Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism

[American Patriot]

YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY MONTHLY UPDATE
Thursday, January 1, 2009 07:57 MST (Thursday, January 1, 2009 14:57 UTC)

YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO (CAVW#1205-01-)
44.43°N 110.67°W, Summit Elevation 9203 ft (2805 m)
Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Aviation Color Code: GREEN

December 2008 Yellowstone Earthquake And Ground Deformation Summary

Earthquake Summary:

Yellowstone seismicity increased significantly in December 2008 due to an energetic earthquake swarm that commenced on December 26. This swarm, a sequence of earthquakes clustered in space and time, is occurring beneath the northern part of Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park. As of this writing, the largest of these earthquakes was a magnitude 3.9 at 10:15 pm MST on Dec. 27. Through 5:00 pm MST on Dec. 31, the sequence had included 12 events of magnitude 3.0 to 3.9 and approximately 20 of magnitude 2.5 to 2.9, with a total of at least 400 events large enough to be located (magnitude ~1 or larger). National Park Service (NPS) employees and visitors have reported feeling the largest of these earthquakes in the area around Yellowstone Lake and at Old Faithful and Grant Village.

The hypocenters of the swarm events cluster along a north-south-trending zone that is about 7 km long. The vast majority of the focal depths are shallower than 5 km. It is not possible to identify a causative fault of other feature without further analysis.

Analysts are currently processing the backlog of seismic data from these events. The current analyst-processed catalog is believed to include all events of magnitude 2.5 and greater through Dec 31 at 5 pm MST, but hundreds of earthquakes remain to be processed. The total of more than 400 locatable events is based on automatically-determined locations and magnitudes for the swarm events.

The December 2008 earthquake sequence is the most intense in this area for some years. No damage has been reported within Yellowstone National Park, nor would any be expected from earthquakes of this size. The swarm is in a region of historical earthquake activity and is close to areas of Yellowstone famous hydrothermal activity. Similar earthquake swarms have occurred in the past in Yellowstone without triggering steam explosions or volcanic activity. Nevertheless, there is some potential for hydrothermal explosions and earthquakes may continue or increase in magnitude. There is a much lower potential for related volcanic activity.

The National Park Service in Yellowstone has been kept fully informed of the ongoing seismic activity via electronic means and by phone contacts with the University of Utah and the U.S. Geological Survey USGS). The Wyoming Office of Homeland Security is reviewing Earthquake Response Plans and monitoring seismic activity.

Earthquakes are a common occurrence in the Yellowstone National Park area, an active volcanic-tectonic area averaging 1,000 to 2,000 earthquakes a year. Yellowstone's 10,000 geysers and hot springs are the result of this geologic activity. A summary of Yellowstone's volcanic history is available on the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory web site (listed below).

The University of Utah operates a seismic network in Yellowstone National Park in conjunction with the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. These three institutions are partners in the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Seismic data from Yellowstone are transmitted to the University in real-time by radio and satellite links from a network of 28 seismographs in the Yellowstone area and are available on the web.

Seismologists continue to monitor and analyze data from this swarm of earthquakes and provide updates to the NPS and USGS and to the public via the following web pages.

Information on U.S. earthquake activity including Yellowstone can be viewed at the U.S. Geological Survey web site: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/.

Information on earthquakes can also be viewed at the University of Utah
Seismograph Stations web site: http://www.seis.utah.edu/.

Seismographic recordings from Yellowstone seismograph stations can be
viewed online at: http://www.quake.utah.edu/helicorder...one/index.html.

An article on earthquake swarms at Yellowstone is available at the following: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/public...apr04swarm.php

Persons who felt any of the earthquakes are encouraged to fill out a survey form on the USGS 'Did You Feel It?' web site: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/.

Geologic information, maps, and monitoring information for Yellowstone can be found on the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory web site at:
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/.


Ground Deformation Summary:

Through December 2008, continuous GPS data show that much of the Yellowstone caldera continued moving upward, though at a lower rate than the past few years. The maximum measured ground uplift over the past 53 months is ~23 cm at the White Lake GPS station, north of Fishing Bridge. An example can be found at:
http://pboweb.unavco.org/shared/scri...timeseries=raw.

The general uplift of the Yellowstone caldera is scientifically important and will continue to be monitored and studied closely by YVO staff.

A discussion of the current uplift episode at Yellowstone and long-term ground deformation at Yellowstone and elsewhere can be found at: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/public...psanddowns.php.



-----
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) is a partnership of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and University of Utah to strengthen the long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake unrest 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.

[American Patriot]

