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Unusual Seismic Activity in Yellowstone
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes for a third straight day Monday, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come."They're certainly not normal," Smith said. "We haven't had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years." "This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to," Smith said. "We might be seeing something precursory. "Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety." Smith said it's difficult to say what might be causing the tremors. He pointed out that Yellowstone is the caldera of a volcano that last erupted 70,000 years ago. He said Yellowstone remains very geologically active -- and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground. Posted by: OldSpook 2008-12-30 |
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