YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO (CAVW #1205-01-)
44°25'48" N 110°40'12" W, Summit Elevation 9203 ft (2805 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN
During the month of April 2010, 117 earthquakes were located in the Yellowstone region. The largest event was a magnitude 3.3 on April 3rd at 9:15 PM MDT, located about 7 miles east southeast of West Yellowstone, MT. This event was part of a swarm which lasted from April 1st to the 7th. The swarm contained 52 earthquakes, with magnitudes 0.4 to 3.3. This latest swarm is considered part of the intense January/February Madison Plateau 2010 earthquake swarm that contained more than 2,300 earthquakes. A summary of the Madison Plateau swarm can be found at: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/publications/2010/10swarm.php
Earthquake activity in Yellowstone continues at background levels.
Ground Deformation Summary: Continuous GPS data show that uplift of the Yellowstone Caldera has slowed significantly. Uplift rates for YVO GPS stations are less than 2.5 cm per year. The WLWY station, located in the northeastern part of the caldera, underwent a total of ~23 cm of uplift between mid-2004 and mid-2009. Its record can be found at:
http://pboweb.unavco.org/shared/scripts/stations/?checkkey=WLWY&sec;=timeseries_plots×eries;=raw
The general uplift and subsidence of the Yellowstone caldera is of scientific importance and will continue to be monitored closely by YVO staff.
An article on the recent uplift episode at Yellowstone and discussion of long-term ground deformation at Yellowstone and elsewhere can be found at: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/publications/2007/upsanddowns.php
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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.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jacob Lowenstern, USGS
Scientist-in-Charge, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
jlwnstrn@usgs.gov
Robert Smith, University of Utah
Coordinating Scientist, YVO
Henry Heasler, Yellowstone National Park
Coordinating Scientist, YVO
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) was created as a partnership among 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.
Features
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Summary of 2010 Madison Plateau Swarm by the University of Utah, a partner of YVO
Recent earthquakes on the west side of Yellowstone caldera are considered part of the intense January/February 2010 earthquake swarm of ~2,350 earthquakes. Earthquakes in this area continue to occur at a very reduced rate since the January main swarm sequence. A slight increase in earthquake occurrence has occurred in April 2010 with more than 30 earthquakes recorded in the area of the earlier swarm. The largest of these events was a magnitude 3.3 on April 3, 2010 but none of the March-April events have been reported felt. The rate of earthquake occurrence in this swarm is not unusual for Yellowstone where more than 80 independent swarms have been identified in the past 25 years. See the Summary of the 2010 Madison Plateau Swarm Article for more information.
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New Articles on Yellowstone Hot Spot and Hydrothermal Processes
The Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research recently (20 November 2009) published a special volume on the track of the Yellowstone Hot Spot. The journal was co-edited by USGS scientist Lisa Morgan and includes papers by YVO Coordinating Scientist Bob Smith and other colleagues. A list of the articles and a link to the journal can be found on our Hot Spot Articles page. USGS scientist Lisa Morgan also just co-wrote a special paper titled Hydrothermal Processes above the Yellowstone Magma Chamber: Large Hydrothermal Systems and Large Hydrothermal Explosions that can be purchased through the Geological Society of America website.
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Earthquake Data
Access Yellowstone earthquake information and data.
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Yellowstone's Greatest Hits
Compiled links to our most requested information including videos, monitoring data, monthly activity summaries, fact sheets, and more.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Check out answers to frequently asked questions.
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Features Archive …
