Volcano Monitoring at Yellowstone National Park

Real-time Data

Yellowstone Activity Update

Earthquake Data (from the University of Utah)

Students installing a broadband seismometer.

Recent earthquake activity, map Live seismograms, from the Yellowstone Seismic Network USGS Earthquake Program Tutorial on seismograms Yellowstone Seismograph Network, map Earthquake Catalog of Yellowstone area, maps and location data Recent history of earthquakes in Yellowstone area, map and discussion Yellowstone earthquake epicenter map animations, 1973-2001

GPS Deformation Data (from the University of Utah)

Continous recording and temporary deployments of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) receivers and bench marks on solid monuments are employed at Yellowstone to precisely record their positions (horizontal and vertical coordinates). The time variations over days, months, years, etc. provide the velocity (in cm per year) of the site relative to the rest of the points in Yellowstone and to the rest of the North American continent. The velocity fields thus map spatial variations of the ground due to such volcanic processes as magma and hydrothermal transport and fault motions related to earthquakes. Measurements of ground motions using GPS at Yellowstone thus provides a method of monitoring its active volcanic and tectonic processes that are necessary for understanding the properties and locations of the sources as well as providing information on possible premonitory motions that precede a volcanic or earthquake event.

The continuously recorded GPS data are telemetered via radio and satellite links to the University of Utah for recording and processing.

GPS station velocities in Yellowstone and surrounding area GPS network, data archive, and operational information Operational Status of GPS Network, map Archived GPS data are available (in standard rinex format) for each station on a daily basis. To retrieve the data, use the GPS station identification code and UTM data from the map of operational status above, and go to the UNAVCO (University NAVSTAR consortium) data center.

A GPS campaign survey at Yellowstone.

Hydrologic Data (from the US Geological Survey)

River-Discharge and Chloride-Concentration Data

Long-term chloride flux (includes electronic data) Stream discharge and temperature at Tantalus Creek, Norris Geyser Basin Selected references on the Yellowstone hydrothermal system Provisional real-time stream-flow data from the USGS of the major rivers draining Yellowstone National Park Historical levels of Yellowstone Lake collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (until 1986)

Tantalus gauging site.

Thermal-Feature Data

Steamboat Geyser Eruption.

Heat and volcanic gases rise from the Yellowstone magma chamber and warm the salty water that occupies fractured rocks above the Yellowstone magma chamber. That brine, in turn, transfers its heat to overlying fresh groundwater, which is recharged by rainfall and snowmelt from the surface. This superheated water can flash to steam, propelling both steam and hot water to the surface as a geyser. Steamboat, located in Norris Geyser Basin, is one of Yellowstone's most famous geysers. Yellowstone Park staff recently began monitoring the outlet channel of Steamboat Geyser. Temperature logs for Steamboat Geyser

Non Real-time Data

Leveling Data (from the US Geological Survey)

Leveling survey at Yellowstone.

Leveling data across Yellowstone caldera during 1923-1995 Yellowstone caldera and leveling benchmarks, map

General information about volcano-monitoring techniques

Descriptions of volcano-monitoring techniques