Yellowstone National Park - Volcanoes and Magnetism

I can't really explain it, but volcanic regions have for me a magnetic tourist attraction which draw me towards them with an irresistible impulse. I am only slightly acquainted with natural history, geology and other earth sciences, so I don't pretend to be anything other than just curious.

I first visited Yellowstone National Park in July of 1969 at the early age of five. Although my recollections of the visit are faded, I still remember it. My Aunt, one of the family members I was on vacation with, kept talking about the ability to boil an egg in a stream. I remember the amazing colors of Morning Glory Pool, Old Faithful erupting, grizzly bears of the side of the road, bison grazing in open meadows, moose in valley streams, and the geyser land sounds and smells. What a remarkable place to visit as a child.

Ten years later, in 1979, I would return to Yellowstone National Park and once again enjoy the amazing experience of touring a super-volcano! The Norris Geyser Basin, located in the northwest edge of the Yellowstone caldera, was hit by a Magnitude 6.1 earthquake in 1975. During my second visit in 1979, it was obvious many of the trails and boardwalks were closed or re-routed, giving evidence that the region has a dynamic history of being a restless caldera.

In terms of averages, according to some, Yellowstone is overdue for a super-eruption. Fortunately for us, the time scales are so large that even a slight variation from "routine"eruption of once every 600,000 or so, guesstimates could easily be off by 10,000 years or more. Whew....thank goodness! And what if the the worst case scenario does happen in our lifetime? Well, it is just to horrible to consider. Unfortunately, it's impossible to really predict when the next such eruption will happen, and the range of possibilities are: from later today to a million years from now.

Even a non-super Yellowstone eruption might be bad enough. In fact, some predict that a large eruption, but not a full super-eruption could trigger earthquakes along the New Madrid Fault or trigger the Long Valley Caldera in California to become active, which also seems to be overdue for eruption.

So, with all this in mind, it is with a anxious eye I read my Google News Alerts that filter into my inbox regarding the recent active earthquake swarms in Yellowstone National Park. Apparently, this is one of the most notable earthquake swarms on record. Starting on December 27th (2008), there have been more than 500 earthquakes at Yellowstone National Park. The rangers who live in the park say the constant quakes prevents them from getting a good nights sleep!