Unusual Eruptions At Yellowstone’s Largest Active Geyser Baffles Scientists

The world’s largest active geyser has erupted three times in the past six weeks at Yellowstone National Park, including once this week, in a pattern that is highly unusual, according to geologists.  And scientists cannot explain what is causing the geyser to erupt.

One thing all scientists can agree on is that, as they’ve repeatedly told us before, the supervolcano churning below the serene scenery in Wyoming is not going to erupt anytime soon.  We shouldn’t be taking any of the anomalies to mean as much either.

According to Reuters, the Steamboat Geyser, which can shoot water as high as 300 feet (91 meters) into the air, erupted on March 15, April 19 and on Friday. The last time it erupted three times in a year was in 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory said.  The last time it erupted prior to March was more than three years ago in September 2014.

As always, there’s nothing to worry about.  “There is nothing to indicate that any sort of volcanic eruption is imminent,” Michael Poland, the scientist in charge for the observatory, said in an email.

This year’s eruptions have been smaller than a usual Steamboat eruption, but the two in April were about 10 times larger than an eruption at the park’s famed Old Faithful Geyser in terms on the amount of water discharged, he said.

Geologists have not pinpointed a reason for the latest series of eruptions, but say they could indicate a thermal disturbance in the geyser basin, or that Steamboat may be having smaller eruptions instead of one large. –Reuters

Since most geysers do not erupt on a regular schedule, “it might just reflect the randomness of geysers,” Poland said. While the Steamboat eruptions are unusual, what would be far more worrying would be the water in the hydrothermal systems drying up, which could indicate that the super hot magma deep below was making its way to the surface -and an eruption could occur.

Yellowstone ALERT: 200 Earthquakes In 10 Days As Ring Of Fire Awakens

Scientists in Yellowstone have detected over 200 earthquakes at the supervolcano in the last 10 days. With reports coming in that the Ring of Fire could be awakening as well, many are preparing for the worst.

Although scientists are still telling the public there’s no need to be alarmed, reports of immense pressure in the magma chamber under Yellowstone, coupled with this new report claiming 200 earthquakes have been recorded in the last ten days are reigniting fears of a potential supervolcano eruption. According to The Daily Mail, this latest earthquake swarm began on February 8.

Experts with the US Geological Survey say that this latest swarm began in a region roughly eight miles northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana and, it’s increased dramatically in the days since. While the earthquakes are likely caused by a combination of processes beneath the surface, the current activity is said to be “relatively weak,” and the alert level at the supervolcano remains at “normal.” The USGS says the new swarm is occurring in about the same location as the Maple Creek swarm last summer, which brought roughly 2,400 earthquakes in a four-month span.

Experts also say there are likely many more earthquakes in the Yellowstone region that have gone undetected.  “The present swarm started on February 8, with a few events occurring per day,” according to USGS. “On February 15, seismicity rates and magnitudes increased markedly. As of the night of February 18, the largest earthquake in the swarm is M2.9, and none of the events have been felt. All are occurring about 8 km (5 mi) beneath the surface.”

“Swarms reflect changes in stress along small faults beneath the surface, and generally are caused by two processes: large-scale tectonic forces, and pressure changes beneath the surface due to accumulation and/or withdrawal of fluids (magma, water, and/or gas),” USGS explains. “The area of the current swarm is subject to both processes.”

“While it may seem worrisome, the current seismicity is relatively weak and actually represents an opportunity to learn more about Yellowstone,” USGS says. “It is during periods of change when scientists can develop, test, and refine their models of how the Yellowstone volcanic system works.” However, the experts did lace a warning into their statement. “The earthquakes, too, serve as a reminder of an underappreciated hazard at Yellowstone – that of strong earthquakes, which are the most likely event to cause damage in the region on the timescales of human lives.”

 

Over 250 Earthquakes In Idaho In 9 Days Leads To More Super Volcano Fears

An earthquake swarm in south eastern Idaho is rattling windows across parts of the state and Wyoming and Utah.  There have now been over 260 earthquakes since September 2, in the Soda Springs area and many have been over a magnitude of four or even higher on the scale.

The earthquake swarm in Southeast Idaho looked like it might be ending or at least slowing down on Thursday and Friday. But then Saturday arrived and by the day’s end, 19 quakes had struck. There have been 34 more temblors so far Sunday, bringing the earthquake total since the swarm began on Sept. 2 to 204 quakes. All of the quakes have occurred in the Caribou County area east, southeast and northeast of Soda Springs.

While many believe California and the West Coast are ripe for a huge earthquake, the heartland is often forgotten and these earthquakes are being swept under the rug and largely unimportant to the public at large.

While all eyes are on California’s San Andreas Fault because of the density of the human population there, many haven’t noticed Idaho’s swarm and the area which is highly active right now. Earthquake experts claim that the swarm in Idaho could end in a worst case scenario: a 7-magnitude quake that would reduce some buildings and homes to rubble and kill dozens or more – but the chances of that are incredibly small.