Recent ups and downs of the Yellowstone Caldera

This interferogram provides a map view of ground movements at Yellowstone. Each color contour represents a line of equal uplift relative to the ENVISAT satellite between Sept. 2004 and Aug. 2006. The center of the uplift is an elliptical region stretching from the northeastern part of the Yellowstone Caldera (the dashed black line) to the southwest. This area of maximum uplift encompasses both Yellowstone's resurgent domes, features long known for similar movements. During this time period, the north-rim uplift anomaly subsided (bullseye in the upper left part of the interferogram). The yellow lines are roads. The yellow triangles are locations of GPS stations with continuous data. The light blue lake within the caldera is Yellowstone Lake. Thin black lines are mapped faults. Figure courtesy of C. Wicks, USGS.
The November 9, 2007 issue of Science Magazine features an article, Accelerated uplift and magmatic intrusion of the Yellowstone Caldera, 2004 to 2006, by YVO scientists from the University of Utah and USGS. The lead author, Wu-Lung Chang is a Post-doctoral associate with Robert B. Smith, YVO Coordinating Scientist at the University of Utah. Chang specializes in use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to measure very small movements of the Earth's crust. Using GPS and another satellite-based technique (InSAR), the authors find that parts of the Yellowstone Caldera rose as much as 7 cm (~3") per year during the period 2004-2006. The uplift is most noticeable at the White Lake GPS station, as has been discussed in our monthly YVO updates during the past year. As of late October 2007, the total uplift since 2004 at that location is about 17 cm. Chang and his colleagues credit the relatively rapid rise to recharge of magma into the giant magma chamber that underlies the Yellowstone Caldera. They also used numerical modeling to infer that the magma intruded about 10 km (6 miles) beneath the surface.
North of this region of uplift, another area at Yellowstone has moved downward over the past three years. This north rim uplift anomaly (NUA) had risen during the period 1996-2003, when the rest of the caldera had subsided. The activity was featured in a 2006 article in Nature Magazine with lead author Charles Wicks, one of the co-authors on the new article in Science Magazine. Chang and others hypothesize that magma input after 2004 caused fracturing of the crust that resulted in release of hydrothermal fluids from the north rim area. The loss of fluid pressure then resulted in deflation, or subsidence of the ground surface.


Interestingly, the Yellowstone caldera has remained seismically quiet during the past three years of uplift. An earlier article on our website, Satellite Technologies Detect Uplift in the Yellowstone Caldera provides context on the techniques used to study these movements. The new activity, though more rapid than those previously measured at Yellowstone, is not unprecedented at large calderas around the globe.


Given the absence of large earthquakes, earthquake swarms and anomalous behavior of Yellowstone's hydrothermal system (its geysers, mud pots and fumaroles), we find little indication that the volcano is moving towards an eruption. At this time, volcanic eruptions and hydrothermal explosions remain an unlikely possibility. Given the geologic history of the area, it is likely that the current period of uplift will cease, to be followed by another cycle of subsidence. When this might happen, though, is unknown.




This plot shows the up-down movement of the LKWY GPS station at the north end of Yellowstone Lake. After moving downward about 50 mm (2 in.) between 1997 and 2004, this area moved 90 mm (3.5 in.) upward from mid-2004 to mid-2006. The most recent data shows that as of October 2007 the total uplift at LKWY had reached 140 mm (5.5 in.). Figure courtesy of University of Utah.






Useful references on the ups and downs of the Yellowstone Caldera

For the lay audience on the YVO Web Site:

• Article: Satellite Technologies Detect Uplift in the Yellowstone Caldera.
• FAQs on Future activity including: When will Yellowstone erupt again?
• FAQ: Have uplift and subsidence been seen on other volcanoes? Does uplift mean that an eruption is coming?
• FAQ: What techniques does YVO use to measure ground deformation?
• Current Activity, updated monthly

Other articles for the lay audience:

• Brantley, S. R., Lowenstern, J. B., Christiansen, R. L., Smith, R. B., Heasler, H., Waite, G., and Wicks, C., 2004, Tracking Changes in Yellowstone's Restless Volcanic System, U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 100-03. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs100-03/
• D. Dzurisin, R.L. Christiansen, and K.L. Pierce, 1995, Yellowstone: Restless Volcanic Giant, U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-59. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/...framework.html
• Good, J.D., and Pierce, K.L., 1996, Interpreting the Landscapes of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, Recent and Ongoing Geology: Grand Teton National History Association, 58 p. 57 illus., Third printing, 2002.
• Lowenstern, J.B., Smith, R.B., and Hill, D.P., 2006, Monitoring Super-Volcanoes: Geophysical and Geochemical signals at Yellowstone and other caldera systems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, v.264,no. 1845, p. 2055-2072. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/2006/royalsoc.pdf
• Smith, R. B., and Siegel, L., 2000, Windows into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park: New York, Oxford University Press, p. 242
• University of Utah Seismology and Active Tectonics web site

More technical publications:

• The new article: Chang, W-L, Smith, R.B., Wicks, C., Farrell, J.M., and Puskas, C.M., 2007, Accelerated uplift and magmatic intrusion of the Yellowstone Caldera, 2004 to 2006. Science.
• Dzurisin, D., Wicks, C.J., Jr., and Thatcher, W., 1999, Renewed uplift at the Yellowstone caldera measured by leveling surveys and satellite radar interferometry: Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 61, p. 349-355.
• Puskas, C.M. Smith, R.B., Meertens, C.M., and Chang, W.L., 2007, Crustal deformation of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain volcano-tectonic system: Campaign and continuous GPS observations, 1987-2004. , Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 112, doi:10.1029/2006JB004325. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/2007/PuskasJGR.pdf
• Vasco, D.W., Puskas, C.M., Smith, R.B.,and Meertens, C.M., 2007, Crustal deformation and source models of the Yellowstone volcanic field from geodetic data: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 112, p. B07402 http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/2007/Vasco_etal2007.pdf
• Wicks, C., Thatcher, W., Dzurisin, D. and Svarc, J., 2006, Uplift, thermal unrest, and nagma intrusion at Yellowstone caldera: Nature, v. 440, p. 72-75. http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/de...nature2006.pdf

[American Patriot]

Recent Earthquakes in the Intermountain West

Yellowstone National Park Special Map




Click on an earthquake on the above map (or in the list below) for more information.
Click here to go to index map || big earthquake list || all earthquakes list
Special maps: Yellowstone National Park || ANSS Intermountain West Region
Map need updating? Try reloading the page to your browser.
Maps are updated within about 5 minutes of an earthquake or once an hour.
Brown lines represent known hazardous faults or fault zones. White lines are roads.
What happens when I click on an earthquake?


