USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-YVO-2024-11-01T14:34:21+00:00

Summary

Yellowstone Caldera activity remains at background levels, with 70 located earthquakes in October (maximum = M2.0). Deformation measurements indicate a resumption of subsidence after the seasonal pause that occurs every summer due to snowmelt and groundwater conditions.

Recent Work and News

Steamboat Geyser erupted on October 7, the 5th major eruption of the year.  Since that time, the geyser has not experienced significant minor activity, indicating that the next major eruption is at least many weeks, and perhaps months, away.

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists continue to examine data from the Black Diamond Pool area of Biscuit Basin, where a hydrothermal explosion took place on July 23, 2024.  Seismic and infrasound (acoustic) data indicate that some minor surges of water from the pool continue to occur.

Seismicity

During October 2024, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, responsible for the operation and analysis of the Yellowstone Seismic Network, located 70 earthquakes in the Yellowstone National Park region. The largest event of the month was a micro earthquake of magnitude 2.0 located about 13 miles east-southeast of West Thumb in Yellowstone National Park on October 31 at 7:01 AM MDT.

October seismicity in Yellowstone was marked by one small swarm of 15 earthquakes about 7 miles north-northeast of West Yellowstone, MT, during October 4–7. The largest earthquake in the sequence was a magnitude 1.7 on October 6 at 3:51 PM MDT.

Earthquake sequences like these are common and account for roughly 50% of the total seismicity in the Yellowstone region.

Yellowstone earthquake activity is currently at background levels.

Ground Deformation

In late September to early October, continuous GPS stations in Yellowstone Caldera and near Norris Geyser Basin recorded a transition from slight uplift to subsidence.  This transition reflects the end of the seasonal pause in overall subsidence, which has been ongoing since 2015.  Every summer, deformation in the region is characterized by a pause in subsidence or slight amount of uplift due to seasonal changes related to snowmelt and groundwater conditions.  Since the beginning of October, less than 1 centimeter (a fraction of an inch) of subsidence has occurred in Yellowstone Caldera.

An example of GPS data can be found at http://www.unavco.org/instrumentation/networks/status/pbo/data/NRWY (click on Static Plots / Cleaned)