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Yellowstone Earthquake and Ground Deformation Summary

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I noticed in your article,Yellowstone Supervolcano – When should we start to worry? that you mentioned that most of the earthquakes are being registered as small, and the so called experts claimed that this meant there was no danger.

I have to disagree with that. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not an expert on volcanos, so I have to go on what the researchers tell us. Some will actually claim they are an expert, but even after 100 years of studying volcanos throughout history, they know very little about the actual workings of a supervolcano. These don’t work like a regular volcano, as you should know. They just discovered Yellowstone WAS a supervolcano. So they tell us nothing to worry about, and they are continuing to monitor it, to calm everyone down. When they don’t know what is going on!!! The recent swarms of quakes has slowed down, but they haven’t stopped!

And it has been proven that even a moderate quake can destabilize the magma chamber and trigger an eruption, and that eruption can then ‘unzip’ the caldera as shown in the movie Supervolcano. Unzipping the caldera by causing other eruptions is pretty serious. This can throw the planet into an ice age! This affects the whole planet, not just the USA.

You know magma has been steadily rising for some 20 years now, and there is a documented bulge under Yellowstone lake! The swarm of quakes there now, plus the bulge, says that this is very serious!!!

The quakes there do not have to be big to be serious!!!! In the movie, it was a 2.1 quake that was the trigger, setting off everything else.

So when these so called experts say not to worry, I seriously have to wonder who is trying to shut him up. USGS? The government politicos? Who is keeping the facts from the people.

Watch the movie, you will see that the press is trying to cover their asses. I’m not saying that we evacuate the US, I’m saying we tell the truth and let the people decide for themselves if the want to die in a horrible way or not!!!

Let me repeat, THE QUAKES DO NOT HAVE TO BE BIG TO BE SERIOUS!!!

You live too close to the volcano, if you have family there, move them!!! While you still have the chance.

Get serious food storage, water storage, and prepare. This is serious.

Watch the movie. It could happen!!! This is based on FACTS!!!

I’m what is called a Bio-Sensitive, and today I was sick. No flu, just the symptoms. I’m feeling Yellowstone. This I have done for centuries, they call me The Healer. I have saved planets before, by sounding the warning. Please, just look at the facts.

*Archive of Yellowstone Updates for 2009* *YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION RELEASE* *Friday, January 9, 2009 19:44 MST (Saturday, January 10, 2009 02:44 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*

Small Earthquake Swarm on 9 January 2009 near northeast corner of Yellowstone Caldera

A currently modest swarm of earthquakes began in the northeast corner of the Yellowstone Caldera, about 10 miles (16 km) NNE of the north end of the Yellowstone Lake swarm that was active in late December and early January. As of 1930 MST, 10 earthquakes had been located by the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, the largest with M= 3.3 and two other events with M >2.0. Located depths are between 2 and 4 km.

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory staff and collaborators are analyzing the data from this and from the earlier Yellowstone Lake swarm and are checking for any changes to the thermal areas located near the epicenters. We will provide further information as it becomes available.

— 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.

*YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION RELEASE* *Tuesday, January 6, 2009 00:39 MST (Tuesday, January 6, 2009 07:39 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*

Yellowstone Lake Earthquake Swarm Summary as of 6 January 2009

Through 5 January 2009, seismic activity has markedly decreased. It is possible that the swarm has ended, though a return of activity may occur as Yellowstone swarms of the size usually last for tens of days to many weeks.

About 500 earthquakes occurred between Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Three hundred of the earthquakes (including all >M2.0) have been reviewed by seismologists. There have been 86 earthquakes with M > 2.0 and 16 earthquakes > M3.0. About 200 smaller earthquakes have yet to be reviewed. Depths are difficult to determine accurately. The best located earthquakes have depths on the order of 3 to 10 km (1.8 to 6.0 miles). From Dec. 26 through Jan 2, the earthquake hypocenters appear to have migrated northwards, starting southeast of near Stevenson Island, with many of the latest events occurring near Fishing Bridge.

