Park quakes could cause hydrothermal explosions But volcanic eruptions unlikely in Yellowstone, expert says.

Earthquakes were small, but it was an energetic swarm, expert says-

Although the quake swarm seems to be over, it might signify more changes with a small probability of dramatic stuff.

Story in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. By Cory Hatch.

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The late Rick Hutcheson, the Park’s geyser expect, told me that he hoped to see a basalt flow in the Park before he died.

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Follow the quakes, http://www.seis.utah.edu/


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Comments

  1. Virginia Avatar
    Virginia

    Someone needs to point out this information to Thomas James Bleming of Lusk, who wrote a letter to the editor in the Casper Star Tribune today telling us if Yellowstone goes, we all go.

  2. Salle Avatar
    Salle

    Lots of end-of-the-world folks out there just looking for validation so that they can say, “See, I told you!”

    If you look at this: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

    Web site, you can see that the whole Pacific rim is rather active lately. In fact, there was a 3.3M quake in northern Nevada just a little while ago. It seems that since the Yellowstone area quieted down, relatively speaking, the majority of activity on this continent has migrated to Washington state, Nevada and Utah. California doesn’t count, it’s always rockin’ and rollin’. Look at the Western Pacific, that place has really been getting rocked. And then look at the Caribbean area, and even the central US and north east. Those areas rarely see any activity.

    Usually after the Yellowstone zone settles down from activity, you’ll find that the western Pacific gets going and then, only days or less later, the west coast of the US and/or Yellowstone is active again.

    I find that the unusual areas are most interesting since those areas are normally quiet. Lots of tectonic motion going on of late…

  3. Bonnie Avatar
    Bonnie

    The simple explanation is that the wolves are eating all the elk which is causing an imbalance of the earth’s surface in the Yellowstone region. Of course, I don’t know what is causing the quakes in other areas, although I suppose the wolves in Alaska could be eating all the caribou and causing a similar unbalance up there.

    Sorry. I just couldn’t resist.

  4. Salle Avatar
    Salle

    Huh, looks like Old Faithful is rumbling a bit more this week…

    http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/uu00002893.php

Author

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.

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