Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
= Yellowstone National Park
= Caldera
Yellowstone Monthly Update
Monday, April 01, 2013 4:54 PM MDT
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN
Monday, April 01, 2013 4:54 PM MDT
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory provides timely monitoring and hazard assessment of volcanic, hydrothermal, and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone Plateau region.
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Sloshing Detected in Yellowstone Lake Helps to Locate Magma Storage Region
March 20, 2013
USGS postdoctoral fellow Karen Luttrell, together with colleagues from UNAVCO and elsewhere, recently published an article in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) revealing how the presence of magma beneath the ground at Yellowstone allows the deformation signal from a standing wave (seiche - pronounced "say-sh") in Yellowstone Lake to travel further than it would in the earth's crust under normal (magma-free) conditions. Highly sensitive instruments picked up the seiche signal up to 30 km (19 mi) from Yellowstone Lake when the signal would typically only be observed within a few kilometers. The authors estimate that magma is present starting at 3—6 km (2—4 mi) beneath the ground surface, and that the magma is mostly crystallized but is still partly molten. Read our web article to learn more, or download the full research paper at the GRL website.
Gases in Brimstone Basin Indicate Heated Pasts
February 19, 2013
Within Yellowstone National Park, there are areas where the ground is altered and bleached to various shades of white and gray. Typically, these are thermal areas – locations where heated gases rise through and escape from the earth. However, some sites with altered ground show no signs of heat release and are assumed to be locations of pre-historic heating. New research by YVO gas chemists shows that one of these non-thermal acid-altered sites releases a surprisingly large amount of cold gas, and evidence from their study links these cold gases to warmer temperatures below. Read the YVO web article or the full research paper in Chemical Geology.
YVO Brings on New Member Organizations
January 14, 2013
Beginning in 2013, YVO officially welcomes several groups that have been important informal partners to the observatory for many years. Along with the USGS, Yellowstone National Park, and the University of Utah, YVO now includes the three state geological surveys of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, UNAVCO, Inc., and the University of Wyoming. The seismic network will continue to be operated by the University of Utah. More information about the YVO Consortium is available on the About YVO page.
March 20, 2013
USGS postdoctoral fellow Karen Luttrell, together with colleagues from UNAVCO and elsewhere, recently published an article in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) revealing how the presence of magma beneath the ground at Yellowstone allows the deformation signal from a standing wave (seiche - pronounced "say-sh") in Yellowstone Lake to travel further than it would in the earth's crust under normal (magma-free) conditions. Highly sensitive instruments picked up the seiche signal up to 30 km (19 mi) from Yellowstone Lake when the signal would typically only be observed within a few kilometers. The authors estimate that magma is present starting at 3—6 km (2—4 mi) beneath the ground surface, and that the magma is mostly crystallized but is still partly molten. Read our web article to learn more, or download the full research paper at the GRL website.
Gases in Brimstone Basin Indicate Heated Pasts
February 19, 2013
Within Yellowstone National Park, there are areas where the ground is altered and bleached to various shades of white and gray. Typically, these are thermal areas – locations where heated gases rise through and escape from the earth. However, some sites with altered ground show no signs of heat release and are assumed to be locations of pre-historic heating. New research by YVO gas chemists shows that one of these non-thermal acid-altered sites releases a surprisingly large amount of cold gas, and evidence from their study links these cold gases to warmer temperatures below. Read the YVO web article or the full research paper in Chemical Geology.
YVO Brings on New Member Organizations
January 14, 2013
Beginning in 2013, YVO officially welcomes several groups that have been important informal partners to the observatory for many years. Along with the USGS, Yellowstone National Park, and the University of Utah, YVO now includes the three state geological surveys of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, UNAVCO, Inc., and the University of Wyoming. The seismic network will continue to be operated by the University of Utah. More information about the YVO Consortium is available on the About YVO page.
Publications
Featured Articles
Internet Mapping Service
Yellowstone Volcanic History
Yellowstone Hazards
University of Utah Seismographs
University of Utah Research Group
Images, Podcasts, Videos, and Webcams
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Facts
Location: Wyoming and Montana
Latitude: 44.615° N
Longitude: 110.6° W
Elevation: 2,805 (m) 9,203 (f)
Volcano type: Caldera
Composition: basalt to rhyolite
Most recent eruption: 70,000 years ago—lava, current—hydrothermal explosions
Featured Articles
Internet Mapping Service
Yellowstone Volcanic History
Yellowstone Hazards
University of Utah Seismographs
University of Utah Research Group
Images, Podcasts, Videos, and Webcams
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Facts
Location: Wyoming and Montana
Latitude: 44.615° N
Longitude: 110.6° W
Elevation: 2,805 (m) 9,203 (f)
Volcano type: Caldera
Composition: basalt to rhyolite
Most recent eruption: 70,000 years ago—lava, current—hydrothermal explosions