Scientists now have a chance to study magma in its most natural form, thanks to a twist of circumstance that unveiled what’s being called the world’s first “magma observatory.” The singular opportunity to examine the molten rock while still beneath the earth’s crust was the result of a happy drilling accident in Hawaii, according to a articles in Wired Science and National Geographic Magazine.

"This is like Jurassic Park for magmatic systems," John Hopkins Geologist Bruce Marsh is quoted as saying in Wired. "You can go to museums and see dinosaur skeletons. But if a paleontologist could see a dinosaur frolicking in the open countryside, it would be absolutely spellbinding. And this is what it is for me to see this thing in its natural habitat."

Marsh discussed the find at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco this week.

The live magma bed, which lies about 1.5 miles below the Puna Geothermal Venture, has implications for volcanologists as well as geologists, who believe they’ll now have a better idea of how the earth’s crust forms. At over 1,000 degrees Celsius, it could also serve as a prime source of geothermal energy, according to National Geographic.

For now, though, scientists are still discussing how to best move forward with their research. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Marsh is quoted as saying in National Geographic. "We don't know where it's going to lead, but it's a golden opportunity.”