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As the burning magma rushes to flood the underground chamber of a volcano, as in Yellowstone, the volcano becomes heavier and its gravitational attraction increases. Similarly, the effects of gravity around a volcano occur on the weekend when the magma chamber is empty or is drained from molten rock. Scientists from the US Geological Survey (USGS) who closely monitor the Yellowstone volcano believe that this could be an essential tool for monitoring volcanic activity. The gravitational attraction or gravitational acceleration around the globe is 9.6 square meters per second (32 square feet).
But the so-called gravitational constant is not a constant and will change depending on your altitude and the ground on which you stand.
For example, a Mount Everest Mountaineer weighing 68 kg at sea level will weigh only 67.8 kg at the top of the mountain.
According to Michael Poland, chief scientist at the USGS, local geology has an impact on gravity because of the composition and density of the rock.
The scientist explained in this week's issue of Caldera Chronicles: "If there is a very dense copper deposit beneath the surface, for example, the gravitational attraction will be stronger than if the subsoil was composed of uncompacted soil.
"Measuring the gravitational pull on the Earth's surface can tell you about the composition of the subsoil."
READ MORE: Is Yellowstone OVERDUE another super-eruption?
Differences in gravitational attraction may be too small to be noticed, but Dr. Poland said specialized equipment around the Yellowstone volcano could detect tiny spikes and falls.
These machines, called gravimeters, use a very sensitive spring to calculate the gravitational acceleration acting on a weight attached to the spring.
If gravity in a specific part of the park is on the rise, the spring becomes weaker as it is driven down.
If the gravity decreases, the spring shortens in turn.
READ MORE: Yellowstone Volcano Shock: Increasing Heat in the PHENOMENAL Thermal Region Stuns Geologists
Gravimeters, while simple, provide an "excellent tool" for measuring future volcanic activity in the depths of the Yellowstone surface.
Dr Poland said: "As variations in shallow water levels and other seasonal factors are relatively low, it should be possible to 'see' all the changes caused by magma.
"In the future, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory will conduct annual gravimetric measurements in the caldera to assess magmatic activity, combining these results with information on deformation, seismicity, emissions and more. of gas and thermal changes. "
This announcement comes after scientists from the USGS, in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, conducted a series of gravimetric measurements in 2017.
READ MORE: 127 Yellowstone rock earthquakes – USGS: 26 hit in SWARM
The results of the study were published March 28 this year in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
Geologists have found that the movement of groundwater levels and hydrothermal activity have had no additional effect on the gravity of Yellowstone.
Overall, pre-Yellowstone gravity surveys have not produced any disturbing results.
According to Dr. Poland, this could be due to the fact that the yellowstone magma is relatively deep below ground – about 5 km away.
The deeper the magma is, the more effect it will have on the gravity will be weak.
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