Yellowstone News and Information

Yellowstone Emits As Much Carbon Dioxide as an Erupting Volcano

Ferdinand Hayden And The Founding Of Yellowstone National Park By  Yellowstone Volcano Observatory   October 30, 2023 Geologist Ferdinand Hayden directed the first scientific exploration of Yellowstone in 1871, leading directly to the founding of the world’s first national park in the following year. Hayden’s noteworthy achievements in science and conservation, however, are clouded by his views of indigenous people.     Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Cole Messa, Ph.D. student, and Ken Sims, Professor of Geology and Geophysics, both at the University of Wyoming. Yellowstone—the " land of the burning ground "—has been known to indigenous people for at least 11,000 years. In fact, in 1805 the  governor of Louisiana Territory described a map drawn on a bison hide by an indigenous American showing a “volcano” on the Yellowstone River . It wasn’t

Acknowledging Annie: How research and monitoring get done in Yellowstone Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Better knowledge of Yellowstone’s past volcanism and current behavior is key for understanding the potential for  future hazardous activity, like volcanic eruptions, strong earthquakes and hydrothermal explosions .  Data collection, however, must be balanced against the impact on Yellowstone National Park,  much of which is managed as a wilderness . Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023. National Park Service photo by Jake Frank, May 2022. Scientists can’t simply install a seismometer or collect a rock sample wherever they want without consi

A Christmas (misinformation) story:  Yellowstone edition Misinformation and misconceptions about Yellowstone are nothing new.  This past Christmas saw a particularly challenging episode of misinformation that caused widespread and needless concern—especially because there are many places on-line to find scientific information about Yellowstone’s current activity. Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles directed and narrated a live radio adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel  The War of the Worlds .  The incident is famous for supposedly having incited a panic that the events being described were really happening.  Some people apparently thought that Martians were invading Earth! Fast forward over 80 years

Historic Yellowstone Flood Hasn’t Affected Geyser Activity Yet, But The Season Isn’t Over

  Yellowstone Volcano's Norris Geyser Basin Has Risen

  Silver Gate—the Mammoth Terraces of yesteryear! Release Date: September 6, 2021 Just south of Mammoth Hot Springs, near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park, lies a jumble of white/gray rock known as the Hoodoos or, more formally, Silver Gate.  The origin of this deposit is a quintessential tale of the dynamic nature of Yellowstone. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. A few miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Highway 89 winds through the white/gray jumble of rocks known as the Hoodoos, or Silver Gate, that formed when travertine from Terrace Mountain collapsed in a landslide. Imagine you have just arrived at the north entrance to

  World’s Top Seismologist: Yellowstone Volcano Is Still Not Going to Blow-Up Soon

  Travertine: Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Timekeeper Release Date: May 24, 2021 Standing on the boardwalk next to any of Yellowstone’s hot, steamy, vigorously bubbling hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, or geysers, you may be struck by the sheer amount of energy that powers this system, night and day. But how long have these features been active?  To address this question, geologists can turn to the “clock” that is frozen within hydrothermal travertine deposits. Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Lauren Harrison, a postdoctoral researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey. Travertine is a form of limestone composed of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are both made of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). In contrast to limestones that are formed in the ocean from the shells of tiny plankton and other ma

YVO Update of Activity at Yellowstone and Plans for Summer Fieldwork Detailed Description It's May, the snow is melting and the roads are mostly open, so it's time for geologists, geophysicist and geochemists to head into Yellowstone to start projects they have been planning for the last several months. Next week, a field team will deploy a temporary GPS network to help “densify” the network of continuous GPS stations already in place. The temporary GPS stations are low profile, low power, aren't radio connected, and will need to be picked up later this year before the snow starts to fall. Each statio

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Update: Activity at Yellowstone and Volcanoes of Desert Southwest   (click for video) Aerial view of Excelsior Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring in Midway Geyser Basin; Jim Peaco; June 22, 2006 Detailed Description There are thousands of volcanic features distributed throughout the southwest United States, which are grouped together in volcanic fields. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory monitors these volcanoes using a combination of techniques. While YVO hasn’t seen anything to suggest magma is on the move, the area is stretched and pulled apart to produce numerous tectonic earthquakes. YVO keeps an eye on these volcanoes and Yellowstone Volcano, as described in this monthly video update by Mike Poland, YVO Scientist-in-Charge.   Details Date Taken:  THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021 Length: 00:04:51 Location Taken:  Vancouver ,  WA ,  US Video Credits Video edited by Liz Westby Transcript - Hi everybody, I'm Mike Poland scientist-in-charge of the Yellowston