Where is the volcano? | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.gov What would happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano actually erupted? Joe Phelan is a journalist based in London. The last eruption occurred more than 630,000 years ago. By 1985 the surveys documented unprecedented uplift of the entire caldera in excess of a meter (3 ft). The water in the pool has an unusual ultramarine hue. YellowstoneCalderaChroniclesis a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. In the United States alone, calderas with multiple vents and post-caldera features include Valles Caldera in New Mexico and Long Valley Caldera in California. The attraction is located in Yellowstone National Park. [13] The Island Park Caldera supereruption (2.1 million years ago), which produced the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, was the largest, and produced 2,500 times as much ash as the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. Mantle plumes transport heat from deep in the mantle to the crust and create what we call hot spot volcanism. [47], A study published in GSA Today, the monthly news and science magazine of the Geological Society of America, identified three fault zones where future eruptions are most likely to be centered. The analysis indicated that Yellowstone's magma reservoir can reach eruptive capacity and trigger a super-eruption within just decades, not centuries as volcanologists had originally thought. We look at overall thermal emissions from space, collect gas and water to assess chemistry over time, and track stream/river flow and chemistry.". About 16.5 million years ago, an intense period of volcanism initiated near the borders of present-day Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho. Yellowstone Caldera, the youngest of the three calderas, is the largest. . Since then, the ground below Pozzuoli, a town located on the volcano's roof, has risen by 4 inches (10 centimeters) each year, adding up to a 13 foot (4 m) change in elevation since the 1950s. In the Mammoth Hot Springs Valley, the annual precipitation does not exceed 400 mm. Thus defined, the Yellowstone Supervolcano is the volcanic field that produced the latest three supereruptions from the Yellowstone hotspot; it also produced one additional smaller eruption, thereby creating the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake[12] 174,000 years ago. The diameter of the volcanic crater is 55 km. Recurrence intervals of these events are neither regular nor predictable. The Yellowstone caldera was discovered by Bob Christiansen from the US Geological Survey via geological field work in the . Yellowstone's volcanic history begins as far back as 2.1 million years ago. The discoverer of the natural site is considered to be John Coulter, who visited the area in the XIX century. Poland also noted that "supervolcanoes" a term he considers somewhat crude and sensationalist are "no more or less temperamental" than other volcanoes. The next biggest supereruption formed the Yellowstone Caldera (640,000 years ago) and produced the Lava Creek Tuff. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store. Other questions are those borne of scientific curiosity: Does this spring vary in temperature?, What causes the colors in the hydrothermal springs?, What is this type of rock?. Yellowstone Steamboat Geyser experienced an eruption on June 9, bringing the total . Only within Yellowstone Caldera, however, do we see activity in the form of ground deformation, gas emissions, earthquakes and geothermal processes. Yellowstone Caldera | Volcano type, Eruption, Size, Map, & Facts [31][34] This swarm subsided to background levels by February 21. Tourists can see the valley by navigating one of the special trails, Mary and Hayden Valley. Most are relatively minor, measuring a magnitude of 3 or weaker. One might expect that YVO is a scientist-staffed physical facility located within or near Yellowstone National Park. Not likely. The eruption of the caldera will lead not only to the death of the North American continent, but to climate change across the planet. This 500-mile trail of more than 100 calderas was created as the North American plate moved in a southwestern direction over a shallow body of magma. The caldera created West Thumb Lake, and the underlying, This qualitative statement is easily verified by reviewing the Yellowstone area in Google Earth, International Union of Geological Sciences, "Steam Explosions, Earthquakes, and Volcanic EruptionsWhat's in Yellowstone's Future? Check on the location map to see where each webcam is located. The USGS arm of YVO is also responsible for monitoring and reporting on volcanic activity in the intermountain west . The most recent "super eruption" on Earth was from the Taup volcanic system on the North Island of New Zealand. [24][25] Others suggest an origin in the deep mantle (mantle plume). The Yellowstone Caldera the cauldron-like basin at the summit of the volcano is so colossal that it is often called a "supervolcano," which, according to the Natural History Museum in London, means it has the capacity to "produce a magnitude-eight eruption on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, discharging more than 1,000 cubic kilometers [240 cubic miles] of material. 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192. The temperatures, pressures, physical characteristics of partially molten rock, and immensity of the magma chamber are beyond human ability to impactmuch less control. The cost of entry for travelers by car is $35. Ma = mega annum, or millions of years ago Activity diminished through the course of the month, but a small section of boardwalk between Sponge Geyser and Doublet Pool remains closed due to the proximity of thermal features that had been spattering hot water and some debris onto the pathway. Euclid space telescope launches this week. The valley is located in the northeastern part of the National Park. ", To put that into perspective, the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo in the Philippines, arguably the most powerful volcanic eruption in living memory, was rated a 6 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, making it, according to the Natural History Museum, "around 100 times smaller than the benchmark for a supervolcano.". About 26,500 years ago, an eruption with a volume of approximately 1200 km 3 (288 mi 3) occurred there. Most of