Update time = Fri Jan 2 7:00:03 MST 2009
Here are the 30 most recent earthquakes and all M>3 earthquakes on this map...

MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km

2.3 2009/01/01 22:10:55 44.550N 110.326W 1.2 60 km (37 mi) SSW of Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
2.0 2009/01/01 22:06:30 44.514N 110.366W 0.9 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.4 2009/01/01 18:30:57 44.562N 110.328W 0.8 59 km (37 mi) SSW of Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
2.6 2009/01/01 18:21:19 44.568N 110.367W 0.1 59 km (37 mi) SSE of Gardiner, MT
2.5 2009/01/01 18:13:05 44.551N 110.364W 0.1 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.7 2009/01/01 05:51:24 44.548N 110.361W 0.2 60 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.8 2009/01/01 03:13:51 44.527N 110.353W 2.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.6 2009/01/01 03:13:00 44.527N 110.356W 0.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.4 2009/01/01 03:12:57 44.325N 110.388W 37.0 68 km (42 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.3 2009/01/01 03:12:32 44.535N 110.365W 0.6 60 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.9 2009/01/01 03:07:52 44.538N 110.353W 2.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.8 2009/01/01 03:07:21 44.545N 110.349W 0.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.6 2009/01/01 03:06:51 44.527N 110.377W 0.5 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.9 2009/01/01 03:02:57 44.530N 110.357W 2.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.9 2008/12/31 23:59:38 44.528N 110.356W 2.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.4 2008/12/31 22:29:08 44.532N 110.354W 0.1 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.5 2008/12/31 22:19:50 44.529N 110.357W 0.4 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.5 2008/12/31 08:05:00 44.514N 110.360W 1.1 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.3 2008/12/31 08:02:11 44.523N 110.361W 4.9 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.6 2008/12/31 07:59:43 44.517N 110.373W 2.1 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.0 2008/12/31 07:21:47 44.519N 110.370W 0.4 60 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.4 2008/12/31 07:07:42 44.520N 110.372W 2.2 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.2 2008/12/31 06:41:21 44.506N 110.361W 0.8 62 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.9 2008/12/31 06:27:39 44.504N 110.363W 0.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.5 2008/12/31 05:50:01 44.518N 110.368W 2.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.1 2008/12/31 05:46:53 44.520N 110.362W 2.0 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.9 2008/12/31 05:42:06 44.519N 110.367W 0.1 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.6 2008/12/31 05:26:56 44.501N 110.385W 2.2 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.4 2008/12/31 05:23:52 44.520N 110.371W 1.0 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.7 2008/12/31 04:52:19 44.503N 110.371W 0.4 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.6 2008/12/31 02:02:28 44.525N 110.362W 4.3 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.0 2008/12/31 01:58:11 44.527N 110.369W 1.3 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.3 2008/12/29 12:14:49 44.521N 110.369W 1.8 60 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.1 2008/12/28 12:55:17 44.511N 110.353W 0.7 62 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.0 2008/12/28 12:32:15 44.511N 110.356W 2.7 62 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.2 2008/12/28 02:23:57 44.511N 110.361W 0.4 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.9 2008/12/27 22:15:56 44.502N 110.366W 0.3 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.3 2008/12/27 15:30:03 44.498N 110.358W 4.3 62 km (39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.2 2008/12/27 13:26:27 44.505N 110.364W 2.4 61 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.5 2008/12/27 13:17:33 44.488N 110.357W 4.1 62 km (39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
3.0 2008/12/27 11:23:07 44.495N 110.364W 2.8 62 km (38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT Click here to see this same map with a complete list of earthquakes.



http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/...llowstone.html

[American Patriot]

Here's a cool one - I used to have a "Volcano Watch" up on my survival site that 'went missing' when Olav shut it down.

But here's another one:

http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/activity/status.php

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/rss/vhpcaprss.xml

[American Patriot]

• Blog Entry
• Comments (1)

Yellowstone Earthquake Swarm: Updated

January 02, 2009 09:27 AM ET | James Pethokoukis | Permanent Link | Print

More on the Yellowstone earthquake swarm at the supervolcano caldera. First, this piece of database analysis from an IT guy at Splunk puts the swarm into scary perspective:

I'm sending you this email with some information I've gleaned from the USGS archives. I'm analyzing the ANSS data (http://www.ncedc.org/cnss/) in an install of Splunk, which is a timeline based search and reporting engine. I have 30 years of data in the system, with about 2M quakes total. It makes doing graphs and adhoc investigations faster than dealing with the USGS limited search forms. Disclaimer: I work for Splunk as their evangelist, and spend a lot of time studying various timeline based textual data and writing interesting apps for the software. I am not an earthquake expert by any means.

Using the ANSS data, I discovered the number of 2.5 or higher quakes in the *general* Yellowstone area for the decade of the 1980s was 128. The number of 2.5 or higher quakes for the region directly around the lake in the *last 4 days* was 30.

