Scientists Finally Know Why a ‘Zombie’ Volcano Has Been Refusing to Die for Thousands of Years

It is not every day dormant giants stir. Deep in the heart of the Bolivian Andes, one such huge volcano, Uturuncu, has probably not been dormant anymore. The huge stratovolcano, which has not erupted in approximately 250,000 years, has been in a hush-hush manner releasing gas, trembling with earthquakes, and disturbing the landscape for decades. To experts, this was not mere curiosity, it was a potential disaster waiting to happen. Decades after research, scientists have decoded the mystery. And in doing so, they may have remodeled our understanding of dormant volcanoes around the world, stated PNAS.

The major key to solving this mystery did not lie in just magma pressure but in something far more detailed—an underground plumbing system driven by fluids and gases. An international study has discovered exactly what’s causing all this troubled activity at Uturuncu. Hot fluids and gases are rising from a huge magma reservoir known as the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB). Instead of creating a new eruption-ready chamber, these bizarre elements are moving upward through a narrow, chimney-like channel beneath the volcano. Co-author Matthew Pritchard, a professor of geophysics at Cornell University, said in a statement, "The methods in this paper could be applied to the more than 1,400 potentially active volcanoes and to the dozens of volcanoes like Uturuncu that aren't considered active but that show signs of life — other potential zombie volcanoes," stated Live Science.

Experts analyzed over 1,700 earthquakes occurring in the region and created top-notch seismic images of the volcano, similar to performing a CT scan of the Earth. The researchers noted, "This not only explains why a 'zombie' volcano remains active but also offers insights into its eruption potential, establishing a technique that could be applied to help evaluate eruption hazards at other active volcanoes." By mixing seismic tomography, rock physics, and petrological data, they were able to understand how steam, CO₂, and briny fluids are traveling through the dark abyss.

However, many may not know, but this as a result caused the land above to rise in a dome-like pattern, while the surrounding ground sinks. This odd yet unique pattern is named "sombrero." But, one can relax as there is nothing to worry about at the moment, as Uturuncu is not on the verge of eruption as per the study. Professor Mike Kendall from the University of Oxford explained that this particular fluid movement explains the activity, without basically needing a buildable or eruptible magma, stated LBV. Moreover, this is not it, there are broader implications to this. The study’s unique method can be used to analyse the volcanoes on a worldwide level, especially the 1,400 potentially active volcanoes. These could also include other so-called ‘zombie’ volcanoes. Volcanoes that are inactive for a long time show bizarre signs of life.

Professor Haijiang Zhang, from the University of Science and Technology of China, shared, "Understanding the anatomy of the Uturuncu volcanic system was only possible thanks to the expertise within the research team. This enabled us to combine various advanced geophysical imaging tools with modeling of the rock properties and their interactions with fluids," stated Phys.Org. Experts are speculating that such studies regarding seismological and petrological properties can help experts understand the volcanoes in a better manner.