Yellowstone News and Information

Yellowstone, where there's always something new Geologically speaking, things are always changing at Yellowstone—especially in the hydrothermal areas. It’s simply the nature of the complex hydrothermal system that overlies one of the planet’s largest magma reservoirs. Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Jefferson Hungerford, Park Geologist, and Kiernan Folz-Donahue, Field Geologist, both with Yellowstone National Park. The summer of 2024 was a busy time, with  July’s  hydrothermal explosion  at Biscuit Basin and the  first hydrothermal explosion ever recorded by geophysical monitoring data  in Norris Geyser Basin. In addition to these higher energy events, a new hydrothermal feature popped up right in front of our eyes—literally!  Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain.  View Media Details Looking south from near a...

Digging into the history of hydrothermal explosions at Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin In July 2024, a hydrothermal explosion at Black Diamond Pool sent muddy water and rocks hundreds of feet into the air. It’s far from the first time a feature in Biscuit Basin has experienced an explosive event. Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Tara Cross, Yellowstone Geology volunteer, and Mara H. Reed, PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. Scientists are hard at work investigating the  hydrothermal explosion  on  July 23, 2024, at Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin . An important part of understanding the recent activity involves investigating past similar events. And there have been several at Biscuit Basin. Sources/Usage: Public Domain.  View Media Details Aerial view of Black Opal Pool, Black Diamond Pool, and part of Wall...

  NEWS RELEASE Biologists to begin 2024 grizzly and black bear captures for research purposes in Yellowstone National Park Public reminded to heed warning signs Grizzly bear near Roaring Mountain NPS / A. Falgoust News Release Date:  April 24, 2024 BOZEMAN, MT - As part of ongoing grizzly bear and black bear research and management efforts and as required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is working to inform the public that scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) and Yellowstone National Park will begin field captures on May 1 and continue through Oct. 31. None of the trap sites in the park will be located near established hiking trails or backcountry campsites, and all trap sites will have posted warnings for the closure pe...

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 the...

Yellowstone Lake Water Levels Can Tell Us More than You Might Think A relatively simple measurement—lake level—has yielded big dividends in Yellowstone. By tracking the level of Yellowstone Lake over time, it is possible to understand more about a range of subjects, from the hydrology of stream flow to the physical properties of the magma reservoir beneath Yellowstone Caldera! Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Scott K. Johnson, Science Communication Associate the EarthScope Consortium. The strongest Yellowstone Lake seiche wave (primary mode) has a 78-minute period, but other weaker seiche waves are also present simultaneously. The importance of tide gauges is apparent to anyone who has lived near a coastline, but there are a host of reasons to measure the water level of inland water bodies, too. Sometimes that’s to monitor water cycle trends, like...

The Grand Story of the Grand Canyon of the 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. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a natural wonder that almost defies description.  The reaction of explorer Charles Cook when he first viewed the canyon in 1869 seems appropriate: “ I sat there in amazement, while my companions came up, and after that, it seemed to me that it was five minutes before anyone spoke. ” Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, photographed during a helicopter flyover on August 19, 2019. Stretching from the  Lower Falls to the Tower Falls area , the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is about 28 km (17 miles) long, 250–350 meters (8...