Volcanic Hazards of Yellowstone National Park

It is hard to answer the question "is there a volcanic hazard present" because all of the evidence for a potential volcano is there and it could occur sometime. The Yellowstone Volcanic Observatory is constantly monitoring the volcanic and earthquake unrest in the region.

Space view of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks from satellite images overlaid on digital elevation maps. The 8,000-foot-high Yellowstone caldera (marked III) was produced by a giant volcanic eruption 630,000 years ago. The caldera occupies a 45-by-30-mile-wide area of central Yellowstone. Partial boundaties of the calderas formed 2 and 1.3 million years ago are marked I, and II respectively. Computer image by E.V. Wingert. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/images/2000-rbs-1.4ytspaceview_large.jpg

Figures and pictures used with permission from "Windows into the Earth, The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks", Robert B. Smith and Lee J. Siegel, Oxford University Press, 2000.

According to Dr. Jacob B. Lowenstern, USGS Scientist-in-Charge of the new observatory, the observatory will improve the overall efforts to monitor Yellowstone's extraordinarily large and long-lived volcanic system. "This agreement is a natural evolution of our collective work over the years to track and study Yellowstone's unrest. There is no increased threat of eruptive activity at Yellowstone to cause concern at this time. We hope to use YVO to share even more of what we are learning with the public, Park visitors, and nearby residents, and to be in a better position to provide warning of any future hazardous activity."

The YVO is a long-term, instrument-based monitoring facility designed for observing volcanic, hydrothermal, and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone National Park region. The principal objectives of YVO are:

1. To provide seismic, geodetic, and hydrologic monitoring that enables reliable and timely warnings of possible renewed volcanism and related hazards in the Yellowstone region,

2. To notify the NPS, other local officials, and the public of significant seismic or volcanic events,

3. To improve scientific understanding of tectonic and magmatic processes that influence ongoing seismicity, surface deformation, and hydrothermal activity,

4. To assess the long-term potential hazards of volcanism, seismicity, and explosive hydrothermal activity in the region,

5. To communicate effectively the results of these efforts to responsible authorities and to the public, and

6. To improve coordination and cooperation among the U of U, YNP, and the USGS.

Source: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/yvo.html

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