Yellowstone might go on first stage alert soon.

USGS ^ | 2/10/2010 | Myself

[Steve Van Doorn]

Since January 17, 2010 Yellowstone has had the second largest swarm ever recorded. The swarms have been steady at about 10 miles in depth and they have subsided a few days ago.

In the past two days the depth has raised up to around 7 miles and in the past couple hours quakes vastly increased.

http://www.quake.utah.edu/helicorder/ymr_webi.htm
http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/recenteqs/Maps/111-44.html

Remember this doesn’t mean we will see an eruption and it most likely means a normal volcano. It is very unlikely we will see a caldera eruption.
But these changes are significant and cannot be over looked

Some history:
Since the most recent giant caldera-forming eruption, 640,000 years ago, approximately 80 relatively nonexplosive eruptions have occurred. Of these eruptions, at least 27 were rhyolite lava flows in the caldera, 13 were rhyolite lava flows outside the caldera and 40 were basalt vents outside the caldera. Some of the eruptions were approximately the size of the devastating 1991 Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines, and several were much larger. The most recent volcanic eruption at Yellowstone, a lava flow on the Pitchstone Plateau, occurred 70,000 years ago.

[Steve Van Doorn]

Thank you

[dr_lew]

Didn’t I see this movie on TV ?

[Man50D]

Magma moving?

[null and void]

This is a sequel...

[guitarplayer1953]

It is very unlikely we will see a caldera eruption

Is this just hopeful thinking or is there a scientific basses for the answer.

[winoneforthegipper]

Good Stuff SVD, indeed the scope of this swarm has changed in the last two hours.

It is time to pay a bit more attention.

[Frantzie]

If it blows well it was nice knowing everyone.

[rdl6989]

Ping!

[bleach]

Where is Irwin Allen when we need him?

[Jolla]

a scientific basses for the answer -
yea, it was on Coast-to-coast

[ohioWfan]

Do you mind telling me what a “swarm” is?

[redgolum]

Wow.

So much for that elk hunt I have been saving for.

[mylife]

The Mayans were right!

Yark!

[wireplay]

It could be worse:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Garita_Caldera

[Steve Van Doorn]

Pinging people I thought might want to keep an eye on this.

[guitarplayer1953]

I thought there were reports the magma was higher up closer to the ground than originally thought.

[celtic gal]

Yes you did!

[CaribouCrossing]

I believe they are referring to continuous earthquake activity....or a “swarm” of earthquakes, if you will.

[CaribouCrossing]

“So much for that elk hunt I have been saving for.”

Save it for a moose hunt. Moose tastes a lot better than elk.

Sincerely, Caribou

[Mom MD]

I noted that as well. The activity seems centered around the YMR site on the univ of Utah maps. I’m not sure what harmonic tremors look like on the seismographs - can anyone enlighten me?