Again, for 2.5 mag or greater quakes:
Entire region of Yellowstone for 10 years = 128 quakes
Area just around Yellowstone Lake last 4 Days = 30 quakes

The entire 1980s of 2.5 or higher quakes in the vicinity of the lake was a paltry 4 quakes. Doing a quick back of the envelope calculation using the number of quakes and the intesities, the activity over the last 4 days has released roughly 100x the amount of energy released in the entire 1980s for the same general region. In the last week alone there have been 10 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater around the lake, with one as high as 3.8.

Also here is a pretty good summary of events from the Yellowstone Volcano Obervatory:

December 2008 Yellowstone Earthquake And Ground Deformation Summary

Earthquake Summary:

Yellowstone seismicity increased significantly in December 2008 due to an energetic earthquake swarm that commenced on December 26. This swarm, a sequence of earthquakes clustered in space and time, is occurring beneath the northern part of Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park. As of this writing, the largest of these earthquakes was a magnitude 3.9 at 10:15 pm MST on Dec. 27. Through 5:00 pm MST on Dec. 31, the sequence had included 12 events of magnitude 3.0 to 3.9 and approximately 20 of magnitude 2.5 to 2.9, with a total of at least 400 events large enough to be located (magnitude ~1 or larger). National Park Service (NPS) employees and visitors have reported feeling the largest of these earthquakes in the area around Yellowstone Lake and at Old Faithful and Grant Village.

The hypocenters of the swarm events cluster along a north-south-trending zone that is about 7 km long. The vast majority of the focal depths are shallower than 5 km. It is not possible to identify a causative fault of other feature without further analysis.

Analysts are currently processing the backlog of seismic data from these events. The current analyst-processed catalog is believed to include all events of magnitude 2.5 and greater through Dec 31 at 5 pm MST, but hundreds of earthquakes remain to be processed. The total of more than 400 locatable events is based on automatically-determined locations and magnitudes for the swarm events.

The December 2008 earthquake sequence is the most intense in this area for some years. No damage has been reported within Yellowstone National Park, nor would any be expected from earthquakes of this size. The swarm is in a region of historical earthquake activity and is close to areas of Yellowstone famous hydrothermal activity. Similar earthquake swarms have occurred in the past in Yellowstone without triggering steam explosions or volcanic activity. Nevertheless, there is some potential for hydrothermal explosions and earthquakes may continue or increase in magnitude. There is a much lower potential for related volcanic activity.

The National Park Service in Yellowstone has been kept fully informed of the ongoing seismic activity via electronic means and by phone contacts with the University of Utah and the U.S. Geological Survey USGS). The Wyoming Office of Homeland Security is reviewing Earthquake Response Plans and monitoring seismic activity.



http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-...m-updated.html

[American Patriot]

Published: January 01,2009
http://newsblaze.com/story/200901011.../topstory.html

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Op-Ed Contributor
Yellowstone Supervolcano - When should we start to worry?

By Ian Brockwell

With more than 250 quakes recorded in less than a week at Yellowstone Park, should we be concerned?


As most are aware, Yellowstone Park is the site of a "Supervolcano" which hides an enormous caldera measuring about 55 kilometers (34 miles) by 72 kilometers (45 miles).


The last supervolcano/VEI 8 eruption on our planet was 26,500 years ago at Lake Taupo, New Zealand. However, a much larger eruption occurred about 75,000 years ago at Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia which plunged the Earth into a volcanic winter, eradicating an estimated 60% of the human population.






Although the last Yellowstone eruption (640,000 years ago) was less than half the size of that at Toba, Yellowstone is capable of matching Toba, and did so 2.1 million years ago.


Apart from the recent quakes seen at Yellowstone, the caldera has been rising at a rate of approximately 3 inches every year since the middle of 2004, three times faster than any previous measurements. But does this mean we can expect an eruption?


Experts have pointed out that "the Yellowstone caldera has inflated and deflated about six to eight times without a volcanic eruption during the last 14,000 years" and that earthquakes are frequently recorded in the area.
This is of course very true, Yellowstone can experience thousands of quakes over the course of a year. In the last 30 years the quakes can be as few as 800 a year, to more than 3,000.


On taking a closer look at the records for the last 30 years, we will see that there have been more than 20 "years" where earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or higher have occurred. The highest in the latest swarm of quakes so far at Yellowstone has been magnitude 3.9, which is not the highest you would expect to see in an average year.


However, that is not to say that an eruption will not take place, this is almost certain to happen at some time in the future, the question is when?
Some experts have described the recent activity at Yellowstone as "unusual" and whilst the strength of the quakes so far have not been of a dangerous level, this might be the start of something much bigger.


As with most volcanoes (big or small), they are very unpredictable, but should we see quakes of a magnitude of 5.0 or higher develop in the region, this might be a good time to consider taking the signs more seriously.


Even though a large earthquake could cause considerable damage in the area, this does not necessarily mean an eruption will result. And even if it does, it may not automatically produce a VEI 8. But if it does, on the scale of that seen at Toba 75,000 years ago, I don't think we need to worry too much about the present financial crisis. Our main concern will be fighting for our survival!

Ian Brockwell writes straight talking, honest stories that engage readers. Contact Ian through NewsBlaze or his News Page.


