Yellowstone Lake, site of swarm of earthquakes, December 27-30, 2008
Yellowstone National Park holds more than 70% of the world’s geysers, and rumbles with earthquakes and eruptions all the time. It is, after all, rather in the middle of the great Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano that probably will erupt with astounding destruction someday.
Massive, super eruptions in the caldera occur about every 600,000 years (take THAT Don McLeroy!). The last eruption was about 640,000 years ago, which means that we may be a bit overdue for the sort of eruption that would make the destruction of Krakatoa look like a firecracker compared to a nuclear bomb.
So, of course, some people worried a bit with the cluster of earthquakes under Yellowstone Lake in the past two days. A swarm is a better description, perhaps — 250 little quakes, all under 3.5 on the Richter Scale.
It is unusual in the number, but they are all small.
Watch that space!
(See update for December 31, here: ‘Yellowstone not likely to blow’)
USGS Regional map for earthquakes, Yellowstone Region
According to the USGS system, at the time of this post, earthquakes are occurring frequently around Yellowstone, with about 35 in the past 24 hours (I copied the chart to preserve the historical data; click on the link to get more current data):
| MAG | UTC DATE-TIME y/m/d h:m:s |
LAT deg |
LON deg |
DEPTH km |
LOCATION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAP | 2.4 | 2008/12/30 00:36:39 | 44.510 | -110.384 | 0.2 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.4 | 2008/12/29 21:25:15 | 44.525 | -110.360 | 2.0 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.6 | 2008/12/29 21:18:51 | 44.521 | -110.362 | 2.2 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.8 | 2008/12/29 21:18:36 | 44.522 | -110.359 | 2.1 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.9 | 2008/12/29 20:38:25 | 44.514 | -110.381 | 2.1 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.3 | 2008/12/29 20:38:04 | 44.511 | -110.385 | 2.3 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.0 | 2008/12/29 20:26:29 | 44.520 | -110.355 | 2.2 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.9 | 2008/12/29 20:14:26 | 44.498 | -110.364 | 2.3 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.4 | 2008/12/29 20:13:31 | 44.508 | -110.359 | 2.2 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.2 | 2008/12/29 19:56:46 | 44.522 | -110.365 | 1.2 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.2 | 2008/12/29 19:53:50 | 44.511 | -110.377 | 2.2 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.1 | 2008/12/29 19:46:13 | 44.515 | -110.386 | 2.4 | 59 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.7 | 2008/12/29 19:44:50 | 44.525 | -110.373 | 0.0 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.7 | 2008/12/29 19:40:27 | 44.511 | -110.379 | 2.5 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.4 | 2008/12/29 19:37:07 | 44.502 | -110.366 | 1.8 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.2 | 2008/12/29 19:36:08 | 44.521 | -110.385 | 2.0 | 59 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.7 | 2008/12/29 19:35:27 | 44.511 | -110.385 | 2.4 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.9 | 2008/12/29 19:29:38 | 44.513 | -110.381 | 0.5 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.5 | 2008/12/29 19:28:55 | 44.515 | -110.381 | 0.0 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.8 | 2008/12/29 19:26:21 | 44.519 | -110.370 | 2.0 | 60 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.5 | 2008/12/29 19:24:43 | 44.520 | -110.342 | 2.3 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.3 | 2008/12/29 19:14:49 | 44.521 | -110.369 | 1.8 | 60 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.2 | 2008/12/29 18:47:45 | 44.523 | -110.371 | 2.1 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.4 | 2008/12/29 18:40:00 | 44.533 | -110.359 | 4.8 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.1 | 2008/12/29 16:32:12 | 44.494 | -110.360 | 2.4 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.6 | 2008/12/29 16:31:55 | 44.491 | -110.360 | 2.3 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.2 | 2008/12/29 16:15:28 | 44.480 | -110.363 | 2.3 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.5 | 2008/12/29 14:58:37 | 44.486 | -110.354 | 1.3 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.7 | 2008/12/29 10:25:18 | 44.523 | -110.371 | 2.4 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.8 | 2008/12/29 09:14:04 | 44.527 | -110.376 | 0.3 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.4 | 2008/12/29 08:57:55 | 44.527 | -110.378 | 0.5 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.4 | 2008/12/29 08:28:24 | 44.527 | -110.382 | 0.4 | 59 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.0 | 2008/12/29 05:30:35 | 44.517 | -110.372 | 1.0 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.3 | 2008/12/29 05:30:04 | 44.477 | -110.349 | 6.5 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.7 | 2008/12/29 05:29:23 | 44.489 | -110.354 | 4.2 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.4 | 2008/12/29 05:23:36 | 44.516 | -110.361 | 6.4 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.9 | 2008/12/29 04:29:18 | 44.522 | -110.385 | 1.0 | 59 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.8 | 2008/12/29 04:25:53 | 44.514 | -110.370 | 0.1 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.6 | 2008/12/28 23:57:56 | 44.521 | -110.371 | 1.4 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.0 | 2008/12/28 23:08:25 | 44.491 | -110.390 | 1.7 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.1 | 2008/12/28 19:55:17 | 44.511 | -110.353 | 0.7 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.0 | 2008/12/28 19:32:15 | 44.511 | -110.356 | 2.7 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.8 | 2008/12/28 15:37:40 | 44.514 | -110.359 | 0.0 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.2 | 2008/12/28 09:25:14 | 44.508 | -110.364 | 1.9 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.2 | 2008/12/28 09:23:57 | 44.511 | -110.361 | 0.4 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.9 | 2008/12/28 07:16:13 | 44.513 | -110.374 | 2.0 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.5 | 2008/12/28 07:15:18 | 44.495 | -110.359 | 0.0 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.5 | 2008/12/28 06:37:41 | 44.492 | -110.356 | 2.6 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.0 | 2008/12/28 06:37:20 | 44.497 | -110.379 | 2.1 | 60 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.9 | 2008/12/28 05:28:49 | 44.498 | -110.383 | 2.3 | 60 km ( 37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.9 | 2008/12/28 05:28:05 | 44.485 | -110.371 | 2.5 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.8 | 2008/12/28 05:26:14 | 44.484 | -110.359 | 2.0 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.2 | 2008/12/28 05:26:03 | 44.470 | -110.355 | 5.2 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.3 | 2008/12/28 05:24:39 | 44.489 | -110.359 | 4.1 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.8 | 2008/12/28 05:23:54 | 44.489 | -110.354 | 2.5 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.9 | 2008/12/28 05:21:16 | 44.480 | -110.344 | 4.0 | 64 km ( 40 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.7 | 2008/12/28 05:20:10 | 44.494 | -110.379 | 2.4 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.6 | 2008/12/28 05:19:11 | 44.492 | -110.372 | 2.2 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.9 | 2008/12/28 05:15:56 | 44.502 | -110.366 | 0.3 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.6 | 2008/12/28 00:08:50 | 44.493 | -110.354 | 0.4 | 63 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.3 | 2008/12/27 22:30:03 | 44.498 | -110.358 | 4.3 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.5 | 2008/12/27 22:28:53 | 44.500 | -110.368 | 2.1 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.8 | 2008/12/27 22:27:36 | 44.499 | -110.367 | 2.5 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.0 | 2008/12/27 21:28:06 | 44.500 | -110.362 | 3.5 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.6 | 2008/12/27 21:22:08 | 44.495 | -110.372 | 2.6 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.1 | 2008/12/27 21:08:49 | 44.496 | -110.370 | 2.0 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.2 | 2008/12/27 20:26:27 | 44.505 | -110.364 | 2.4 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.5 | 2008/12/27 20:17:33 | 44.488 | -110.357 | 4.1 | 62 km ( 39 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.3 | 2008/12/27 18:56:35 | 44.484 | -110.367 | 0.5 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 3.0 | 2008/12/27 18:23:07 | 44.495 | -110.364 | 2.8 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.0 | 2008/12/27 18:21:36 | 44.493 | -110.362 | 7.2 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 1.2 | 2008/12/27 17:01:46 | 44.484 | -110.373 | 2.4 | 61 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.7 | 2008/12/27 17:01:07 | 44.490 | -110.366 | 1.2 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
| MAP | 2.6 | 2008/12/27 16:30:54 | 44.498 | -110.362 | 2.5 | 62 km ( 38 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT |
At the site of the Deseret News (published in Salt Lake City), one commenter noted he is from Texas, a commented he was safely out of the way. One might do well to remember that volcanic activity in the Yellowstone often affects life well outside the area. Ashfall Beds State Historical Park in Nebraska, for example, marks a prehistoric waterhole where dozens of mammals died from ash from a volcano that erupted 10 million to 12 million years ago — a volcano in Idaho, south of the Yellowstone Caldera, and considerably smaller.
