Table showing different types of geochronology techniques, the ages over which those techniques are best applied, and the meaning of the ages determined by the techniques.
Images
Table showing different types of geochronology techniques, the ages over which those techniques are best applied, and the meaning of the ages determined by the techniques.
Total geothermal radiant power output from Yellowstone thermal areas based on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 thermal infrared images from 2014 to 2024
linkPlot showing the total geothermal radiant power output from Yellowstone’s thermal areas based on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 thermal infrared images from 2014 to 2024. Only data from clear, nighttime, wintertime (November through March) dates were used. The results indicate that there has been no significant change over the last 10 years.
Total geothermal radiant power output from Yellowstone thermal areas based on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 thermal infrared images from 2014 to 2024
linkPlot showing the total geothermal radiant power output from Yellowstone’s thermal areas based on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 thermal infrared images from 2014 to 2024. Only data from clear, nighttime, wintertime (November through March) dates were used. The results indicate that there has been no significant change over the last 10 years.
Plots showing the number of water samples collected over time (top) and by location (bottom) in the Yellowstone region since the late 1800s
linkPlots showing the number of water samples collected over time (top) and by location (bottom) in the Yellowstone region since the late 1800s. Yellowstone’s archive of water-chemistry research data is a mosaic of scientific progress, built with the work of hundreds of people over more than a century and still growing today.
Plots showing the number of water samples collected over time (top) and by location (bottom) in the Yellowstone region since the late 1800s
linkPlots showing the number of water samples collected over time (top) and by location (bottom) in the Yellowstone region since the late 1800s. Yellowstone’s archive of water-chemistry research data is a mosaic of scientific progress, built with the work of hundreds of people over more than a century and still growing today.
Schematic illustrating the conditions under which some travertine forms in Yellowstone caldera.
Schematic illustrating the conditions under which some travertine forms in Yellowstone caldera.
Mount St. Helens: Land of Transformation video shows the changes to the landscape from before the May 18, 1980 eruption to today (2024).
Mount St. Helens: Land of Transformation video shows the changes to the landscape from before the May 18, 1980 eruption to today (2024).
History of travertine deposition in Yellowstone caldera and correlation with past climate conditions
linkHistory of travertine deposition in Yellowstone caldera and correlation with past climate conditions. a) The age of travertine samples (based on the U-230Th geochronometer) from Old Hillside Springs, Hillside Springs, North Hillside Springs, and Morning Glory in Upper Geyser Basin and from Firehole Lake in Lower Geyser Basin.
History of travertine deposition in Yellowstone caldera and correlation with past climate conditions
linkHistory of travertine deposition in Yellowstone caldera and correlation with past climate conditions. a) The age of travertine samples (based on the U-230Th geochronometer) from Old Hillside Springs, Hillside Springs, North Hillside Springs, and Morning Glory in Upper Geyser Basin and from Firehole Lake in Lower Geyser Basin.
During the March 21, 2024 lahar evacuation drills, thousands of students walked to the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington to practice evacuating from a lahar generated by Mount Rainier. A lahar, or volcanic mudflow, could reach this area in about 3 hours.
During the March 21, 2024 lahar evacuation drills, thousands of students walked to the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington to practice evacuating from a lahar generated by Mount Rainier. A lahar, or volcanic mudflow, could reach this area in about 3 hours.
Schematic of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff magma storage configuration, consisting of discrete batches of magma. Analyzing the compositions of melt inclusions can help paint this type of big picture of the magmatic system. Figure modified from Myers et al. (2016).
Schematic of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff magma storage configuration, consisting of discrete batches of magma. Analyzing the compositions of melt inclusions can help paint this type of big picture of the magmatic system. Figure modified from Myers et al. (2016).
Melt inclusions (<50 micrometers in diameter) in a quartz crystal from the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, erupted 2.1 million years ago. Photomicrograph taken by Behnaz Hosseini at Montana State University.
Melt inclusions (<50 micrometers in diameter) in a quartz crystal from the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, erupted 2.1 million years ago. Photomicrograph taken by Behnaz Hosseini at Montana State University.
Illustration of the crystal growth process that leads to melt inclusion entrapment. (a) A crystal (gray area) nucleates and grows. (b) As the magma cools, the crystal corners will grow more efficiently than crystal edges. (c) This growth process will lead to the entrapment of surrounding melt (orange area).
Illustration of the crystal growth process that leads to melt inclusion entrapment. (a) A crystal (gray area) nucleates and grows. (b) As the magma cools, the crystal corners will grow more efficiently than crystal edges. (c) This growth process will lead to the entrapment of surrounding melt (orange area).
Map of the locations of water samples collected in and around Yellowstone National Park, 1883-2021
linkMap of the locations of water samples collected in and around Yellowstone National Park and detailed in the USGS Data Release "Historic Water Chemistry Data for Thermal Features, Streams, and Rivers in the Yellowstone National Park Area, 1883-2021." Colors indicate type of water sample.
Map of the locations of water samples collected in and around Yellowstone National Park, 1883-2021
linkMap of the locations of water samples collected in and around Yellowstone National Park and detailed in the USGS Data Release "Historic Water Chemistry Data for Thermal Features, Streams, and Rivers in the Yellowstone National Park Area, 1883-2021." Colors indicate type of water sample.