To comment on this story, email to comment@newsblaze.com

[American Patriot]

And a response to the article above....

Published: January 01,2009

Letter to the Editor
Response to "Yellowstone Supervolcano - When should we start to worry?"


Yellowstone Supervolcano - When should we start to worry?


Dear Ian:


It's not that there's been ~ 300 quakes since Saturday or even that they're all within a mile or two of each other, the worrisome part is that they are all within a few hundred yards of each other vertically, extending from the surface down to 7.2 km potentially defining a single "chimney" under high pressure causing hydraulic fracturing along its entire length, (http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/...tone_full.html ). The National Park Service reports the magma chamber is as shallow as 8 km and if the major chamber is that close to the chimney reaching to 7.2 km, we may be in for an eruption.


We need more info on this location and the USGS should be tasked to deploy the best active seismic and Magnetotelluric, (to discern whether the chimney contains water or magma), mapping equipment at the Lake ASAP to accurately define the chimney and magma chamber. While an explosive eruption of the entire caldera may not necessarily ensue penetration of the chimney into the chamber, response to such an event would be daunting, to say the least.


In particular, I direct your attention to the problem the resultant ash clouds will pose to safe operation of nuclear plants. Despite the numerous catastrophic issues associated with the eruption, I raise this issue due to the potential for greatly extending the damage over vast areas from a few decades to hundreds of years needed for released fission fragments to decay to acceptable levels.


The safety of containment of radioactive materials is threatened because nuclear power plants will not have sufficient clean water reserves to maintain extended cooling of reactor cores and spent fuel pools after ash deposition contaminates all surface waters. All downwind plants will have to immediately suspend operation of their secondary cooling loops to prevent disabling erosion of all moving parts and piping by the ash in their normal water supply.


The remaining ~7% of reactor thermal output retained in the latent heat of radioactive decay in fuel rods will require use of reserve water supplies for emergency core blow downs that were never intended to supply enough water for the extended periods of time that ash could fall and otherwise contaminate surface cooling water from rain runoff.


Moreover, these reserve water pools are already providing cooling for spent fuel rods which could also melt if their water is consumed for blow down steam replacement.


The use of ash-contaminated water for primary loop cooling poses the same problems of pump and pipe erosion and accumulation of sediments in the core would cause water circulation problems that could lead to fuel assembly overheating. The air filtration systems in containment buildings were also not designed to stop release of nuclides under near continuous and extended blow down circumstances.


It is imperative that the NRC immediately coordinate with DHS/USCG for emergency acquisition of all available water tankage to store uncontaminated water, or settle and filter contaminated water, for extended use by nuclear facilities. DHS should also consider seizure of all drilling equipment, (operation of any engine in ambient ash will be limited), to supply ground-filtered water to power plants and the public, (ash is so fine that filtration of any type will be very limited, particularly where air and water filter replacement will be limited).


This will also necessitate insuring that all required tank trucks, transport trucks, barge tugs and tank vessels have sufficient spare air filters, water pumps and pump impellers. While prior lack of planning may be excused due to the improbability of such an event, the ongoing events at Yellowstone Lake demand immediate attention to this potential catastrophe beyond anything experienced in recorded history, which could be devastatingly compounded by our failure to stockpile sufficient clean cooling water for reactors.


Tom Lakosh




To comment on this story, email to comment@newsblaze.com

[American Patriot]

Apologies if the embedded video doesn't show. From work, I can't see the damned things.

http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=2625

Yellowstone Park Earthquake Swarm Raises Alarms

By Justin McAffee

vote now Buzz up!

Ah, Yellowstone, and her majestic beauties, and horrific potential. Scientists have been observing a rarely seen phenomenon at the Park. Seismic activity has been non-stop with 250 tremors over the past few days. Read more, see photos, and a video of Yellowstone below.

Yellowstone Caldera Photo

It’s New Years Eve, and everyone is supposed to be having a good time tonight. We celebrate the end of the old and the beginning of the new year. Others tonight are pondering the potential danger that could be eminent. No one really knows what is going to happen, but scientists are keeping a close eye on things.


A large number of the earthquakes have been between 3 and 4 in magnitude. These kinds of swarms are often indicative of something to come in the way of volcanic activity. Yellowstone is really a large volcano. The BBC coined the term “super volcano” in 2000.


Yellowstone blew it’s lid 2.1 million years ago releasing an estimated thousand cubic miles of ash into the atmosphere. That was 10 times worse than the volcano that nearly wiped out human kind 74,000 years ago.



It should be noted that all the earthquakes have been intense and concentrated in one area, which happens to be above the magna chamber. The scariest part of this story is the “harmonic tremors” that scientists have picked up. They are a low level constant rumbling, which usually indicates magna movement.


It is most likely that the seismic activity is due to volcanic activity. To some, it is almost certain that some sort of eruption will occur. The only question remaining is how big it will be.


Others say there is not much to worry about.
Many believe the descriptions of end day scenarios in the bible sound a lot like what would happen if there were a supervolcano eruption. 1/3 crops dying, the sky turning dark, the moon as blood, etc.


The University of Utah is keeping their eyes peeled on the situation. Here is their website.


You must watch the video below.

Yellowstone Supervolcano Eruption Video

[American Patriot]

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http://www.livescience.com/php/multi...uption.&title=


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The predicted effects of a Yellowstone super eruption.

