Is A Yellowstone Eruption Closer Than Thought?

Above, a Yellowstone mudpot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yellowstone National Park is a super-volcano. Its features are the result of volcanic activity.

Scientists are studying the park's geology. Some are wondering whether or not an eruption of the super-volcano is closer than we thought.

This is the subject of an article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

They begin it with:

POWELL — In the same way digital photography has evolved from 3 megapixel state-of-the-art professional DSLR cameras in the late 90s to folks now carrying 15 megapixel cameras in their cellphones, scientists are enjoying the benefits from vastly improved imaging, a leading expert studying the Yellowstone Volcano reports.

A team of researchers from the University of Utah, New Mexico University and the Institute of Earth Sciences in Taiwan in 2020 deployed 650 temporary seismometers in Yellowstone to measure seismic wave speeds in the subsurface of the caldera’s magma chamber.

The massive deployment resulted in the best picture of the magma chamber ever seen and has led to interesting findings. Important — though rarely discussed around work-place water coolers outside of those intended for scientists — the deployment provided a view at how magma waves behave; specifically if horizontally oriented waves of magma are faster or slower than vertically oriented ones.

To read more, go here.