Tectonic origin of Yellowstone's translithospheric magma plumbing system
Summary
Yellowstone is widely recognized for its crustal magma reservoirs replenished by asthenospheric melts. However, how primary melts traverse the rigid lithosphere and evolve into bimodal volcanism remains unclear. By leveraging multidisciplinary observations and a data-oriented geodynamic modeling approach, we demonstrate that magma generation and migration in the Yellowstone region are primarily governed by lithospheric tectonics, with negligible contribution from the mantle plume. Below Ye
Content
# Tectonic origin of Yellowstone's translithospheric magma plumbing system
*Published: 2026 Apr 9*
Yellowstone is widely recognized for its crustal magma reservoirs replenished by
asthenospheric melts. However, how primary melts traverse the rigid lithosphere
and evolve into bimodal volcanism remains unclear. By leveraging
multidisciplinary observations and a data-oriented geodynamic modeling approach,
we demonstrate that magma generation and migration in the Yellowstone region are
primarily governed by lithospheric tectonics, with negligible contribution from
the mantle plume. Below Yellowstone, our model predicts a southwest-dipping
extension zone, shaped jointly by the lithospheric body force and basal
traction. This tilted translithospheric deforming zone resembles the
geophysically imaged magma plumbing system, confirming the key role of tectonic
extension in tapping asthenospheric melts to shallow depths. Furthermore, we
suggest that the translithospheric magma plumbing system facilitates complex
magmatic processes, ultimately driving surface bimodal volcanism.
DOI: 10.1126/science.ady2027