Scientists Discover New Magma Accumulation Beneath Japan's Kikai Supervolcano

Key facts

• Kikai Caldera, a supervolcano located off Japan's coast, is accumulating new magma 7,300 years after its last catastrophic eruption.
• Researchers from Kobe University and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) used airgun arrays and ocean bottom seismometers to investigate the underwater volcanic structure.
• Seismic analysis revealed a substantial region containing a high proportion of magma directly beneath the site of Kikai’s catastrophic eruption.
• Chemical analyses determined that the magma currently stored beneath Kikai is newly injected material, differing in composition from the material released during the ancient eruption.
• The research helps scientists understand how giant volcanic systems rebuild their underground magma supply, offering insights into systems like Yellowstone and Toba.