Tag Archives: Yellowstone

Newly discovered volcanic vent at Yellowstone

Important Takeaways:

  • Scientists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have discovered a newly opened volcanic vent in Norris Geyser Basin.
  • The vent is at the foot of a rhyloite lava flow, and is spewing hot steam up into the air.
  • ‘While driving south from Mammoth Hot Springs towards Norris Geyser Basin early on August 5 last summer, a park scientist noticed a billowing steam column through the trees and across a marshy expanse,’ the USGS explained.
  • The new vent was discovered last summer within a region called the Roadside Springs thermal area.
  • Lying within a swath of warm, hydrothermally altered ground, approximately 200ft (60 meters) long, the new feature is about 9.8ft (three meters) below the marsh surface.
  • Shortly after it was identified, park geologists visited the vent to get a closer look.
  • There, they discovered a very thin veneer of grey silicious clay barely covering the ground, and temperatures of 77°C (171°F).
  • According to the team, this indicates the new vent is ‘very young’ in nature.
  • This isn’t the first time that this type of hydrothermal activity has been spotted in the area.
  • Back in 2003, a similar vent was spotted just on the other side of the same rhyolite lava flow.
  • ‘Are the new feature and the activity that started in 2003 hydrologically connected?’ USGS asked.
  • ‘Probably.
  • ‘One could run a line along the axis of the older active area and it would intersect the new feature.
  • ‘This line also follows the trend of faults that run from Norris Geyser Basin northward to Mammoth Hot Springs and beyond.’
  • So far, geologists have mapped more than 100 major hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone National Park, as well as more than 10,000 within its boundaries.
  • Thankfully, USGS reassures that there is still about 100,000 years to go before the supervolcano is likely to erupt.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Michael Snyder: Yellowstone supervolcano rumblings; reasons to be watchful

Important Takeaways:

  • Is it possible that the Yellowstone supervolcano is gearing up for a major eruption? When most people think of Yellowstone, they tend to conjure up images of “Old Faithful”, Yogi Bear and a television show starring Kevin Costner.  But the reality of the matter is that Yellowstone poses a very serious threat to all of us.  Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is actually sitting directly above a massive supervolcano.
  • So when Yellowstone shakes, that should definitely get our attention.
  • In late January, a magnitude 3.9 earthquake was keenly felt throughout Yellowstone National Park…
  • Subsequently, there were two very alarming earthquake swarms in the area during the month of February…
  • February seismicity in Yellowstone was marked by two swarms.
    • A swarm of 18 earthquakes was located approximately 13 miles south-southwest of Mammoth, in Yellowstone National Park, during February 1–8. The largest earthquake in the sequence was a magnitude 1.6 on February 3 at 1:24 AM MST.
    • A swarm of 11 earthquakes took place approximately 5 miles south-southeast of West Thumb, in Yellowstone National Park, on February 11. The largest earthquake in the sequence was a magnitude 2.4 on February 11 at 1:44 AM MST.
  • I want to be very clear about something.
  • There is absolutely no reason to panic at this stage.
  • But I do believe that we should be watching.
  • So exactly what would a full-blown eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano mean for the United States and for the rest of the world?
    • The magma “hotspot” underneath Yellowstone is approximately 300 miles wide.
    • A full-blown eruption of Yellowstone could be up to 1,000 times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
    • According to Google AI, a full-blown eruption of Yellowstone could send volcanic ash “up to 30-50 miles high”.
    • According to Wikipedia, the Yellowstone Caldera has been “rising as quickly as 150 millimeters (5.9 in) per year”.
    • There are more than a thousand earthquakes in the Yellowstone area every single year.
    • In the event of a full-blown eruption of Yellowstone, virtually the entire northwest United States will be completely destroyed
    • A full-blown eruption of Yellowstone would mean that just about everything within a 100-mile radius of Yellowstone would be immediately killed.
    • A full-blown eruption of Yellowstone could potentially dump a layer of volcanic ash that is at least 10 feet deep up to 1,000 miles away.
    • The “volcanic winter” that a massive Yellowstone eruption would cause would radically cool the planet. Some scientists believe that global temperatures would decline by up to 20 degrees.  This would result in a horrific global famine.
    • America would never be the same again after a massive Yellowstone eruption. Some scientists believe that a full eruption by Yellowstone would render two-thirds of the United States completely uninhabitable.
    • Scientists tell us that it is not a matter of “if” Yellowstone will erupt again but rather “when” the next inevitable eruption will take place.

Read the original article by clicking here.

