Yellowstone earthquakes (1 Viewer)

[baarbogast]

NEWS: There Have Been Nearly 100 Earthquakes At Yellowstone In 72 Hours

There were over 49 quakes registered today in Yellowstone, specifically in the region just south of Yellowstone Lake. While none of them were particularly large (the largest being around 2.9 on the Richter scale), it does represent

www.distinctlymontana.com

Has anyone else read this? Any Geologists here, I have many Questions.
1) Are these little ones lessening the devastation of a big one?

2) Can they trigger a volcanic eruption?

3) Are this many quakes natural? I thought the article said the biggest was 2.9.

 

[superchuck500]

Earthquakes - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Earthquakes

www.nps.gov

According to the Park Service, there can be up to 3,000 earthquakes there per year. That's an average of over eight per day (on the high end of the range). If they don't happen on a regular basis but more often happen in clusters, that appears normal.

Yellowstone commonly experiences “earthquake swarms”—a series of earthquakes over a short period of time in a localized area. The largest swarm occurred in 1985, with more than 3,000 earthquakes recorded during three months on the northwest side of the park. Hundreds of quakes were recorded during swarms in 2009 near Lake Village and 2010 between Old Faithful area and West Yellowstone. Scientists posit these swarms are due to shifting and changing pressures in the Earth’s crust that are caused by migration of hydrothermal fluids, a natural occurrence of volcanoes.

 

[Bill]

NEWS: There Have Been Nearly 100 Earthquakes At Yellowstone In 72 Hours

There were over 49 quakes registered today in Yellowstone, specifically in the region just south of Yellowstone Lake. While none of them were particularly large (the largest being around 2.9 on the Richter scale), it does represent

www.distinctlymontana.com

Has anyone else read this? Any Geologists here, I have many Questions.
1) Are these little ones lessening the devastation of a big one?

2) Can they trigger a volcanic eruption?

3) Are this many quakes natural? I thought the article said the biggest was 2.9.

The reason that Yellowstone is such a unique place is because of the tremendous amount of volcanic activity that is going on just below the surface of the park. This subterraneous seismic action is what produces thousands of geyser plumes and hot springs, and has been luring tourists to experience these sights for as long as humans have been around the area to enjoy it.

But experts have been claiming for decades that Yellowstone is actually a ticking time bomb. Since the place is basically a huge plot of land parked on top of an active volcano, it's hard to deny that the potential for a seismic disaster awaits. When you visit the areas of the park where these fields of geysers spray 24/7, you can't ignore the heavy smell of sulfur in the air. It speaks of the geologic phenomenon that's taking place right under your feet.

Perhaps all the geysers are like pressure relief valves and inhibiting the chance of producing a huge 'thermo-blast'. But the underground volcanic activity is obviously creating some pressure & movement all over that area. That explains why the earthquakes are so plentiful, while being mostly uneventful at the same time.

 

[Goatman Saint]

No geysers are simply water that has soaked down intot
He cracks and then turns to superheated steam. The lakebed of Yellowstone lake has shifted noticeably in the last 20 years.

 

[Bill]

No geysers are simply water that has soaked down intot
He cracks and then turns to superheated steam. The lakebed of Yellowstone lake has shifted noticeably in the last 20 years.

The pressure & friction from deep in the earth is what is producing all that heat in those cracks. And the expansion of that water is forced up and out of the earth wherever there's an opening. And yes, the ground underneath is definitely shifting along with that lakebed. The smell of sulfur around those plumes was 'otherworldly', as I recall.

 

[Tapxe]

The reason that Yellowstone is such a unique place is because of the tremendous amount of volcanic activity that is going on just below the surface of the park. This subterraneous seismic action is what produces thousands of geyser plumes and hot springs, and has been luring tourists to experience these sights for as long as humans have been around the area to enjoy it.

But experts have been claiming for decades that Yellowstone is actually a ticking time bomb. Since the place is basically a huge plot of land parked on top of an active volcano, it's hard to deny that the potential for a seismic disaster awaits. When you visit the areas of the park where these fields of geysers spray 24/7, you can't ignore the heavy smell of sulfur in the air. It speaks of the geologic phenomenon that's taking place right under your feet.

Perhaps all the geysers are like pressure relief valves and inhibiting the chance of producing a huge 'thermo-blast'. But the underground volcanic activity is obviously creating some pressure & movement all over that area. That explains why the earthquakes are so plentiful, while being mostly uneventful at the same time.

.I recall seeing something on Discover or History which shows the movement of the tectonic plates making Yellowstone less likely to erupt. The land mass is getting thicker and fault lines further from it iirc.

They theorized that one of the other 2 super volcanos would erupt first lowering the pressure.

 

[Bill]

.I recall seeing something on Discover or History which shows the movement of the tectonic plates making Yellowstone less likely to erupt. The land mass is getting thicker and fault lines further from it iirc.

They theorized that one of the other 2 super volcanos would erupt first lowering the pressure.

Great! I'd like to see the place again some time before I croak. It's a really cool national park!

 

[Tapxe]

Great! I'd like to see the place again some time before I croak. It's a really cool national park!

I need to make my first trip...

 

[SystemShock]

 

[Tapxe]

Is that in 2020 bonus time?

 

[Goatman Saint]

The pressure & friction from deep in the earth is what is producing all that heat in those cracks. And the expansion of that water is forced up and out of the earth wherever there's an opening. And yes, the ground underneath is definitely shifting along with that lakebed. The smell of sulfur around those plumes was 'otherworldly', as I recall.

Yeah I loved my 5 years living near Yellowstone. Got to hike and visit everything worth seeing. One of my favorite areas in the world. It will be fun to see it erupt in December.

 

[Bill]

Yeah I loved my 5 years living near Yellowstone. Got to hike and visit everything worth seeing. One of my favorite areas in the world. It will be fun to see it erupt in December.

I would laugh at that comment, but I don't put anything past 2020.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

The pressure & friction from deep in the earth is what is producing all that heat in those cracks.

that’s hot

 

[Merl]

I need to make my first trip...

Same here. I have attempted to go a couple of times but just can't seem to be able dates for a vacation and when reservations for a camp spot coincide. I will attempt again early this January when I can again try to schedule a june/july vacation.

 

[Tapxe]

Same here. I have attempted to go a couple of times but just can't seem to be able dates for a vacation and when reservations for a camp spot coincide. I will attempt again early this January when I can again try to schedule a june/july vacation.

Good luck. I'm ready to go in a walk about so that might just be the spot I need.