[American Patriot]

Environment

Yellowstone Earthquake Swarm Puzzles Scientists

By LiveScience Staff
posted: 30 December 2008 09:36 am ET
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World's largest geyser: Steamboat Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Credit: National Park Service
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The predicted effects of a Yellowstone super eruption.

Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful erupting a column of steam and superhot water. Credit: dreamstime

World's largest geyser: Steamboat Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Credit: National Park Service

A swarm of small earthquakes in Yellowstone National Park is the most intense measured there in years, leaving scientists puzzled.


The region is known for such swarms — 1,000 to 2,000 quakes occur annually in the park. Yellowstone's 10,000 geysers and hot springs, including the Old Faithful Geyser, may be the result of this geologic activity.


But the latest shaking is notable for the number of tiny temblors and their intensity, according to a statement yesterday from the University of Utah, where scientists monitor seismic activity in Yellowstone. (Yellowstone is located mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming.)


The largest of the earthquakes was a magnitude 3.9 at 10:15 pm MST on Dec. 27, a day after the swarm began. The sequence has included nine events of magnitude 3 to 3.9 and approximately 24 of magnitude 2 to 3 at the time of this release. A total of more than 250 events large enough to be located have occurred in this swarm.


"Scientists cannot identify any causative fault or other feature without further analysis," according to the statement.


Most of these temblors would not be felt by humans. Earthquakes generally have to exceed magnitude 4.0 to cause light damage.


Scientists wonder if the shaking might presage a larger event. This month's swarm is the most intense in this area for some years, scientists said. It is centered on the east side of the Yellowstone caldera, a giant basin created in a colossal eruption some 620,000 years ago.


Researchers have long predicted that the Yellowstone supervolcano will eventually erupt again, with devastating consequences for much of the United States. Half the country could be covered in ash up to 3 feet (1 meter) deep, one study predicts. But those same researchers say nothing suggests such an eruption is imminent. They point out, however, that Yellowstone seems to blow its top about every 600,000 years.


Meanwhile, the region's deep secrets are still being revealed.


Last year researchers reported on unusual slow movement below the surface that's tied to a newfound gradual sinking of the nearby Teton Range. And in 2006, scientists discovered that in the previous decade, the volcano had risen nearly 5 inches.


"Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity?" wonders Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah. "We don't know," he said this week.


Smith and his colleagues said they'll continue to monitor the activity.

[American Patriot]

Yellowstone Park shaken by hundreds of earthquakes

Scientists are monitoring a cluster of earthquakes that have rattled Yellowstone National Park over the past few days amid concerns that a larger earthquake could be brewing.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/env...rthquakes.html
Last Updated: 1:52PM GMT 31 Dec 2008

Yellowstone is situated on a giant, geologically active feature known as a supervolcano and boasts some 75 per cent of the world's geysers Photo: AP




More than 250 tremors have been recorded since Friday including nine greater than magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale, according to the University of Utah. The largest, a magnitude 3.9, struck on Saturday and the area was shaken by a 3.3 tremor just after midday on Monday.


While earthquakes are common in the giant park, which covers parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana and experiences about 1,000 to 2,000 tremors a year, the intense burst of seismic activity lasting several days has been described as unusual.
"They're certainly not normal," said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah. "We haven't had earthquakes of this energy or extent in many years."


Mr Smith, director of the Yellowstone Seismic Network, which operates seismic stations around the park, said the earthquakes have ranged in strength from barely detectable to Saturday's 3.9. A magnitude 4 earthquake is capable of producing moderate damage.


"This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to," he said. "We might be seeing something precursory.
"Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety."


So far, all the quakes have been centred beneath the northwest end of Yellowstone Lake. No damage has been reported and a park spokeswoman said there did not appear to be cause for alarm.


Yellowstone is situated on a giant, geologically active feature known as a supervolcano and boasts some 75 per cent of the world's geysers. Much of the park sits in a caldera, or crater, which was formed when the massive volcano erupted 70,000 years ago.


Last year a report in the journal Science found the park's central region was rising up at a rate of up to 7cm a year due to the movement of a pool of magma several miles below the surface.


Mr Smith said it was difficult to say what might be causing the current tremors. He added that the park's famous geysers and hot springs were a reminder of the magma underground.


"That's just the surface manifestation of the enormous amount of heat that's being released through the system," he said.


In 1959, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake near Hebgen Lake just west of Yellowstone National Park triggered a landslide that killed 28 people.

[American Patriot]

Jan 2, 2009 2:00 am US/Central
Imminent Yellowstone 'Supervolcano' Now 'Unlikely'

http://cbs2chicago.com/national/yell....2.898775.html

NEW YORK (CBS) ―The recent "swarm" of small earthquake tremors happening in Yellowstone National Park are not likely to be a sign of a pending "supervolcano" eruption as some fear, according to a top scientist at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

Dr. Jacob Lowenstern of the U.S. Geological Survey said Monday that the earthquake activity in Yellowstone most likely will continue for weeks, "and then will end without any other related activity."

Lowenstern's comments were reported by money and politics blogger James Pethokoukis of U.S. News & World Report, who chatted with the scientist via e-mail.

Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes this week, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come.

"There have been 80 volcanic eruptions at Yellowstone since the last 'supervolcano' eruption 640,000 years ago and hundreds of large steam explosions," said Lowenstern. "The last time a volcanic eruption occurred at Yellowstone was 70,000 years ago."

Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah interviewed by the Associated Press.

"They're certainly not normal," Smith said. "We haven't had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years."

Smith directs the Yellowstone Seismic Network, which operates seismic stations around the park. He said the quakes have ranged in strength from barely detectable to one of magnitude 3.8 that happened Saturday. A magnitude 4 quake is capable of producing moderate damage.

Some have predicted a doomsday scenario for North America should the energy beneath the national park release all at once, creating an eruption which would darken skies over the Midwest and alert global weather patterns for decades.

"There is this huge volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park," said Greg Breining, a writer from St. Paul, Minn.

Breining spent time studying the geology and enjoying the natural wonders of Yellowstone before writing "Super Volcano: The Ticking Time Bomb Beneath Yellowstone National Park."

"There is this huge reservoir of magma just three or four miles beneath the surface of the park, and it is that magma -- this is still an active volcano -- that creates the geysers, the mudpots, the hot springs, all the other features for which Yellowstone is famous," he said.

Yellowstone has had significant earthquakes as well as minor ones in recent decades. In 1959, a magnitude 7.5 quake near Hebgen Lake just west of the park triggered a landslide that killed 28 people.

[American Patriot]

Dec 30, 2008 12:45 pm US/Central
Yellowstone Earthquakes May Be 'Precursory' Events
Scientists Eye Unusual Swarm Of Growing Seismic Activity

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (CBS) ― Yellowstone remains very geologically active — and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground. (File)

Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah.

"They're certainly not normal," Smith said. "We haven't had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years."

Smith directs the Yellowstone Seismic Network, which operates seismic stations around the park. He said the quakes have ranged in strength from barely detectable to one of magnitude 3.8 that happened Saturday. A magnitude 4 quake is capable of producing moderate damage.

"This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to," Smith said. "We might be seeing something precursory.

"Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety."

The strongest of dozens of tremors Monday was a magnitude 3.3 quake shortly after noon. All the quakes were centered beneath the northwest end of Yellowstone Lake.

A park ranger based at the north end of the lake reported feeling nine quakes over a 24-hour period over the weekend, according to park spokeswoman Stacy Vallie. No damage was reported.

"There doesn't seem to be anything to be alarmed about," Vallie said.

Smith said it's difficult to say what might be causing the tremors. He pointed out that Yellowstone is the caldera of a volcano that last erupted 70,000 years ago.

He said Yellowstone remains very geologically active — and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground.

"That's just the surface manifestation of the enormous amount of heat that's being released through the system," he said.

"There is this huge volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park," said Greg Breining, a writer from St. Paul, Minn.

Author Greg Breining spent some time studying the geology and enjoying the natural wonders of Yellowstone before writing "Super Volcano: The Ticking Time Bomb Beneath Yellowstone National Park."

"There is this huge reservoir of magma just three or four miles beneath the surface of the park, and it is that magma -- this is still an active volcano -- that creates the geysers, the mudpots, the hot springs, all the other features for which Yellowstone is famous," said Breining.

Nearly 30 years ago, Mount St. Helens near the Washington/Oregon border erupted killing 57 people and blowing more than a 1000 feet off the top of the mountain.

"We think of mount St. Helens -- went off in 1980 -- as a big explosion, and indeed it was," said Breining. "The most recent Yellowstone explosion was a thousand times larger than Mount St. Helens."

Yellowstone has had significant earthquakes as well as minor ones in recent decades. In 1959, a magnitude 7.5 quake near Hebgen Lake just west of the park triggered a landslide that killed 28 people.

[American Patriot]

Scientists eye unusual swarm of Yellowstone quakes

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...-SpOwD95CN8P80

By MEAD GRUVER – 3 days ago

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes for a third straight day Monday, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come. Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah.

"They're certainly not normal," Smith said. "We haven't had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years."

Smith directs the Yellowstone Seismic Network, which operates seismic stations around the park. He said the quakes have ranged in strength from barely detectable to one of magnitude 3.8 that happened Saturday. A magnitude 4 quake is capable of producing moderate damage.

"This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to," Smith said. "We might be seeing something precursory.

"Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety."

The strongest of dozens of tremors Monday was a magnitude 3.3 quake shortly after noon. All the quakes were centered beneath the northwest end of Yellowstone Lake.

A park ranger based at the north end of the lake reported feeling nine quakes over a 24-hour period over the weekend, according to park spokeswoman Stacy Vallie. No damage was reported.

"There doesn't seem to be anything to be alarmed about," Vallie said.

Smith said it's difficult to say what might be causing the tremors. He pointed out that Yellowstone is the caldera of a volcano that last erupted 70,000 years ago.

He said Yellowstone remains very geologically active — and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground.

"That's just the surface manifestation of the enormous amount of heat that's being released through the system," he said.

Yellowstone has had significant earthquakes as well as minor ones in recent decades. In 1959, a magnitude 7.5 quake near Hebgen Lake just west of the park triggered a landslide that killed 28 people.

[American Patriot]

Nature

Supervolcanoes, Past and Future
These phenomena have threatened life a few times

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Super...e-100053.shtml

By Dan Talpalariu, Science Editor

15th of December 2008, 23:00 GMT

We have recently written about an event that nearly extinguished all life on Earth some 250 million years ago. It had to do with the most massive superplume ever that originated in the near-core region of the Earth and slowly reached towards the surface during millions of years, culminating with three large volcanic explosions; the third, the Siberian Straps, obliterated some 90% of the world's species. Supervolcanoes. There has been quite a hefty amount of such events throughout history and there's no reason why they couldn't happen again at any time.

