TIME - A Spurt of Quake Activity Raises Fears in Yellowstone

[Irish Girl]

Mainstream media is slowly picking up the story of over 500+ small quakes recorded in Yellowstone this past week. From TIME magazine -

A Spurt of Quake Activity Raises Fears in Yellowstone

By Pat Dawson / Billings Thursday, Jan. 01, 2009

We who live along Montana's Yellowstone River are downstream from a simmering caldera, a geologic hot spot that has become especially active recently. Indeed, Yellowstone National Park contains the floor of a gigantic volcanic cauldron, one that rises and sinks with the forces that lie beneath — hence the picturesque geysers and steam holes. But a wave of recent earthquake activity is raising fears that have their origins 642,000 years ago, when a Yellowstone "supervolcano" exploded so violently that it created the caldera itself. Today, such an explosion — 1,000 times more powerful than the explosion of Mount St. Helens in 1980 — would not only cover most of the U.S. with ash but also throw so much dust into the atmosphere that the world's climate could change.

Could the current activity be the warning signs of another such apocalypse? Or just a large but not world-ending earthquake, like the 7.5-magnitude temblor that happened on a summer night in 1959 and caused a mountain to slide down into a campground, killing 28 people and damming the Madison River?

Last week, geologists at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) announced they had recorded a "notable swarm of earthquakes under way since Dec. 26 beneath Yellowstone Lake." The strongest tremor among the hundreds in the past week measured 3.9 on Dec. 27; most of the readings above 2.8 were felt by park employees and visitors around the lake area. The activity relaxed in magnitude early this week but then flexed upward again to top 3.0 by early New Year's Eve. "This December 2008 earthquake sequence is the most intense in this area for some years," YVO reported, "and is centered on the east side of the Yellowstone Caldera," the ancient collapsed volcano beneath Yellowstone Lake. The scientists said they cannot immediately "identify any causative fault or other feature without further analysis."

..more..

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869313,00.html

[malaise]

1. Quite unsettling

We are more than overdue a big shake up. I can't imagine what would happen to this island if we had a major earthquake.

http://www.mona.uwi.edu/earthquake/jaequake.php

[Joanne98]

2. If we start seeing a bunch of scientists flocking to the area, we'll know we're screwed!

[lurky]

7. When the geology grad students rush in, it's time to get nervous.

When they start rushing back out, it's time to panic.

[Baclava]

3. If we see herds of buffalo LEAVING the park - RUN!

It's a stampede!

[SpiralHawk]

4. Once again: a Ceremonial Vision & response

...may be time for a re-do ?

"While dwelling amid the high mountains along the North American Continental Divide, Bennie LeBeau of the Eastern Shoshone tribe experienced a torrent of dreams and visions, especially in 1999. The visions directed him to set in motion the plans for a massive Medicine Wheel Ceremony.

"Over the last year Bennie has become aware of many sharply distressing changes in both land and animals at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. These changes are becoming even more ominous right now, he says, and they have prodded him into direct action to bring his visions alive."

http://www.chiron-communications.com/communique%209-2.html

[Warren Stupidity]

5. I saw some graphics on the extent of a repeat.

Pretty impressive. Basically it would be a slate clearing event.

[madrchsod]

6. well i guess it`s time to party!

it`s the end of the world as we know it....take your pills and go to sleep in a million years something will be digging up your bones

[Irish Girl]

8. Anyone have updates from today?

:popcorn:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. Yes.

The world hasn't ended yet. Sorry.

[Joanne98]

10. Here's an update and links to sites collecting data

January 03, 2009 08:49 AM ET | James Pethokoukis | Permanent Link | Print
Here is the latest on the earthquake swarms at Yellowstone:

1) The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory put out an update yesterday evening

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: 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/heli/yellowstone/index.html.

2) Here is an amazing attempt at visualizing the earthquake swarm.

3) Here is a bit of what Scientific American has to say on the topic:

In recent years, Yellowstone's caldera has been rising thanks to uplifting magma beneath it—leading to more cracks, hot springs and even more frequent eruptions of Steamboat Geysers. Paired with the earthquakes, such magma movement might presage an eruption—either big or small. Unfortunately, scientists can't really predict when the next such eruption will happen, and the range of possibilities is large: from later today to a million years from now.

How will we know if we should start worrying? The real warning signs will be rapid changes in the shape of the ground as well as volcanic gases leaking from the ground, neither of which have been sighted—yet.

"Eruptions are far enough apart that there is a very low probability of the next eruption happening in our lifetimes or anytime soon," Daniel Dzurisin of the USGS told me in 2006. "The flipside is: has been active for millions of years and it's going to erupt again sometime."

4) Here is a Google Map mashup of the swarm.

5) Slashdot also has a very active discussion about the Yellowstone quakes.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2009/01/03/earthquakes-at-yellowstone-supervolcano-update.html

[SpiralHawk]

11. Thank you, Joanne

Good info...

[Irish Girl]

12. thanks Joanne, James Pethokoukis is doing a great job of giving updates

haven't seen clarification if there has been harmonic activity, which could indicate magma on the move. Let's hope she's burping and relieving some gas before settling into another thousand year slumber.

[newfie11]

13. well if it blows that would probably solve the global warming problem.

However I don't even want to think of the nightmare/destruction this would cause.:scared:

[Phred42]

14. IF the Yellowstone Caldera Blows - it's over for the US

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. "There is no safety in the Cosmos" - Alan Watts

[NOW tense]

16. Updated Story

The odds of a big caldera forming eruption at Yellowstone are really infinitesimal during our lifetime. While the Discovery channel documentary did a fair job of portraying how an eruption might come down, it also did a better job of whipping up anxiety about a very unlikely event. You would be much more productive hiding in your closet avoiding lightning than worrying about a Yellowstone eruption.


http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2009/01/04/yellowstone-earthquakes-swarm-supervolcano-update.html

[opihimoimoi]

17. If we see a Bunch of Scientists RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES...we are screwed