Yellowstone hosts thousands of thermal features which have diverse chemistries and origins. The most iconic features, like Old Faithful, have neutral to alkaline pH. Some Yellowstone features, however, can be acidic enough to break down the very rock that hosts them.
The tallest active geyser in the world has been erupting at a record pace since March 2018. Why are eruptions so energetic, what influences the intervals between eruptions, and why did Steamboat reactivate in the first place?
Although 2020 may not have been a great year for many of us, it was a pretty interesting year in Yellowstone National Park. With this first Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles article of the new year, let’s take the traditional look back at what happened in Yellowstone during the previous 12 months.
Although Yellowstone Lake may seem relatively calm, the floor of the lake is littered with hydrothermal explosion craters. Studies are beginning to reveal the details of these explosions, like the one that formed Elliott’s Crater about 8,000 years ago.
Geology is inherently a three-dimensional science — it’s not just about what is at the surface, but what is beneath the surface, as well. This is especially true at Yellowstone National Park, where complex geology controls subsurface geyser plumbing systems. Fortunately, a long history of scientific drilling has pulled back the curtain on this hidden world.
Yellowstone National Park is known for its unique hydrothermal features and array of animals and plants, but what about its fossils? From tiny invertebrates to large marine reptiles, Yellowstone’s boundaries include a wide range of paleontological resources that date back more than 500 million years.
Have you noticed there has been an increase in the number of earthquakes happening in Yellowstone National Park over the last week? This is because there is an active earthquake swarm occurring beneath Yellowstone Lake. Although it looks impressive, it pales in comparison to past sequences, including the 2008–2009 Yellowstone Lake swarm.
The Blackfoot Volcanic Field in southeast Idaho is a unique product of Yellowstone hotspot volcanism. While it is chemically similar to other volcanic rocks in eastern Idaho that are related to the hotspot, it is located far from the hot spot track — a testament to its entanglement with tectonic activity of the Basin and Range Province.
We know from decades of observation that Yellowstone’s geyser basins are always changing, but what about thermal activity beneath the waters of Yellowstone Lake? A team from the University of Minnesota deployed sensors on the lake floor and found that the environment is no less dynamic.
Earthquake magnitudes may seem straightforward, but a lot goes into their calculation, and multiple methods can be used. These methods must account for many complications, like the impacts of local geology on the amplitude of shaking. In Yellowstone, a modern seismic network and experienced analysts make it possible to determine the magnitudes of even the smallest earthquakes.
A swimming pool? At Old Faithful? Sounds crazy, but for nearly 40 years in the first half of the 20th century there was a geyser-heated bathhouse right next to the most iconic geyser in the world.
Yellowstone has a lot to offer visitors, from its world-famous hydrothermal features to its vast array of wildlife and breath-taking scenery. Yellowstone has also provided humans with another important resource for the last 11,000 years or more — obsidian.
Fall is a time for maintaining monitoring sites in Yellowstone National Park, since they will not be accessible during the winter. That includes the continuous GPS stations that track deformation across Yellowstone.
What better way to celebrate the upcoming 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park than with an updated geologic map? Scientists and students from Montana State University are spending this summer doing just that.
Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in the world, but who named the iconic feature? And how does the current frequency of its eruptions compare to when it was first described?
It’s a common misconception that all geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone are acidic. Some are, but the water that comes out of many of Yellowstone’s most iconic features, like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, is actually basic. Why?
Volcanologists have a variety of ways of measuring present-day gas emissions from volcanoes. But what about gas emissions that happened in years past, before measurements were possible?
Hayden Valley is a gorgeous expanse of grassland and meadows located right in the center of Yellowstone National Park. It is a haven for wildlife and a popular spot for viewing some of Yellowstone’s most iconic animals. But why does this meadow exist in the midst of what is otherwise a high-altitude forest of lodgepole pine trees? The area’s geology holds the key.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Dakota Churchill, physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of California, Berkeley; Michael Manga, professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Shaul Hurwitz, research hydrologist with the USGS; Joe Licciardi, professor at the University of New Hampshire; and Jim Paces, research geologist at the USGS.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Annie Carlson, research coordinator at the Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Thomas Knott, geochemist at the University of Leicester, England.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Broadley, postdoctoral researcher at the Université de Lorraine in Nancy, France.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from James Mauch, geologist with the Wyoming State Geological Survey.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Madison Myers, in the Department of Earth Sciences, and Luke McKay, in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences and the Center for Biofilm Engineering, both at Montana State University.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from James Mauch, geologist with the Wyoming State Geological Survey.