The recent swarm is well above typical activity at Yellowstone. Nevertheless it is not unprecedented during the last 40 years of monitoring. Swarms are the typical mode of occurrence of earthquakes within the Yellowstone caldera, with magnitudes ranging to > 4.0. The 1985 swarm on the northwest rim of the caldera lasted for three months, with earthquakes up to M4.9 and over 3000 total events recorded.

Magnitudes of earthquakes in this swarm range from zero to 3.9. Seismologists categorize those of magnitude less than 3.5 as generally not felt by persons. For perspective, earthquakes of magnitude 3.4 to 4.5 are often felt, as several of the events in this swarm have. A magnitude 5 or greater is generally required to produce damage to buildings or other structures.

Improved volcano and seismic monitoring at Yellowstone gives us a greater ability to locate earthquakes, understand their source process and identify anomalous sources of seismic activity. New equipment including precise measurements of ground motion by GPS receivers and borehole strainmeters provided by the National Science Foundation’s EarthScope and Continental Dynamics Program have been used extensively during the last week of intense earthquake activity. Ground motions accompanying the swarm, from the GPS instruments will take two or more weeks to fully process. It is worth noting that in 2004 the Yellowstone caldera began a period of accelerated uplift measured by GPS instruments that was as large as 7 cm/yr (2.7 inches/yr), three times as fast as recorded in the recorded history but has now reduced to about a maximum rate of 4 cm/yr. Scientists have modeled this deformation as due to magmatic recharge of the Yellowstone magma chamber at a depth of ~10 km (6 miles). The area of the swarm is on the eastern side of the uplift area.

Earthquakes at Yellowstone are caused by a combination of geological factors including: 1) regional stress associated with normal faults (those where the valleys go down relative to the mountains) such as the nearby Teton and Hebgen Lake faults, 2) magmatic movements at depth (>7 kms or 4 miles), and 3) hydrothermal fluid activity caused as the groundwater system is heated to boiling by magmatic heat.

At this time, no one has noted any anomalous changes in surface discharges (hot springs, gas output, etc.).

YVO staff from the USGS, University of Utah and Yellowstone National Park continue to carefully review all data streams that are recorded in real-time. At this time, there is no reason to believe that magma has risen to a shallow level within the crust or that a volcanic eruption is likely. The USGS Volcano alert level for Yellowstone Volcano remains at Normal/Green.

Yellowstone National Park is evaluating infrastructure near the north end of Yellowstone Lake to assess if any damage has occurred to facilities.

Winter visitor activities and staff operations have not been impacted and continue as normal.

— 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.

*YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION RELEASE* *Friday, January 2, 2009 19:30 MST (Saturday, January 3, 2009 02:30 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*

Yellowstone Lake Earthquake Swarm Update: 2 January 2008

The University of Utah Seismograph Stations reports that as of 1800 MST on 2 January 2009, seismicity of the ongoing Yellowstone earthquake swarm continues. Over 500 earthquakes, as large as M 3.9, have been recorded by an automated earthquake system since the inception of this unusual earthquake sequence that began Dec. 27, 2008. More than 300 of these events have been reviewed and evaluated by seismic analysts. Depths of the earthquakes range from ~ 1km to around 10 km. We note that the earthquakes extend northward from central Yellowstone Lake for ~10 km toward the Fishing Bridge area, with a migration of recent earthquakes toward the north. Some of the dozen M3+ earthquakes were felt in the Lake, Grant Village and Old Faithful areas. Personnel of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory continue to evaluate this earthquake sequence and will provide information to the NPS, USGS and the public as it evolves.

This 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 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: * earthquake.usgs.gov.

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/heli/yellowstone/index.htm.

An article on earthquake swarms at Yellowstone is available at the following: *Monitoring.

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/.

— 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.

*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 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/heli/yellowstone/index.html.

An article on earthquake swarms at Yellowstone is available at the following: *Monitoring.

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/scripts/stations/?checkkey=WLWY&sec=timeseries_plotsceries=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/publications/2007/upsanddowns.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.

Jane Derry

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