LAB 7_YellowstoneVO
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Montgomery County Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
120
Subject
Geology
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by BaronGoat4245
GLG115
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
GLG115: Environmental Geology
Introduction
This week, we spend some time talking about Yellowstone super volcano and fascination surrounds this volcano. The public, without prompting from geologists, gets excited when anything out of the ordinary happens
within the area of Yellowstone. Fortunately, because of organizations like the United States Geological Survey (USGS), we are keeping a watchful eye on the super volcano. Let’s investigate what is
currently happening at Yellowstone and if there is anything we should be worried about. Learning Objectives
●
Outline how the eruption of Yellowstone would affect people and the environment.
●
Assess the possibility of a future eruption through current observations. Part 1: YVO at birds’ eye view
If you visit Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
, you can see they observe more than just Yellowstone. Use
the USGS YVO website to answer the following questions. 1.
How many volcanoes are monitored at this observatory?
10 volcanoes. 2.
How many volcanoes, if any, are considered: a.
High Threat: Yellow Stone. b.
Moderate Threat:
Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field, Dotsero Volcanic Center, San Francisco Volcanic Field, and Valles Caldera.
c.
Low to Very Low Threat:
Carrizozo Lava Flow, Markagunt Plateau Volcanic Field, Red-Hill-Quemado Volcanic Field, Uinkaret Volcanic Field, and Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field.
Do any volcanoes have an advisory above green/normal? If so, which volcanoes, what color is the advisory, and why?
No, there are no volcanoes with an advisory above green/normal. The only volcano that is green is Yellowstone.
Part 2
: YVO with more focus
As you could see in part 1, YVO is monitoring more than just the Yellowstone volcano. But we are here Either click on the link to Yellowstone under “threat potential” or click here
. 1
GLG115
1.
Under “Quick Facts,” what type of volcano is Yellowstone?
Yellowstone’s volcanic type is caldera.
2.
What is the composition of the lava?
The composition is basalt to rhyolite. 3.
When was the most recent major eruption?
The most recent eruption was 70,000 years ago.
4.
What is the threat potential for Yellowstone currently?
High.
5.
Click on “Volcano Updates,” and fill in the following:
a.
Volcano Alert Level: Normal
b.
Aviation Color Code: Green
2
GLG115
6.
Summarize the “Activity Summary”
a.
Recent work: Only 2 Yellowstone Geysers have erupted so far this year; 1 of them is the Steamboat Geyser.
In the past few years, there has been fewer eruptions during the winter than during the summer.
b.
Seismicity: Yellowstone National Park has experienced 98 earthquakes. In Yellowstone, 2 miles northeast of Norris Junction, was the largest earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.2 on the Richter scale. Earthquakes still happen in Yellowstone, but only occasionally. c.
Ground deformation: Over the past year, the pace of ground deformation has remained constant. This year, the Yellowstone caldera has continued to subside at a rate of 2-3 cm on average. A neighboring GPS station has not noticed any major uplift or subsidence in the Norris Geyser Basin area since 2020.
7.
Click on “Geology and History,” and then “Eruption History.” In the past 2.1 million years, there have been 3 eruptions. What were these 3 eruptions named, and when did they occur?
1.) Lava Creek Tuff = -640k years ago.
2.) Mesa Falls Tuff = -1.3 million years ago.
3.) Huckleberry Ridge Tuff = -2.1 million years ago.
8.
When comparing the most recent eruption to the two older eruptions, was this eruption particularly large?
No, the most recent eruption, (Lava Creek Tuff) is the 2
nd
largest eruption out of those 3 that took place, with the largest eruption being the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, and the smallest eruption being
Mesa Falls Tuff.
9.
If Yellowstone were to erupt next week, would you expect to see a large or small eruption?
If Yellowstone erupted next week, it would be a pretty large eruption. Around the scale of Huckleberry Ridge Tuff. This is because I think the three-eruption cycle would start again, and it 3
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
GLG115
has been a while since it erupted, so a lot of lava would come out. It is like holding in a sneeze, and then hours later, it comes back, and it is more forceful than the one from before. Short Answer
(1 paragraph):
While Yellowstone’s beauty is apparent, the mantle plume that drives the geothermal activity within the park is not as well known. Write 1 paragraph that explains how likely a Yellowstone eruption is and what you think (order of events) will happen if/when it erupts.
●
Do you think it will erupt within our lifetime? ●
How confident in your prediction are you? ●
Based on research, there seems to be a sequence in how Yellowstone erupts. If Yellowstone were to erupt, what would the eruption sequence look like?
I believe that Yellowstone will not erupt in our lifetime. It does not seem extremely likely, but maybe in the next 100 years, but not while I am still alive. I am fairly confident in my prediction, it is still at the normal level of alert, and the fact that the volcano seems to erupt around every 2.2 million years, makes me pretty confident in my prediction. If Yellowstone were to erupt, I think the sequence would start with volcanic ash, then earthquakes, and after that I believe that there would be an explosive eruption, but I do not think that the entire mountain would collapse.
4