3.7 Earthquake shakes Yellowstone as highest temperatures are measured underscoring activity and intense heat

Crackling Lake

Important Takeaways:

  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude 3.7 earthquake near Mammoth, Wyoming, at about 6 p.m. MST, close to the Norris Geyser Basin. Seismologists said a few people in the Yellowstone region reported the shaking.
  • “The earthquake is typical of the Yellowstone region and not a sign of any significant unrest,” the agency said following the quake.
  • The National Park Service (NPS) said Norris Geyser Basin is home to some truly extreme geothermal features.
  • The highest temperature ever recorded in Yellowstone (459 degrees) was measured in a drill hole at Norris, just 1,087 feet below the surface, underscoring the intense heat and activity in the area, the NPS added. There are very few thermal features at Norris under the boiling point at 199 degrees at this elevation.
  • Norris shows evidence of having had thermal features for at least 115,000 years, according to the NPS. The features in the basin change daily, with frequent disturbances from seismic activity and water fluctuations.
  • While Yellowstone is frequently rattled by small earthquakes — averaging 1,500 to 2,500 per year — the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory notes that larger, damaging earthquakes have also struck the area.
  • The park’s largest recorded earthquake, a magnitude 6, occurred on June 30, 1975, along the north-central boundary of Yellowstone Caldera, a few miles southeast of Norris Geyser Basin. No injuries were reported, and all park campgrounds and facilities remained open.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Oh ahh! Hydrothermal explosion at Yellowstone catches bystanders by surprise

IMG_1274-NPS.gov_

Important Takeaways:

  • Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin explodes as tourists run away from falling debris
  • “At around 10:00 AM MST on July 23, 2024, a small hydrothermal explosion occurred in Yellowstone National Park in the Biscuit Basin thermal area, about 2.1 miles northwest of Old Faithful,” said Yellowstone National Park in a release.
  • The parking lot and boardwalks at Biscuit Basin have been temporarily closed following the explosion as geologists with Yellowstone continue their investigation of the incident.
  • In their release, Yellowstone National Park explained that Tuesday’s explosion is “relatively common,” as hydrothermal explosions are the result of water becoming steam suddenly underground.
  • The National Park assuaged fears of further explosions in the area, stating “today’s explosion does not reflect activity within volcanic system, which remains at normal background levels of activity.”

Read the original article by clicking here.

Yellowstone Volcano rumbling as Swarm of Earthquakes continues

Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Important Takeaways:

  • Yellowstone Volcano Hit by over 1,000 Earthquakes in Ongoing Swarm
  • The swarm was most active between late August and mid-September. In the month of September alone, for example, the swarm, which is located around 12 miles south-south-west of Mammoth Hot Springs near Grizzly Lake, produced more than 500 earthquakes.
  • In the month of October, the University of Utah recorded 238 earthquakes as part of this swarm, out of a total of 344 in the entire Yellowstone region.
  • The Yellowstone region averages about 1,500-2,500 earthquakes every year, with around half of them occurring as part of swarms.
  • This year, the ongoing swarm near Grizzly Lake has produced more than 1,000 events and counting, according to Farrell.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Flooding and swarm of earthquakes hit Yellowstone

Important Takeaways:

  • Earthquake Swarm Hits Yellowstone As Unprecedented Floods Close Park
  • Data from the University of Utah’s seismograph stations show that dozens of quakes up to a magnitude of about 2.4 hit an area around Grizzly Lake throughout the day and at various depths.
  • On average, Yellowstone is hit by between 1,500 and 2,500 earthquakes every year.
  • The phenomenon is related to the transport of volcanic fluids and the resulting changes of pressures in the Earth’s crust.
  • According to Al Jazeera, this is the first time all entrances to Yellowstone National Park have been closed to the public in 34 years.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Flooding in Yellowstone is severe

Revelation 16:9 “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”

Important Takeaways:

  • ‘Extensive Damage:’ Record Flooding Slams Yellowstone, Severe Heat Affecting Millions Across the US
  • Ongoing, historic flooding recently trapped visitors in Yellowstone National Park. Tourists were stranded after heavy rain and rapid snowmelt overflowed the Yellowstone River.
  • The massive flooding forced thousands to evacuate the national park.
  • Escaping the park turned into a dangerous journey as falling rocks were seen hitting an SUV.
  • The flood was triggered after near-record-high temperatures melted five inches of snow in higher elevations. The Yellowstone River overflowed its banks after days of rain and rapid snowmelt.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Wyoming wildfire forces evacuations, closes highway south of Jackson

Smoke rises from a wildfire as seen from Bondurant, Wyoming, United States in this September 22, 2018 photo by Jared Kail. Jared Kail/Social Media/via REUTERS

By Laura Zuckerman

PINEDALE, Wyo. (Reuters) – A wind-blown wildfire that has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes south of the resort town of Jackson, Wyoming, prompted officials on Sunday to close 50 miles of a key highway traveled by tourists to reach Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks.

