Overview

• An international team of scientists used seismic tomography and petrophysical analysis to map the internal plumbing of Bolivia’s dormant Uturuncu volcano.
• The study revealed that migrating liquids and gases within the magmatic-hydrothermal system are causing the volcano’s ongoing deformation.
• Despite persistent unrest, including a distinctive 'sombrero' deformation pattern, researchers concluded there is a low likelihood of an imminent eruption.
• Uturuncu sits above the world’s largest known magma body, the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex, connected to the surface by an active hydrothermal system.
• The techniques developed in this study could be applied to over 1,400 potentially active or dormant ‘zombie’ volcanoes worldwide for hazard and resource assessments.