A supervolcano is, by definition, significantly larger in terms of eruption than a regular volcano (more than 200 cubic km), as well as in terms of its effect on the environment. This kind of phenomenon can determine weather-affecting changes that could, in turn, trigger long-lasting climate perturbations, such as ice ages. Also, they cover enormous surfaces with ash and lava. All these can lead to a major negative impact on the environment and, subsequently, to all life forms that may depend on it, and their eruptions most often form calderas instead of cones.

The Siberian Straps was not the largest of the eruptions if we take into consideration the ejected material. It “only” yielded about 2000 km3 of material, but the Fish Canyon Tuff, occurring some 27.8 million years ago in the region of La Garita Caldera, Colorado, United States, brought up around 5,000 km3 of ejecta.

The most recent super-eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8 (VEI 8, over 1,000 cubic meters) was the Oruanui eruption (1,170 km3), which occurred 26,500 years ago in Lake Taupo, New Zealand, providing a caldera, now flooded, which offers one of the world's most beautiful landscapes.

Other important events of this kind occurred in Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia, about 75,000 years ago (2,800 km3), Island Park Caldera, Idaho/Wyoming, United States, 2.1 million years ago (2,500 km3), Kilgore Tuff, Idaho, United States, 4.5 million years ago (1,800 km3), Black Tail Creek, Idaho, United States, 6.6 millions years ago (1,500 km3), and at the Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming, United States, 640,000 years ago (1,000 km3).

Some of the supervolcanoes have showed signs of activity or even reduced eruption in more recent times. Usually, the more worrying signs occur long before the eruption, so measures can be taken. The fact that the largest eruptions happened so long ago only leaves geologists with two options: studying the remains of ancient explosions or turn to astronomers for similar data collected from alien worlds where similar events still take place, such as Jupiter's Io moon.

Among many others, a Jovian Connecticut-sized volcano with a 200-km (125-mi) wide crater has a lava expanse as wide as Lake Michigan. "That one volcano is putting out as much heat as the entire planet Earth," shared planetary astronomer John Spencer from the Southwest Research Institute, cited by Discovery.

[American Patriot]

According to these articles, there really isn't a consensus on "what is happening".


I haven't seen anyone say "The quakes are due to magma movement" or "there's a plate shift" or "it's gonna blow!"

Nothing.

I see a lot of petty assed arguments between some scientists who say "Nothing is going to happen" to "Look out, it's happened before and it's going to happen now".

So... anyone's guess is as good as theirs, or mine.

[American Patriot]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5195059

Link for video there too

Utah scientists studying unusual Yellowstone earthquakes
December 30th, 2008 @ 6:00pm
By John Daley

Earthquakes rattled Yellowstone Park today for the fourth consecutive day, and scientists in Utah are keeping a close eye on all the seismic activity. They're looking for any indication of something bigger than the 3.9 magnitude tremor that hit Saturday.




Yellowstone is a geologic park, basically an active volcano with a hydrothermal system, seen in geysers and hot springs, all fired by a chamber of magma five to 10 miles deep. The region is a hot spot for earthquakes, even big ones like the 7.5 Hebgen Lake quake in 1959, which left a 20-foot split in some locations.
Over the last four days, University of Utah seismograph stations have monitored an energetic set of temblors. They've documented more than 250 events, including nine of magnitude 3.0 to 3.9.
We spoke with University of Utah researcher Bob Smith via phone from Wyoming today. He says the quakes, strong enough to be felt by park workers and guests, are unusual. "We haven't had this energetic or intense of a swarm in many years, well over a decade. So, it's not normal. It's unusual and it's notable," he said.


Why now and is a precursor of more to come? All that is mystery. "We don't know why it just happened now. We normally get 1,000 to 2,000 earthquakes a year in Yellowstone. The fact we got 250 or so in three days means we made up a lot of that energy release in a short period of time," Smith said.


The Wasatch Front itself is due for a potentially major earthquake. Scientists say the Yellowstone quakes should serve as a reminder. "When it does happen, it's going to be an extremely large impact," Smith said.


The quakes continued today, though scientists have not measured anything larger than a 3.0 on the Richter scale in the last 24 hours. For more information on the Yellowstone earthquakes, see the related links to the right of this story.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com

[Ryan Ruck]

Yellowstone just had a 3.4 at a depth of 0.3km at 1:32ET. That's a decent sized jolt and the 3rd 3+ shock today.

[Toad]

It's my understanding that the magma chamber under Yellowstone is pretty large, even by volcano standards. It's 45 miles by 43 miles and it's as close as 5 miles from the surface. It's depth is undetermined.

And a secondary problem with the recent slew of earthquakes is not so much their frequency or location, but their orientation. They are happeneing mostly all in a verticle path called a chiminey from the magma chamber on up to the surface, creating a weak fractured tubal pathways upward. You can get a idea of how stacked they are here:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/...ellowstone.php


So... definately some eyebrow raising activity. God forbid it blow in our lifetime. As a super volcano, It'll fundimentally change how we live. Most of us were around for Mt. St. Helen's. It'll make that look like a ladyfinger firecracker.

[Ryan Ruck]

The 3.4 was revised upward to a 3.6.