The Roosevelt fire has scorched nearly 40,000 acres of drought-parched landscape and destroyed at least four structures, including two dwellings, since erupting Sept. 15 in the Bridger-Teton National Forest about 30 miles south of Jackson.

Smoke rises from a wildfire as seen from Bondurant, Wyoming, United States in this September 22, 2018 photo by Bryce Harvey. Bryce Harvey/Social Media/via REUTERS

Smoke rises from a wildfire as seen from Bondurant, Wyoming, United States in this September 22, 2018 photo by Bryce Harvey. Bryce Harvey/Social Media/via REUTERS

Hundreds of firefighters battled across steep, forested terrain and bone-dry sagebrush flats to push back flames driven by winds gusting to 50 miles per hour. By Sunday, crews had managed to carve containment lines around nearly a quarter of the fire’s perimeter.

But worsening conditions later prompted the Sublette County sheriff to expand evacuations in rural subdivisions in and around the town of Bondurant, bringing the number of homes affected to about 300. Scores of additional residences were placed on standby for evacuation at a moments notice, according to sheriff’s Sergeant Travis Bingham.

He said the blaze was stoked by thick vegetation left desiccated by prolonged drought.

“We haven’t had moisture for weeks, and the winds today were going from 35 to 50 miles per hour. The fire picked it up and ran with it,” he said Sunday.

The 50-mile segment of U.S. Highway 189/191 closed by state transportation officials runs from just northwest of the oil-and-gas town of Pinedale to the southern outskirts of Jackson.

The road is the main traffic route to Grand Teton and Yellowstone for travelers approaching the two premier national parks from points south, though neither Jackson nor the parks were expected to be threatened by the blaze.

The cause of the Roosevelt fire was under investigation. It comes at the height of the region’s hunting season and is one of three that have erupted since mid-September in the Bridger-Teton Forest in western Wyoming.

Wildfires have charred more than 7 million acres across the Western United States so far this year.

(Reporting by Laura Zuckerman in Pinedale, Wyo; Editing by Steve Gorman and Michael Perry)

Wildfire forces closure of south entrance to Yellowstone National Park

By Ruffin Prevost

CODY, Wyo. (Reuters) – Burning trees and thick smoke from a large Wyoming wildfire have prompted authorities to close the main connecting road between the south end of Yellowstone National Park and the northern border of Grand Teton National Park.

The closure order, which was made earlier this week and remained in effect on Wednesday, means throngs of peak summer season vacationers will have to make a detour of at least 150 miles (241 km) to move between the neighboring parks.

Officials in Grand Teton closed U.S. Highway 89 because of active burning in trees along the roadside and heavy smoke from the so-called Berry Fire, which officials said was sparked by lightning on July 25 and has grown to cover some 6,800 acres (2,751 hectares).

The fire led to the closure of the south gate to Yellowstone, which last month saw an average of more than 2,400 vehicles each day carrying visitors between the two parks. Four other entrances into the park remain open.

Three Grand Teton trails, a campground and a lodging complex near the fire have also been closed, a move that could last several days, depending on fire activity, weather and other factors, fire officials said.

Traffic is being rerouted to West Yellowstone, where crews are working to contain the so-called Maple Fire, which has burned more than 27,000 acres (10,926 hectares) and moved to within four miles of the town of West Yellowstone, Montana.

The west gate remains open, and firefighters say they are confident they can prevent the Maple Fire from reaching the road between West Yellowstone, the park’s busiest entrance, and the Old Faithful geyser, the most popular attraction at the national park.

Despite the complications, traffic entering the west gate was moving smoothly and without delay on Wednesday afternoon.

The Maple Fire, along with two other fires burning in more remote areas of Yellowstone, were all caused by lightning, and are burning in timber and undergrowth primed by a dry spring and summer.

Many fires in the 2.2 million acre (890,308 hectares) Yellowstone National Park are allowed to largely burn themselves out, so long as they do not threaten buildings, roads or developed areas.

The blazes come at the height of the summer tourist season and as officials in both parks prepare for celebrations set for Thursday marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service.

(Reporting by Ruffin Prevost in Cody, Wyoming; Editing by Curtis Skinner and Bill Rigby)