IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Yellowstone Volcano Earthquake Swarm Inside Upper Magma Chamber! Yellowstone Earthquake Swarm, ‘Ring of Fire’ Quake-Cluster Prompts Warning
- Is the Yellowstone super volcano close to erupting? Scientists detect more than 200 earthquakes in just 10 DAYS after warning that magma below the surface is showing signs of strain.
- Latest swarm began Feb 8, about 8mi northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana.
As of February 18, the scientists say they’ve detected more than 200 quakes.
Still, experts say the activity is ‘relatively weak,’ and alert level remains normal.
A new swarm of earthquakes has cropped up at the Yellowstone super volcano, with more than 200 small temblors detected in the last 10 days alone.
According to experts with the US Geological Survey, the latest swarm began on February 8 in a region roughly eight miles northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana – and, it’s increased dramatically in the days since.
But for now, scientists say there’s no reason to worry.
The earthquakes, too, serve as a reminder of an under-appreciated hazard at Yellowstone—that of strong earthquakes, which are the most likely event to cause damage in the region on the timescales of human lives. As recently as 1975 there was a M6.5 event in the area of Norris Geyser Basin.
While the earthquakes are likely caused by a combination of processes beneath the surface, the current activity is said to be ‘relatively weak,’ and the alert level at the super volcano remains at ‘normal.’
According to the USGS, the new swarm is occurring in about the same location as the Maple Creek swarm last summer, which brought roughly 2,400 earthquakes in a four-month span.
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations picked up the first quakes just over a week ago, counting more than 200 as of February 18.
But, the experts say there are likely many more that have gone undetected.
‘The present swarm started on February 8, with a few events occurring per day,’ according to USGS.
‘On February 15, seismicity rates and magnitudes increased markedly. As of the night of February 18, the largest earthquake in the swarm is M2.9, and none of the events have been felt. All are occurring about 8 km (5 mi) beneath the surface.’
Yellowstone is home to several faults and has a long history of seismic activity.
As natural processes occur beneath the surface and ‘stress effects’ from past events continue to maintain their hold, the area remains a ‘hotbed of seismicity and swarm activity,’ according to USGS.
On right, a map of Yellowstone earthquakes from 1973 – 2017 is shown, with red circles illustrating all of the quakes. Blue shows quakes that were part of swarms. The current swarm is shown on the left (red circles), compared to the location of last summer’s swarm (gray)
The current activity, however, is likely no cause for worry.
As the experts explain, earthquake swarms are a common phenomenon at Yellowstone, and account for more than 50 percent of seismic activity at the park.
RECOMMENDED:A SUPRISE FROM THE SUPER VOLCANO UNDER YELLOWSTONE-YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO MAY BLOW FASTER THAN THOUGHT
EVACUATION PLAN FOR WYOMING – THE WHOLE STATE!
In 2007, the state of Wyoming adopted a plan to evacuate the ENTIRE state. Everyone! That plan, available HERE
Based upon the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, very few hazards exist statewide which would result in the evacuation of the entire state. The catastrophic explosion of Yellowstone National Park would necessitate the evacuation not only of Wyoming but of the Western United States . . .
Unfortunately, when it comes to predicting the timing of an eruption, geologists are left with a large gap in prediction. There are telltale signs of an eruption that is about to occur, say in the next few months to years. This includes increased earthquake activity, bulging of the ground surface, increased emission of volcanic gasses, etc.
On the other hand, geologists can use the average span of time between recent eruptions as a very crude gauge of eruption timing. Hence, geologists can likely detect an imminent eruption, but beyond that, for Yellowstone, the next best guess is every 600,000 to 800,000 years. Uncomfortably so, we lie within that range right now, however, it is just as likely that the next eruption occurs in 100,000 years.
Given that the next eruption could be 100,000 years from now or 50 years from now, or next week, the ability of humans to react and mitigate the next eruption varies greatly. If the eruption were to occur 50 years from now, we can do little but wait and prepare ourselves. Perhaps widespread evacuation orders from western and central United States to the East coast. However, logistically that would prove to be incredibly difficult and does not help property damage.
I am endeavoring to reach experts at the US Geological Survey to make official comment about this. When I do, I will update this story with their remarks.
In the meantime, beware. What is taking place at Yellowstone is not normal.
COULD AN ERUPTION AT THE YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO BE PREVENTED?
Even besides the potential devastating risks, the plan to cool Yellowstone with drilling is not simple.
Doing so would be an excruciatingly slow process that one happens at the rate of one meter a year, meaning it would take tens of thousands of years to cool it completely.
And still, there wouldn’t be a guarantee it would be successful for at least hundreds or possibly thousands of years.
And in the past, they have not been linked to volcanic activity.
‘While it may seem worrisome, the current seismicity is relatively weak and represents an opportunity to learn more about Yellowstone,’ USGS explains.
‘It is during periods of change when scientists can develop, test, and refine their models of how the Yellowstone volcanic system works.’
But, the experts also note: ‘The earthquakes, too, serve as a reminder of an underappreciated hazard at Yellowstone – that of str
ong earthquakes, which are the most likely event to cause damage in the region on the timescales of human lives.’
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