Yellowstone Volcano, Wyoming (Canada and USA (mainland)
11km NNW of West Yellowstone, Montana
Yellowstone is one of the largest known volcanoes in the world and the largest volcanic system in North America. The volcano is found above an intra plate hot spot that feeding the magma chamber underneath Yellowstone for at least 2 million years.
The giant Caldera is the product of a major collapse of the crust after 3 so-called ultra-plinian or Super-volcano volcanoes – large explosive events that occur several hundred to several thousand cubic km of magma. These eruptions happened 2.1, 1.3 and 0.64 million years ago.
Yellowstone is also the world’s largest hydrothermal system. It contains 182 Geysers, mud pools and fumaroles. The most famous feature in Yellowstone is old faithful geyser.
Future Super-volcano eruptions at Yellowstone?
Yellowstone Magma Chamber is considered to be still active and contain at least 15,000 cubic km of melt.
It can not be excluded and predicted that there will be another Super-volcano eruption at Yellowstone in the future (geological).
In recent years, the Caldera has been studied and monitored more closely. In recent years, Yellowstone demonstrates unrest in the form of deformation, uplift of the earth, temperature changes and seismic swarms, all of which was watched with great interest and rising some concern. 70 swarms of small earthquakes have been recorded at Yellowstone volcano between 1983 and 2006. On the other hand, such activity is probably entirely normal for a large dormant Super-volcano.
Despite the excitement, now there is no reason to believe that they are precursors to another large Super volcano eruption to happen in the near future (years to decades). More than likely normal activities that dormant stages of large active volcanic systems. In addition most of the activities can be related to a hydrothermal system rather than the magma chamber.
Statistically, even though the time interval since the last such eruption is similar to the intervals separating the past 3 volcanoes, the statistical probability that such an event will be repeated in the next few 100 years is very low. Unfortunately most of the media in recent years exaggerating this risk greatly.
Yellowstone plateau on the basis of 3 volcanic cycles over 2 million years, which include some of the largest eruptions known in the world. Settings the eruption of the 2450 km3 Huckleberry ridge tuff about 2.1 million years ago created the more than 75-km-long island Park Caldera.
The second cycle concluded with the eruption falls Mesa tuff around 1.3 million years ago, forming a 16-km wide Henrion fork Caldera in the Western end of the first Caldera.
Activity then shifted to the present Yellowstone plateau and culminated 640 000 years ago with the eruption of the settings 1000 cubic kilometers of lava Creek tuff and the formation of the present Caldera 45 x 85 km.
Resurgent doming subsequently occurred at the NE and SW sides of the Caldera and voluminous (1000 km3) within the Caldera rhyolitic lava flows were erupted between 150 and 70 000 years ago.
No magmatic eruptions have occurred since the ice age, but large hydrothermal eruptions have occurred near Yellowstone Lake during the Holocene.
2010 seismic unrest
In January-February 2010 the second largest recorded earthquake swarm was recorded at Yellowstone, with over 1800 tremors, the largest, of magnitude 3.8 and felt in the Park and the surrounding area. USGS scientists believe that most earthquakes were of tectonic origin caused by regional extension, while others were caused by geothermal activity.
Between 26 and 31 December 3008, earthquake swarm with over 250 events occurred under Yellowstone lake, three to six miles south-southeast of fishing bridge. The largest earthquake was a magnitude of 3.9 at 10:15 pm MST on December 27. 9 earthquakes measured between m3 and M3.Between 9 and 24 m2 to M2.9. Some of the earthquake was felt in Yellowstone national Park.
In 2003, changes were seen in the basin of the Norris geysers and Hiking trails were closed as safetyl measures. New fumaroles were observed, and some of the geysers high temperature.
Prominent features at Yellowstone
Yellowstone national Park is well known for its geysers, colorful springs and scenic landscapes:
Old faithful area
Features include a Geyser pool, upper, lower Geyser basin, Midway Geyser basin, Lone Star Geyser basin, Shoshone Geyser basin, Craig pass/Isa lake, and many waterfalls.
Pool geysers Norris
This area has the hottest geothermal vents in Yellowstone. Features include roaring mountains, waterfalls, Gibbon river, Virginia and the Norris-Canyon blowdown.
Mamontovy hot springs
Travertine terraces created by hot springs flowing limestone. Hydrocarbon ions in combination with calcium to precipitate as travertine. Features of the area include the Canyon of the Gardner river, boiling river, the mountain turns and Bunsen peak.
Interesting features include colorful lake artist paint pots, Gibbon falls, monument Geyser basin, Madison river, terrace springs, Firehole river, Firehole Canyon Drive and Firehole falls.
Other interesting features of the Park
Yellowstone lake, abyss pool, fishing cone, Isa lake, heart lake, DeLacy Creek, factory hill, Lewis river, Red mountains, lake riddle, Shoshone lake, snake river, mud volcano/sulphur bowlers, Hayden and Pelican valleys, natural bridge, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mt. Washburn, tower falls and calcite springs.