More mostly small, less-than-3.0 magnitude earthquakes rumbled the Yellowstone Caldera, with a shift in location.
While not exactly an everyday event, still “not uncommon.” Scientists are just watching, and they detect no other signs of an imminent eruption.
YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION RELEASE
Friday, January 9, 2009 19:44 MST (Saturday, January 10, 2009 02:44 UTC)
YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO (CAVW#1205-01-)
44.43°N 110.67°W, Summit Elevation 9203 ft (2805 m)
Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Aviation Color Code: GREENSmall Earthquake Swarm on 9 January 2009 near northeast corner of Yellowstone Caldera
A currently modest swarm of earthquakes began in the northeast corner of the Yellowstone Caldera, about 10 miles (16 km) NNE of the north end of the Yellowstone Lake swarm that was active in late December and early January. As of 1930 MST, 10 earthquakes had been located by the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, the largest with M= 3.3 and two other events with M >2.0. Located depths are between 2 and 4 km.
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory staff and collaborators are analyzing the data from this and from the earlier Yellowstone Lake swarm and are checking for any changes to the thermal areas located near the epicenters. We will provide further information as it becomes available.
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The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) is a partnership of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Yellowstone National Park, and University of Utah to strengthen the long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake unrest in the Yellowstone National Park region. Yellowstone is the site of the largest and most diverse collection of natural thermal features in the world and the first National Park. YVO is one of the five USGS Volcano Observatories that monitor volcanoes within the United States for science and public safety.
It’s winter in Yellowstone, a great time to go. It’s the best time to go, my Yellowstone-obsessed brother would say. A swarm of earthquakes means you’ll have something to talk about at breakfast before taking your camera out to get once-in-a-lifetime shots of nature.
Earthquakes are normal in much of the Rocky Mountains, and in much of the rest of the Intermountain West. My mother used to enjoy quietly sipping coffee at the stove in her kitchen in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and saying “Oh. We’re having another earthquake.” She’d watch the power and telephone wires, which formed neat sine waves during quakes.
Experts are watching, and probably sipping their coffee, too.
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See resource lists at earlier MFBathtub posts:
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
[…] “Eye on Yellowstone: Earthquake swarm’s second round,” January 10, 2009 […]
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[…] yeah — that was the series of earthquake swarms in late 2008 and early 2009, […]
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From all the research I’ve done, it’s not a matter of IF, but WHEN.
And when it does go, Phrexian, it’ll be nothing to be glad about.
Thousands will be killed.
Loving to see an event like this is on as grand a scale as Hitler loving to kill Jews.
At this point, all we can hope for is that scientists will find a way of relieving the pressure beneath the caldera. So that when it does go, perhaps they can prevent the devestation expected.
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You mean at the end of your lifetime?
Thanks, I try to avoid such excitements. :>)
JJB
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Man, I would love to see it blow in my lifetime… :D
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