‘Mind-blowing’ hidden network of magma chambers found under Hawaii’s volcanoes

Researchers unsure how magma’s movement in these ‘sills’ could be triggering tiny quakes

A massive complex of flat, interconnected magma chambers has been found by scientists deep beneath volcanoes in Hawaii that seem to be responsible for a swarm of unexplained tiny earthquakes felt on the Big Island over the past seven years.

Data gathered from seismic stations was used to chart out the structure of these pancake-like chambers, called “sills” and were mapped with “never-before-seen precision” by researchers, including those from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the US.

The findings, published on Thursday in the journal Science, demonstrate that these magma chambers, which appear to be at depths ranging from around 36-43km, link to at least two of the island’s active volcanoes – Mauna Loa and Kīlauea.