Map of Yellowstone earthquakes that were located during 1973-2023. Red circles are earthquakes located in the Yellowstone region, and blue circles indicate swarm seismicity. The size of the circle scales with the magnitude of the earthquake.
Map of Yellowstone earthquakes that were located during 1973-2023. Red circles are earthquakes located in the Yellowstone region, and blue circles indicate swarm seismicity. The size of the circle scales with the magnitude of the earthquake.
Histogram showing the number of earthquakes per 3-month period (quarter) in the Yellowstone region during 1973–2023. Red bars represent all earthquakes located in the area, and blue bars indicate swarm seismicity.
Histogram showing the number of earthquakes per 3-month period (quarter) in the Yellowstone region during 1973–2023. Red bars represent all earthquakes located in the area, and blue bars indicate swarm seismicity.
Vertical motion at GPS station P720, near the Slough Creek Campground in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park
linkVertical motion at GPS station P720, near the Slough Creek Campground in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park, clearly shows a large annual cycle.
Vertical motion at GPS station P720, near the Slough Creek Campground in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park
linkVertical motion at GPS station P720, near the Slough Creek Campground in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park, clearly shows a large annual cycle.
Hydrograph showing discharge in cubic feet per second for Corwin Springs streamgage site on the Yellowstone River, MT, spanning 1889-2023
linkHydrograph showing discharge in cubic feet per second for Corwin Springs streamgage site on the Yellowstone River, MT, spanning 1889-2023. The spike in 2022 is from the June floods of that year.
Hydrograph showing discharge in cubic feet per second for Corwin Springs streamgage site on the Yellowstone River, MT, spanning 1889-2023
linkHydrograph showing discharge in cubic feet per second for Corwin Springs streamgage site on the Yellowstone River, MT, spanning 1889-2023. The spike in 2022 is from the June floods of that year.
Plot of specific conductance, discharge, and temperature measured at the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, MT, in early-mid 2023
linkPlot of specific conductance, discharge, and temperature measured at the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, Montana, during early-mid 2023. The anomalous spikes in temperature and specific conductance on May 23, 2023, are thought to be when a large sand and bar was deposited at the site. May 23 is also the peak flow in 2023.
Plot of specific conductance, discharge, and temperature measured at the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, MT, in early-mid 2023
linkPlot of specific conductance, discharge, and temperature measured at the Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, Montana, during early-mid 2023. The anomalous spikes in temperature and specific conductance on May 23, 2023, are thought to be when a large sand and bar was deposited at the site. May 23 is also the peak flow in 2023.
Map of seismicity (red circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2023. Gray lines are roads, black dashed line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dot-dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Map of seismicity (red circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2023. Gray lines are roads, black dashed line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dot-dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Infrasound data from Norris Geyser Basin showing November 13, 2023, eruption of Steamboat Geyser
linkInfrasound-array processing for the newly installed station YNB, at Norris Geyser Basin. Top panel shows the pressure waveform from one of the three elements that comprise the array, filtered between 1 and 15 Hz. Bottom panel shows the backazimuth from the station to the source.
Infrasound data from Norris Geyser Basin showing November 13, 2023, eruption of Steamboat Geyser
linkInfrasound-array processing for the newly installed station YNB, at Norris Geyser Basin. Top panel shows the pressure waveform from one of the three elements that comprise the array, filtered between 1 and 15 Hz. Bottom panel shows the backazimuth from the station to the source.
Thermal imagery from near Beryl Spring, Yellowstone National Park, showing heat from a buried pipe
linkThermal imagery from near Beryl Spring showing heat from a buried pipe that vents steam from the concrete containment box built in1962 around a spring that opened in the adjacent roadbed in 1942. National Park Service photo by Erin Dundas, November 8, 2023.
Thermal imagery from near Beryl Spring, Yellowstone National Park, showing heat from a buried pipe
linkThermal imagery from near Beryl Spring showing heat from a buried pipe that vents steam from the concrete containment box built in1962 around a spring that opened in the adjacent roadbed in 1942. National Park Service photo by Erin Dundas, November 8, 2023.
Flagg Ranch exposure showing lower unknown ignimbrite (ash flow), the Lava Creek Tuff (LCT) ash fall deposit, and upper ignimbrite of the LCT. Thanks to work by Montana State University geologists, it is now known that the unknown ignimbrite was deposited immediately prior to the ash fall, with no significant time gap in between.
Flagg Ranch exposure showing lower unknown ignimbrite (ash flow), the Lava Creek Tuff (LCT) ash fall deposit, and upper ignimbrite of the LCT. Thanks to work by Montana State University geologists, it is now known that the unknown ignimbrite was deposited immediately prior to the ash fall, with no significant time gap in between.
Photo of ash-fall deposit of the Lava Creek Tuff overlying the lower “unknown” ignimbrite (an ash-flow unit, denoted by light yellow box). Images of quartz-hosted melt inclusions show fully “baked” (dark) melt inclusions in the lowest ash fall layers (1–2).
Photo of ash-fall deposit of the Lava Creek Tuff overlying the lower “unknown” ignimbrite (an ash-flow unit, denoted by light yellow box). Images of quartz-hosted melt inclusions show fully “baked” (dark) melt inclusions in the lowest ash fall layers (1–2).