Yellowstone volcano-tectonic microseismic cycles constrain models of migrating volcanic fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massin, F.; Farrell, J.; Smith, R. B.

2011-12-01

interpretation is that the Yellowstone Lake swarm was caused by magma and hydrothermal fluids migrating laterally, at 1000 m per day, from ~12 km to 2 km depth and with the pattern of earthquake nucleation from south to north. The causative magmatic fluid came within a few km but did not reach the Earth's surface because of its low density contrast with the host rock. We also used multiplets for precise earthquake relocation using the P- and S-wave three-dimensional velocity models established previously for Yellowstone. Most of the repeating earthquakes are located in the northwestern part of the caldera and in the Hebgen Lake fault system, west of the caldera, that appear as the most active multiplet generator in Yellowstone. We are also evaluating multiplets for earthquake focal mechanism determinations and magmatic source property studies. The abnormal multiplets-triggering zone around the Hebgen Lake fault system, for example is also a research focus for multiplet stress simulation and we will present results on how multiplets can be used to investigate the volcano-tectonic stress interactions between the pre existing ~ 15 My Basin and Range normal faults and the superimposed effects of the 2 Mr Yellowstone volcanism on the pre-existing structures.

Quartz phenocrysts preserve volcanic stresses at Long Valley and Yellowstone calderas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Befus, K. S.; Leonhardi, T. C.; Manga, M.; Tamura, N.; Stan, C. V.

2016-12-01

Magmatic processes and eruptions are the consequence of stresses active in volcanic environments. Few techniques are presently available to quantify those stresses because they operate in subsurface and/or hazardous environments, and thus new techniques are needed to advance our understanding of key processes. Here, we provide a dataset of volcanic stresses that were imparted to quartz crystals that traveled through, and were hosted within, pyroclastic and effusive eruptions from Long Valley and Yellowstone calderas. We measured crystal lattice deformation with submicron spatial resolution using the synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction beamline (12.3.2) at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Quartz from all units produces diffraction patterns with residual strains locked in the crystal lattice. We used Hooke's Law and the stiffness constants of quartz to calculate the stresses that caused the preserved residual strains. At Long Valley caldera, quartz preserves stresses of 187±80 MPa within pumice clasts in the F1 fall unit of the Bishop Tuff, and preserves stresses of 120±45 MPa from the Bishop Tuff welded ignimbrite. At Yellowstone caldera quartz preserves stresses of 115±30 and 140±60 MPa within pumices from the basal fall units of the Mesa Falls Tuff and the Tuff of Bluff Point, respectively. Quartz from near-vent and flow-front samples from Summit Lake lava flow preserves stresses up to 130 MPa, and show no variation with distance travelled. We believe that subsurface processes cause the measured residual stresses, but it remains unclear if they are relicts of fragmentation or from the magma chamber. The residual stresses from both Long Valley and Yellowstone samples roughly correlate to lithostatic pressures estimated for the respective pre-eruption magma storage depths. It is possible that residual stress in quartz provides a new geobarometer for crystallization pressure. Moving forward, we will continue to perform analyses and

River solute fluxes reflecting active hydrothermal chemical weathering of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hurwitz, S.; Evans, William C.; Lowenstern, J. B.

2010-01-01

In the past few decades numerous studies have quantified the load of dissolved solids in large rivers to determine chemical weathering rates in orogenic belts and volcanic areas, mainly motivated by the notion that over timescales greater than ~100kyr, silicate hydrolysis may be the dominant sink for atmospheric CO2, thus creating a feedback between climate and weathering. Here, we report the results of a detailed study during water year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) in the major rivers of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field (YPVF) which hosts Earth's largest "restless" caldera and over 10,000 thermal features. The chemical compositions of rivers that drain thermal areas in the YPVF differ significantly from the compositions of rivers that drain non-thermal areas. There are large seasonal variations in river chemistry and solute flux, which increases with increasing water discharge. The river chemistry and discharge data collected periodically over an entire year allow us to constrain the annual solute fluxes and to distinguish between low-temperature weathering and hydrothermal flux components. The TDS flux from Yellowstone Caldera in water year 2007 was 93t/km2/year. Extensive magma degassing and hydrothermal interaction with rocks accounts for at least 82% of this TDS flux, 83% of the cation flux and 72% of the HCO3- flux. The low-temperature chemical weathering rate (17t/km2/year), calculated on the assumption that all the Cl- is of thermal origin, could include a component from low-temperature hydrolysis reactions induced by CO2 ascending from depth rather than by atmospheric CO2. Although this uncertainty remains, the calculated low-temperature weathering rate of the young rhyolitic rocks in the Yellowstone Caldera is comparable to the world average of large watersheds that drain also more soluble carbonates and evaporates but is slightly lower than calculated rates in other, less-silicic volcanic regions. Long-term average fluxes at

Crustal deformation of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain volcano-tectonic system-Campaign and continuous GPS observations, 1987-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puskas, C.M.; Smith, R.B.; Meertens, Charles M.; Chang, W. L.

