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Yellowstone Quakes Ease

February 6, 2009 by bobcatou

 

The excitement is over for now for scientists at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory as a larger than normal swarm of earthquakes ended under the northern part of Yellowstone Lake at the Yellowstone National Park in Wyomying.

Seismologists at the YVO say that between December 26 of last year until January 8, 2009, Yellowstone experienced approximately 900 seismic events with magnitudes up to 3.9 on the Richter scale. After January 8, the seismic activity dramatically decrease in the park.

Scientists are quick to point out that earthquake swarms are a common occurrence in Yellowstone but they normally do not happen in this quantity. Yellowstone had 315 quakes for the month of January. 205 were associated with the swarm under Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone is situatied on top of a volcano that last erupted over 70,000 years ago.

This swarm is the second largest on record. A swarm of quakes in 1985 is the largest. Records of quake activity at Yellowstone have only been kept since 1973

Experts at the YVO say there are several common causes for earthquake activity at Yellowstone. One such cause are the stresses that occur below ground from the nearby Teton and Hebgen Lake faults.

At this time, none of the hot springs at Yellowstone seem to be affected from the extra seismic activity.

Sources:
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
The Denver Post

Filed Under: News

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