Constraining the Architecture and Melt Fraction of Yellowstone's Magmatic System with Short Period Full Waveform Tomography

This project investigates the subsurface structure beneath the Yellowstone volcanic province in northwestern Wyoming. Much of Yellowstone National Park, which attracts more than 4 million visitors annually, lies within a volcanic caldera formed by a large explosive eruption 630,000-years ago. Present-day geologic activity at Yellowstone indicates the presence of a magma body beneath the caldera.

Uncertainties persist, however, regarding the volume and distribution of magma, and how current conditions compare to those preceding past eruptions. Seismic imaging has revealed the existence of a magma reservoir in the mid-to-upper crust, but limitations in spatial resolution have hindered its accurate mapping. Recent advances in computational imaging techniques, such as full waveform inversion, combined with unprecedented seismic data coverage provided by a deployment of over 650 nodal seismic instruments, now offer new opportunities to image Yellowstone’s magmatic system at previously unattainable scales.

This study will create a new three-dimensional image of subsurface wave speeds in Yellowstone’s magma reservoir using full waveform inversion, with the goal of uncovering new insights into crustal magma storage and enhancing our understanding of volcanic hazards. This project will support a graduate student and provide opportunities for an undergraduate student.

New computational code will be released for community use, enabling similar approaches on other volcanic systems.

The primary objective of this project is to resolve fine-scale intra-reservoir structures that could identify potential regions of concentrated melt within Yellowstone’s mid-to-upper crustal magma reservoir. The project will leverage data from long-term broadband seismic networks and dense temporary nodal deployments to create a high-resolution 3D image of subsurface seismic wave speeds.

Both short-period noise correlation functions (T > 3 s) and local earthquake waveforms will be inverted using a full waveform inversion approach that incorporates radial anisotropy. While radial anisotropy is commonly observed in seismic investigations of large continental magmatic systems, the anisotropic signatures of complex reservoirs—and the ability of tomographic methods to resolve them accurately—remain underexplored.

To address this gap, the project will also perform systematic forward modeling experiments to investigate crustal melt storage configurations capable of producing the observed positive radial anisotropy at Yellowstone. The results of this project will develop code and establish a framework for applying computationally advanced imaging techniques to other densely instrumented volcanic systems of significant scientific interest.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.