Under Yellowstone lies a magma-filled formation that drives the national park’s famous geysers and other hydrothermal features. New research conducted by University of Utah geoscientists has located the top of the chamber 3.8 kilometers below Earth’s surface and characterized the upper reservoir’s structure, offering fresh insights into the risk of future eruptions.

Researchers examined teeth and skulls of 99 extinct crocodylomorph species and 20 living crocodylian species to reconstruct their dietary ecology and identify characteristics that helped some groups persist through two mass extinctions. They discovered that one secret tocrocodylian longevity is their remarkably flexible lifestyles, both in what they eat and the habitat in which they get it.

Water molecules flip their orientation before splitting into hydrogen and oxygen. These acrobatics require significant energy, leading to the reaction’s inefficiency. Researchers quantified the precise energy costs of flipping. Efficiency is significantly affected by the water’s pH levels.