Comments about ‘Swarm of small quakes hits Yellowstone area’

Eathquake swarms may be common in the general AREA, but none that I have seen inside the caldera. And now, the University of Utah has ceased to report to the public the most recent quakes...all of which are in the same area measuring from magnitude 1.1 to 1.8. This may seem insignificant, but it worries me because of the dramatic uplift and down fall of the caldera. Are these quakes a sign of another eruption from our super past? I don't believe anyone really knows. I just want to know why the University of Utah suddenly stopped reporting these recent quakes to the public and why they are down playing the whole senario. I admit that I am no expert in the field of volcanism, but I know a thing or two. These are events that deserve close observation and the utmost attention from our Geologists and Volcanists. It may very well be nothing, but it may very well be the beginning of a super eruption...one of which has never been recorded and would change the human race and how we live forever.

Well, proving I am no expert, the 1.1 to 1.8 quakes were actually N to NE of the Geysers in CA. So although I acted with too much haste on my last comment and not enough research, I still have the same concerns for the Yellowstone Caldera. I apologize to the University of Utah for my hastey comment. I am sure you are dilligent in your observations concerning Yellowstone. I do, however, have one question remaining: Why do you say it is common for these swarms in this area? Are they not usually in the SC Dome and ML Dome? Anyhow, disregard my last post. It was written out of ignorance and haste.

Good detail and I appreiate the follow up Alexander. I looked up this article because of concern that high activity, even at lower levels, might be a sign of possible volcanic activity. It certainly bears watching.

Safe here in Texas.

If there were anything significant to report, the U. of Utah seismologists & geologists would do so. I've worked with them and can vouch for how they work.

Earthquake swarms are not unusual in Yellowstone, and by themselves do not indicate a pending eruption. Often they are just steam explosions. Ground swelling and sulfur gas emissions with the swarm would suggest a possible eruption, but that is NOT the case today.

If some time in the future there were to be an eruption in Yellowstone, it would likely be a small one--a lava flow, for example. The Earth-Destroyer is truly a rare event in geologic time.

I haven't followed the earthquake patterns in Yellowstone. The depth of the quakes is running from about 3km all the way up to the surface. In other words quite shallow. Looking at the seismic recordings, it seems that the background noise has increased in the last 8 hours or so. Fun to puzzle about, so good luck UU Seismologists! I look forward to further news.

The background noise is just wind. Compare it with the wind graphs at wunderground for Yellowstone and it's pretty clear cut. Tonight winds are 30-35 mph in the park. I've stopped looking at the noise and just look at the spikes.

SUPER VOLCANOOOOOO


woooooooooooooooooo


GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!

Consider the ground water that fuels the geysers;
then consider the drought & the lengthening time of geyser eruptions;
In spite of its cooling system drying up, a couple of scientists 3 yrs ago mapped the up & down side of the magma plume under the USA, and found that it has moved westward. So, the plumes upward flow is no longer pushing up under Yellowstone, but under Montana/Idaho - and the down-flow is under the Dakotas.
Now it's up to you to research the crustal geology for integrity.
I know enough now to never go to the West coast.
~Be wise. Bless you.

And we scream and we moan as old yellowstone
rains a storm of fiery weather
and the earth starts to crack as the sky's turning black
and we all burn together

At Unicorn's poem.

Dead Unicorn, you could set that to the tune of "Body of an American", by the Pogues. But you need to add a syllable to the last line to keep the meter. May I suggest "and then we all burn together"?

Time sage, I dont understand?, so the west coast is in jeopardy yet its located under mt. and the dakota's?, just curious?

What's making this swarm unique is frequency and intensity. Also, the swarm is in a single location in the middle of Yellowstone Lake right above the magma chamber. What can also be seen on the seismic graphs are harmonic tremors a sort of low level constant rumbling that indicates magma is on the move...

An exciting time - I hope it blows. Though I know it would not be good for our country, or the world, I think volcanism is awesome. I think we'd see some more dramatic indications of a major event. St. Helens swelled big time before it blew. Is there any indication that the ground is rising on the north end of the lake? Didn't that happen some years ago, and then it receded? That whole hot spot is moving correct?

im 10 and i know more about vulcanalgy than most in my town of 20,000 bou this can be a warning for the Us or the world becaus ash can lower temps for the climete but it can be nothing but this worrys me and even tho i stink at spelling i may be a expert not to brag ive ben studying this sence i was 6 years old

10xcsn
gamma ray bursts WAY UP FOR DEC.
GOOGLE GAMMA RAYS AND QUAKES/VULCANISM.
Hope it don't blow.
Want to see Jellystone park ,Yogi and Boo-Boo one more time.

Interestingly, there was a 6.2 earthquake in the Ring of Fire off of the Philippines on December 25. This is part of the same system that runs under the Pacific and feeds Yellowstone. Perhaps we're witnessing some belching from that?

Google "great quaking and waves" to see what I posted before the quakes started and after. Also try blogsearch (,com) for the results containing the Christmas 2008 posting. Be prepared to learn something stunning.

Peace and WIsdom...

People are forgetting that this is not a volcano but a Super Volcano. These are two quite different animals. If the Yellowstone blows up the ash alone will kill Millions of people not only in the US but the entire planet. If you breath this particular ash for a too long it goes into your lungs and when it touches the the moist passages in your lungs it turns into solid masses of concrete. People die of Mary's Disease. (Oh to the guy from Texas-Texas, hey nowhere would be safe from the effects)
The explosion will destroy all aerial traffic, the global weather will got into chaos mode, there will be mass global starvation, most of the middle of the US will be uninhabitable for generations, 2 billion people will die in the first year, there will be countless wars for the remaining resources and the US will be at the mercy of the nations we now call the third world.
I got friends that work for a GOV think tank. They did an analysis of this scenario and be better hope it doesn't happen for the next 300 years.

Yellowstone has had plenty of eruptions that are not the "Super Volcano" eruptions. The only ones you hear about are the 3 "Super" eruptions, but if Yellowstone does erupt, the odds are that it would not be the really huge one. Not that it would not be spectacular though, it may be bigger then any in recent times, but not necessarily "Super"