Whats going on at yellowstone?

reply to post by Robin Marks


No sorry, I don't, and making one now would be time-costly.
However YVO has made one. It uses a different scale than mine (and it's logarithmic too). It's the one to the right:




[edit on 2010-1-19 by Shirakawa]

Pretty big one just came through on GEE.

Still waiting for magnitude.

Edited to say: Must have been under 2.5 because I'm not seeing it. Followed by a series of smaller ones.



[edit on 19-1-2010 by quakewatcher]

reply to post by quakewatcher


That was actually two earthquakes very close together.
I doubt the biggest of those was larger than M2.2-2.3.

Media interest is still only in drips and drops.

www.starvalleyindependent.com...

Here's one about webcams in the backcountry.

www.nationalparkstraveler.com...

It would appear there is no live web cam at Old Faithful. Just the still shots.

[edit on 19-1-2010 by Robin Marks]

Activity has been more or less constant since that set of small quakes. YMV is just thrumming, constantly. Wish I knew how to post a screenshot here.

quake.utah.edu...

Originally posted by quakewatcher
Activity has been more or less constant since that set of small quakes. YMV is just thrumming, constantly. Wish I knew how to post a screenshot here.

quake.utah.edu...

I wish I knew what I was looking at on the graph. Is that crazy action or normal? Looks scary to me.

There are a lot of media reports now.

Just do a Google news search and they are really popping up.

According to About.com there have been 424 earthquakes recorded as of 9:20 AM (it doesn't state what time zone). 424! And there are 33 shown on the UoU website full list.

Link to article on About.com

reply to post by butcherguy


This is normal for a "notable' swarm. This is exciting to watch, but the blood level should only start to rise when the magnitudes go abvove 4.0 . The last swarm had one 3.9. Cumulatively they reported it to be the equivilent to a 4.5 mag. quake. Shirakawa provide information that a mag 6.1 hit the rim and this did not lead to an eruption. If magnitudes rise above 4.0, the swarm will start turning alot more heads. IF we have anything approaching a 6, then there needs to be serious attention, but it doesn't neccessarly mean an eruption. First me need see some sudden dramatic uplift. Gases, and changes in geyers. Then we can expect something. After you have a swarm and some indicators, it's anyone's guess how long an eruption would take. HOURS? DAYS? WEEKS? I bet days...

Wow 400 + earthquakes. So the list is only missing three hundred or so. The last swarm they posted every quake. We're almost half way to the amount of 900 from last year. This will be turn out to be a very noteworthy, I should say historically signicant event. Scientists love to studying the big exciting stuff, don't let them fool you with their business as routine responses. Exception Robert Smith, "notable". They are as excited as we amateur buffs. At this moment I would be surprised if something dramatic happens midway. Who knows this could end in a day in a whimper. Or go off and on for a few weeks as it winds down. Shirakawa was correct to say the seemed to be no big event and then aftershocks winding down. Once it got underway, it started with consistent 2.5 s and the the 3.0 s have been making an appearance. Almost like it bulilding to a major event. It will be interesting to see if the next big goes above 3.3 and starts approaching 3.9. And every now and then one of them is shallow. That's why were not getting too many later earthquakes.

Damn I almost forgot. What was that out the on YMP and YPK just after 3:00 MST. I can't figure out it's origin on these webicorders.


[edit on 19-1-2010 by Robin Marks]

I closely followed the swarm last year, and this just seems different to me. I don't remember this many large mag quakes so close togther and grouped together like this.

Also: Can someone PLEASE tell me where I can find a complete quake list? I keep hearing about the 400 plus quakes in the past few days and looking at the web recorders any amature can see the numbers, but where is a list? I thought the USGS would start updateing and filling out thier info, but so far NOTHING. They are still only reporting around 20-30.

What's going on with the lack of info???? And what is going on with Old Faithful (if anything)?

Sorry if I'm about to sound like a n00b but

What would happen if yellowstone does erupt? I mean I know it's going to be big but how big? and would this affect the entire country? would it be similar to what they showed in the movie 2012 where ash rains all the way to Washington DC?

reply to post by Robin Marks
Thanks for that. Cleared some things up for me. I know what to watch for anyway.

Originally posted by muse7
Sorry if I'm about to sound like a n00b but

What would happen if yellowstone does erupt? I mean I know it's going to be big but how big? and would this affect the entire country? would it be similar to what they showed in the movie 2012 where ash rains all the way to Washington DC?

darling if she blows caldrea style then the whole planet will be affected by this

reply to post by muse7


It would be like this ending here...





Actually that ending would probably be easier.