Dr. David Pearson, an Idaho State University geologist who studies earthquakes, said scientists who have researched some of the faults in Southeast Idaho have concluded that the 7.0 quake is possible at some point in the region’s future, but the current earthquake swarm is not necessarily an indication that it will occur anytime soon. Pearson said the faults in Southeast Idaho that produce earthquakes have not been extensively studied and this makes it difficult to determine when a destructive 7.0 earthquake could occur. –Idaho State Journal

The current earthquake swarm began on the night of Sept. 2 when 34 quakes occurred. Those were followed by another 34 quakes last Sunday, 28 on Monday, 20 on Tuesday, 25 on Wednesday, five on Thursday, five on Friday, 19 on Saturday and 34 so far Sunday. There was even a 4.5 magnitude quake in that area this morning, and people have reported feeling that quake as far away as Jackson, Wyoming.  All 260 plus of the quakes were reported by University of Utah Seismograph Stations.

Thus far, the most powerful temblor in the swarm was the second quake to occur. It was a 5.3 magnitude earthquake and struck at 5:56 p.m. September 2.

Series of earthquakes have occurred in SE Idaho this afternoon. The largest, a 5.3 magnitude, was felt in Cache Valley: pic.twitter.com/76OxF9PRe2

— Newton Fire (@NewtonFDUT) September 3, 2017

Authorities say it’s been years since Southeast Idaho experienced a quake of 5.0 magnitude or greater. Such quakes can cause damage to houses and other buildings, but fortunately, this was not the case. By comparison, a 7.0 magnitude quake would be at least 50 times bigger than the 5.3 magnitude temblor that hit Southeast Idaho last weekend.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that a 7.0 magnitude quake will inflict “considerable damage” to ordinary houses and buildings and will cause such structures to partially collapse. Such temblors will also cause chimneys, factory smoke stacks and walls to collapse, according to the USGA.

Of course, the swarm of earthquakes in Idaho isn’t limiting fears to a larger local quake.  Many are afraid that these swarms could trigger the Yellowstone super volcano’s eruption, as the caldera just northeast of the Soda Springs area, a mere 170 miles away. While it has been over 600,000 years since the last eruption, some seismologists are concerned the recent swarm of earthquakes may be sending warning signs the supervolcano is ready to explode once again.

“When a volcano starts ‘acting up’ prior to an eruption, one of the typical signs is increased seismicity,” research professor at University of Utah Jamie Farrell told Newsweek. Should the Yellowstone supervolcano erupt, thousands of people would die instantly from the explosion.

While an earthquake in Califonia could devastate the West Coast, a Yellowstone eruption has the potential to be a world wide extinction level event. Soda Springs, Idaho’s proximity to Yellowstone is hardly comforting.

Click here to subscribe: Join over one million monthly readers and receive breaking news, strategies, ideas and commentary.

Please Spread The Word And Share This Post

Author: Mac Slavo
Views: Read by 560 people
Date: September 11th, 2017
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

Copyright Information: Copyright SHTFplan and Mac Slavo. This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.shtfplan.com. Please contact us for permission to reproduce this content in other media formats.

Yellowstone Approaches Record Levels Of Seismic Activity

By now, most are aware of the earthquake swarm under the Yellowstone super volcano.  Many people are fearing a major eruption, and those terrors aren’t calmed for some as the national park approaches a record number of earthquakes.

A cluster of earthquakes at the Yellowstone Park volcano is the most active it’s been in recent history. The earthquake count is up to 2,357 since June with the largest having a magnitude of  4.4. The majority of the earthquakes were magnitudes of 0 or 1, according to a report by Newsweek.

Yet scientists are assuring the public that a swarm of earthquakes doesn’t necessarily signal an eruption of the super volcano. But when the type of earthquakes occurring in Yellowstone deviates from the standard, it could mean that an eruption is forthcoming. A swarm of earthquakes is rather normal for Yellowstone, but the number of quakes is approaching a new record.

The current swarm is approaching the record set in 1985 when three months brought over 3,000 earthquakes. In 2010 a swarm brought over 2,000 earthquakes over a month.  Scientists still say to not worry too much. The threat of an eruption is still very slim.

The current situation doesn’t present too much of an eruption threat. The geological pressure would have to be sizable for anything to occur. “Yellowstone has had dozens of these sorts of earthquake swarms in the last 150 years it’s been visited. The last volcanic eruption within the caldera [crater] was 70,000 years ago. For magma to reach the surface, a new vent needs to be created, which requires a lot of intense geological activity,” said Jacob Lowenstern, one of the scientists managing the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. –The Epoch Times

Lowenstern went on to say that the odds are very high that Yellowstone will go centuries more without an eruption and that if one does occur, it will be minor. Should these earthquakes lead to an eruption, scientists think it would not be of much consequence. “If Yellowstone erupts, it’s most likely to be a lava flow, as occurred in nearly all the 80 eruptions since the last ‘supereruption’ 640,000 years ago. A lava flow would be a big deal at Yellowstone, but would have very little regional or continental effect,” Lowenstern explained.

Click here to subscribe: Join over one million monthly readers and receive breaking news, strategies, ideas and commentary.

Please Spread The Word And Share This Post

Author: Mac Slavo
Views: Read by 1 people
Date: September 3rd, 2017
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

Copyright Information: Copyright SHTFplan and Mac Slavo. This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.shtfplan.com. Please contact us for permission to reproduce this content in other media formats.