prior to even the earliest signs of Yellowstone's volcanism. Yellowstone is one of the largest remaining active supervolcanoes. True to its name, a supervolcano is capable of erupting on a much larger scale than an ordinary volcano.
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