From what I have read, the world would be blackened by the smoke and dust, this would cause worldwide food shortages as livestock dies etc. Cut a long story short it would end up in the death of 60% of the people who live on the earth, thats just the people. In the end though I think it would cause an ice age but not for a few decades. The initial eruption if the whole thing went would be like 60 million nukes going off according to some.

Safe to say that it is not exactly a nice thing to happen either way as it would be the end of the world as far as living standards go.

But hey, its not something to lose sleep over because you could get hit by a bus tomorrow or die in your sleep even. Life is short, enjoy it. Just trying to lessen the overkill there a bit.

And I am less educated when it comes to seismic activity but I am talking about a complete eruption.



[edit on 19-1-2010 by XXXN3O]

reply to post by muse7


There are others that are much more educated than myself and can give you a more in-depth answer. But basically, even if it is a 'minor' erruption, it would impact several states, depending on the weather pattern (winds) at the time.

A moderate erruption would be devastating to most of the continental North America.

There are theories backed by a lot of science that Yellowstone has the potential of being a planet killer. Previous erruptions are compared to something like 100x Mount Saint Helens and that wasn't even the 'big' one.

I am sure someone will provide more numbers and stats, but that's it in a nutshell. We just need to be aware of it (could be thousands of years before it errupts again), but if it really were to 'give', there isn't much to be done!!

Another biggish one, 2.5

2.5 - local magnitude (Ml)
Time Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 2:07:05 PM (MST)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 21:07:05 (UTC)
Distance from West Yellowstone, MT - 16 km (10 miles) SE (140 degrees)
Island Park, ID - 29 km (18 miles) ENE (78 degrees)
Warm River, ID - 56 km (35 miles) NNE (29 degrees)
Gardiner, MT - 58 km (36 miles) SSW (201 degrees)
Salt Lake City, UT - 429 km (266 miles) N (10 degrees)
Coordinates 44 deg. 33.1 min. N (44.552N), 110 deg. 58.5 min. W (110.975W)
Depth 9.4 km (5.8 miles)
Location Quality Good
Location Quality Parameters Nst= 24, Nph= 24, Dmin=12 km, Rmss=0.13 sec, Erho=0.4 km, Erzz=0.7 km, Gp=86.4 degrees
Event ID# uu00000712
Additional Information map

reply to post by muse7


Yellowstone eruptions aren't necessarily catastrophic.
Smaller ones have occurred too in the relatively recent past.
Also not necessarily eruptions will occur, if something has to happen.
Anything ranging from small to big steam explosions (potentially creating new craters) or the generation of new geysers is possible.

By the way, as I'm writing another notable earthquake occurred. Probably around M2.4-2.5, it could make it to the USGS world list.

reply to post by westcoast


Shirakawa is right there could many different things happen before an full eruption. Explosions, made a small lava flow.

But when it erupts fully it will be a planet killer. An extinction event for many lifeforms. Some 70 000 year ago Toba nearly wiped out the human race and caused animal extinctions. Yellowstone is bigger. It would leave even more devestation and death. Life will survive as it always has after an extinction event. But the world afterward would be a different place for a long time. Maybe even an ice age.

If you want to compare this year's swarm to last year's try this link.

theinterveners.org...

Were there any quakes in the eastern part of the park? Or was it just noise?

3.6 2010/01/19 14:32:11 44.564N 110.970W 8.3 15 km (10 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT

3.6 2010/01/19 14:32:31 44.564N 110.976W 0.0 15 km ( 9 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT


I usually don't paste too many quakes up. But are these due to be revised? Maybe as one quake. There is a definate pattern of steady increasing magnitudes. I'm expecting the next to be bigger still.

Man am I fraggled. It is one quake or two. Get that GGE up hear and show us. That was big.


[edit on 19-1-2010 by Robin Marks]

A major earthquake just occurred!
Probably 3.8-4.0 ?



EDIT
ok, not "major", but certainly much bigger than previous ones

[edit on 2010-1-19 by Shirakawa]

4.1 Mcd - YELLOWSTONE NAT. PARK, WYOMING
Preliminary Earthquake Report Magnitude 4.1 Mcd
Date-Time 19 Jan 2010 21:32:11 UTC
19 Jan 2010 14:32:11 near epicenter
19 Jan 2010 13:32:11 standard time in your timezone

Location 44.564N 110.969W
Depth 8 km
Distances 15 km (10 miles) SE (135 degrees) of West Yellowstone, MT
30 km (19 miles) ENE (76 degrees) of Island Park, ID
56 km (35 miles) SSW (201 degrees) of Gardiner, MT
430 km (267 miles) N (10 degrees) of Salt Lake City, UT

Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 0.3 km; Vertical 0.7 km
Parameters Nph = 22; Dmin = 11.0 km; Rmss = 0.11 seconds; Gp = 82°
M-type = Mcd; Version = 0
Event ID UU 00000718