In 2014, scientists detonated 23 controlled explosions around Mount St. Helens, one of America's most closely watched volcanoes, using thousands of seismic instruments to map its hidden interior. The experiment revealed evidence of a complex magma-storage system buried deep beneath the volcano, including a major reservoir about 4 to 15 kilometres underground.

Mount St. Helens is one of the most closely studied volcanoes in the United States, but scientists still cannot directly see the complex system of magma and rock hidden beneath it.

In 2014, scientists detonated 23 controlled explosions around Mount St. Helens, one of America's most closely watched volcanoes, using thousands of seismic instruments to map its…