Newest Volcano Notice Including Yellowstone

YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY MONTHLY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Monday, December 2, 2024, 12:40 PM MST (Monday, December 2, 2024, 19:40 UTC)

YELLOWSTONE (VNUM #325010)
44°25'48" N 110°40'12" W, Summit Elevation 9203 ft (2805 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN

Summary

Yellowstone Caldera activity remains at background levels, with 88 located earthquakes in November (maximum = M2.4). Deformation measurements indicate a small amount of caldera subsidence since early October.

Recent Work and News

Steamboat Geyser erupted on November 23, the 6th major eruption of the year. Since that time, there has not been any significant eruptive activity at the geyser, indicating that the next major eruption is at least many weeks, and perhaps months, away.

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists continue to collect 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 occasional minor explosions and surges of water from the pool, one of which reached about 6 meters (20 feet) in height on November 5 and was witnessed by scientists who were maintaining monitoring equipment.

Seismicity

During November 2024, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, responsible for the operation and analysis of the Yellowstone Seismic Network, located 88 earthquakes in the Yellowstone National Park region. The largest event of the month was a micro earthquake of magnitude 2.4 located about 16 miles southwest of West Thumb in Yellowstone National Park on November 7 at 9:16 AM MDT.

November seismicity in Yellowstone was marked by one small swarm of 13 earthquakes about 11 miles north-northeast of West Yellowstone, MT, that occurred November 26–28. The largest earthquake in the sequence was a magnitude 1.6 on November 26 at 9:54 AM MST.

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

Continuous GPS stations in Yellowstone Caldera and near Norris Geyser Basin recorded a small amount of subsidence since October. The deformation data are noisier than usual during the second half of November owing to winter storms and snowfall.

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

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) provides long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone National Park region. Yellowstone is the site of the largest and most diverse collection of natural thermal features in the world and the first National Park. YVO is one of the five USGS Volcano Observatories that monitor volcanoes within the United States for science and public safety.

YVO Member agencies: USGS, Yellowstone National Park, University of Utah, University of Wyoming, Montana State University, Earthscope Consortium, Wyoming State Geological Survey, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Idaho Geological Survey

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Michael Poland, Scientist-in-Charge
mpoland@usgs.gov