In 2024, scientists led by D. Sarah Stamps detected and tracked a short-lived bulge in the land surrounding Ol Doinyo Lengai, a volcano in Tanzania. The team has now identified what caused the ground to swell.
According to the study, published September 18, the uplift came from an influx of roughly one million cubic meters of magma. That material poured into an existing magma reservoir located about 1.8 miles beneath the surface, temporarily inflating the ground above it.
The finding helps clarify how magma movement can produce rapid, reversible deformation at this unusual volcano. The researchers note the bulge was short-lived, indicating the magma influx was a discrete event rather than a steady buildup.