While danger is probably slight right now, and this swarm most likely does not presage anything of great note, one should not forget the power of volcanic eruptions from supervolcanoes, like the Yellowstone Caldera.
Update, December 30, 2:20 p.m. Central:
- University of Utah Seismograph Stations press release from December 29, 2008; includes links for official information and a number to call to report earthquakes you may feel
- Bloomberg News story incorporating most earlier information, from afternoon of December 30
Resources:
- US Geological Survey map, “Latest Earthquakes in the USA – Last 7 Days“
- USGS Regional Map, Yellowstone (“74 earthquakes on this map,” showing the past week, at the time of this post)
- Yellowstone Special Map, from the University of Utah Seismograph Stations
- Bathtub post on the swelling of the Yellowstone Caldera, and how to track it, from April 2007; includes links to USGS tracking of the swelling of the caldera, from 1923 through 2000, and other details
- Alertmap, a service out of Budapest, Hungary, which tracks disasters and near-disasters across the planet, with interactive maps (this site lists it as “volcano activity”)
- “Yellowstone Earthquakes,” at Yellowstone.net, explaining that the area annually has 1,000 to 3,000 earthquakes – slogan on the page, “Earthquakes are a daily occurrence in Yellowstone”
- Wikipedia listing for the 1959 Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake, or Hebgen Lake Earthquake (the most recent big quake up there)
- Yellowstone Caldera introduction, Wikipedia
- Lan Lamphere radio program plans December 30 broadcast with geologist (a little woo here — he claims the story has been suppressed)
- James Pethokoukis at the blog for U.S. News and World Report
- YellowstoneQuake.com – hockey team in Cody, Wyoming
Great photo for the heck of it:
![Aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring, Wikimedia photo (all text in caption from Wikimedia); Hot Springs, Midway & Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. The spring is approximately 250 by 300 feet (75 by 91 m) in size. This photo shows steam rising from hot and sterile deep azure blue water (owing to the light absorbing overtone of an OH stretch which is shifted to 698 nm by hydrogen bonding [1]) in the center surrounded by huge mats of brilliant orange algae and bacteria. The color of which is due to the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoid molecules produced by the organisms. During summertime the chlorophyll content of the organisms is low and thus the mats appear orange, red, or yellow. However during the winter, the mats are usually dark green, because sunlight is more scarce and the microbes produce more chlorophyll to compensate, thereby masking the carotenoid colors.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_prismatic_spring.jpg "Aerial photo of Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park - Wikimedia")
(Caption from Wikimedia) Aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring; Hot Springs, Midway & Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. The spring is approximately 250 by 300 feet (75 by 91 m) in size. This photo shows steam rising from hot and sterile deep azure blue water (owing to the light absorbing overtone of an OH stretch which is shifted to 698 nm by hydrogen bonding) in the center surrounded by huge mats of brilliant orange algae and bacteria. The color of which is due to the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoid molecules produced by the organisms. During summertime the chlorophyll content of the organisms is low and thus the mats appear orange, red, or yellow. However during the winter, the mats are usually dark green, because sunlight is more scarce and the microbes produce more chlorophyll to compensate, thereby masking the carotenoid colors.
Posted by Ed Darrell 