Earths history (from the formation of the earth 4.6 billion years ago to approximately 541 million years ago) is known as the Precambrian time. If the pressure is released to a sufficient degree by some geological shift, then some of the gases bubble out and cause the magma to expand. The sight was discovered in the 1820s. 3. The first eruption occurred some 2,100,000 years ago, and the second took place about 800,000 years later. The Yellowstone Caldera, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano, is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States. About 2.1 million years ago, the movement of the North American plate brought the Yellowstone area closer to the shallow magma body. Yellowstone volcano super-eruptions appear to involve multiple Remarkable ground deformation has been documented along the central axis of the caldera between Old Faithful and White Lake in Pelican Valley in historic time. U.S. Geological Survey A second eruption cycle concluded with the much smaller Mesa Falls Tuff around 1.3 million years ago. Unfamiliar with the park? Young Volcanoes in AZ, CO, MT, NM, UT and WY, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192. A lock () or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. And many of these are far more volcanically active than Yellowstone! Along with molten rock, volcanoes also release gases, ash, and solid rock. Probably. Michael Poland, a geophysicist and the current scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, explained in a 2023 Live Science report: " [Volcanoes] erupt when there is enough . Visitors by bicycle or without personal transportation pay a $20 entry fee. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Discover how geologists are monitoring the pulse of the Yellowstone volcano. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The park contains about half of the Earth's geothermal features and about 60 percent of all the . assess the long-term potential hazards of volcanism, seismicity, and explosive hydrothermal activity in the region; provide scientific data that enables reliable and timely warnings of significant seismic or volcanic events and related hazards in the Yellowstone region; notify the NPS, other local officials, and the public in the event of such warnings; improve scientific understanding of tectonic and magmatic processes that influence ongoing seismicity, surface deformation, and hydrothermal activity; and. (Image credit: zrfphoto via Getty Images), Lost Maya city discovered deep in the jungles of Mexico. Summary The >2450 km 3 (588 mi 3) Huckleberry Ridge Tuff erupted about 2.1 million years ago, creating an approximately 75 km (47 mi) wide caldera and thick volcanic deposits. A supervolcano refers to volcano capable of an eruption more than 240 cubic miles of magma. The valley arose after the partial shallowing of Yellowstone Lake. Occasionally, numerous earthquakes are detected in a relatively short period of time, an event known as an earthquake swarm. Yellowstone Caldera, enormous crater in the western-central portion of Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming, that was formed by a cataclysmic volcanic eruption some 640,000 years ago. [6], Over the past 16.5 million years or so, this hotspot has generated a succession of explosive eruptions and less violent floods of basaltic lava. The new research, which uses more advanced techniques but the same data, suggests it is closer to 16-20% molten. White Gladis the orca may have been pregnant when she started attacking boats, Rare streaks of light above US are a sign that solar maximum is fast approaching, The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe, Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5', Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. The upper basin has the highest concentration of geysers not only in Yellowstone Park, but also on the planet. Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report In the early 1870s the first pictures of this natural site were taken. The volcano itself is actually located in northwestern Wyoming, which is where the bulk of Yellowstone is contained. 1. [53], In 2016, the USGS announced plans to map the subterranean systems responsible for feeding the area's hydrothermal activity. Yellowstone is called a supervolcano. Caldera Forming Eruptions 2.1 and 1.3 million years ago. View the threat rankings of US Volcanoes. The thermal features near Doublet Pool on Geyser Hill, not far from Old Faithful, that formed and became more active in late May continued their elevated activity into the start of June. When a Sleeping Giant Awakes - Education Yellowstone itself is a volcano, and one of its most spectacular eruptions occurred 640,000 years ago. Volcanologists have suggested that the ramification they are most concerned about is wind-flung ash, which could end up coating a surrounding region 500 miles (800 kilometers) across in more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of ash. [9][10] Progressively younger caldera remnants, most grouped in several overlapping volcanic fields, extend from the NevadaOregon border through the eastern Snake River Plain and terminate in the Yellowstone Plateau. Hydrothermal Systems - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Jackson: columnar rhyolite, Lava Creek tuff, Lake Butte: On edge of caldera, overall view of caldera, Washburn Hot Springs Overlook: overall view of caldera, Between Tower Fall and Tower Junction: columnar basalt. It encompasses many of our favorite geyser basins, from Lower, Midway, and Upper, through West Thumb and Mud Volcano!. During the Cenozoic era (approximately the last 66 million years of Earths history), widespread mountain-building, volcanism, faulting, and glaciation sculpted the Yellowstone area. If the expansion results in further relief of pressure, for example, by blowing crust material off the top of the chamber, the result is a very large gas explosion. [4], The caldera formed during the last of three supereruptions over the past 2.1 million years: the Huckleberry Ridge eruption 2.1 million years ago (which created the Island Park Caldera and the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff), the Mesa Falls eruption 1.3 million years ago (which created the Henry's Fork Caldera and the Mesa Falls Tuff), and the Lava Creek eruption approximately 640,000 years ago (which created the Yellowstone Caldera and the Lava Creek Tuff).