An Active Volcano May Be Creating a Valuable Metal Deposit Deep Underground

University of Oxford researchers used earthquake data to create a 3D image of the Caribbean’s Soufrière Hills volcano.

They identified a deep zone of fluid-rich, metal-bearing brine that may represent the early formation of a new ore deposit.

The approach could help map critical-metal resources beneath active volcanoes without drilling, supporting batteries, electronics, and geothermal energy.