2007-01-01

The Yellowstone-Snake River Plain tectonomagmatic province resulted from Late Tertiary volcanism in western North America, producing three large, caldera-forming eruptions at the Yellowstone Plateau in the last 2 Myr. To understand the kinematics and geodynamics of this volcanic system, the University of Utah conducted seven GPS campaigns at 140 sites between 1987 and 2003 and installed a network of 15 permanent stations. GPS deployments focused on the Yellowstone caldera, the Hebgen Lake and Teton faults, and the eastern Snake River Plain. The GPS data revealed periods of uplift and subsidence of the Yellowstone caldera at rates up to 15 mm/yr. From 1987 to 1995, the caldera subsided and contracted, implying volume loss. From 1995 to 2000, deformation shifted to inflation and extension northwest of the caldera. From 2000 to 2003, uplift continued to the northwest while caldera subsidence was renewed. The GPS observations also revealed extension across the Hebgen Lake fault and fault-normal contraction across the Teton fault. Deformation rates of the Yellowstone caldera and Hebgen Lake fault were converted to equivalent total moment rates, which exceeded historic seismic moment release and late Quaternary fault slip-derived moment release by an order of magnitude. The Yellowstone caldera deformation trends were superimposed on regional southwest extension of the Yellowstone Plateau at up to 4.3 ± 0.2 mm/yr, while the eastern Snake River Plain moved southwest as a slower rate at 2.1 ± 0.2 mm/yr. This southwest extension of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain system merged into east-west extension of the Basin-Range province. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Upside-Down Subduction of the Farallon Slab and the Origin of Yellowstone Volcanism from Finite-Frequency Tomography of USArray Receiver Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.

2017-12-01

The origin of the Yellowstone and Snake River Plain volcanic track stretching over 600 km from Northwest Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border has been strongly debated. The most widely accepted interpretation involves the North America plate moving over a stationary narrow plume of hot materials rising up from the lowermost mantle. The plume model successfully explains the age-progressive volcanic track and high ratios of Helium-3/Helium-4 isotope observed in the basaltic volcanism but such a deep mantle plume has been long missing in seismic imaging. In this study, we apply a newly developed finite-frequency imaging method to receiver functions recorded at USArray stations to map the topography of two seismic discontinuities in the mantle, the 410-km and the 660-km discontinuity. The new images reveal a trail of anomalies within a previously imaged wavespeed slab gap and closely follow the surface volcanic track. This observation contradicts the plume model which requires anomalies at those depths to be confined in a narrow region directly beneath the present-day Yellowstone caldera. We propose an alternative interpretation of the Yellowstone volcanism as a result of an upside-down subduction of the stagnant oceanic Farallon plate in the Western US. This upside-down episode of subduction started about 16 million years ago in the mantle transition zone, where the younger slab beneath Oregon and Idaho penetrated the 660-km discontinuity, pulling down older stagnant slab. The upside-down subduction propagated north-westward and generated passive upwellings from the lower mantle, ascending through a water-rich mantle transition zone, producing melting and age-progressive volcanism.

Yellowstone Hotspot Geodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. B.; Farrell, J.; Massin, F.; Chang, W.; Puskas, C. M.; Steinberger, B. M.; Husen, S.

2012-12-01

The Yellowstone hotspot results from the interaction of a mantle plume with the overriding N. America plate producing a ~300-m high topographic swell centered on the Late Quaternary Yellowstone volcanic field. The Yellowstone area is dominated by earthquake swarms including a deadly M7.3 earthquake, extraordinary high heat flow up to ~40,000 mWm-2, and unprecedented episodes of crustal deformation. Seismic tomography and gravity data reveal a crustal magma reservoir, 6 to 15 km deep beneath the Yellowstone caldera but extending laterally ~20 km NE of the caldera and is ~30% larger than previously hypothesized. Kinematically, deformation of Yellowstone is dominated by regional crustal extension at up to ~0.4 cm/yr but with superimposed decadal-scale uplift and subsidence episodes, averaging ~2 cm/yr from 1923. From 2004 to 2009 Yellowstone experienced an accelerated uplift episode of up to 7 cm/yr whose source is modeled as magmatic recharge of a sill at the top of the crustal magma reservoir at 8-10-km depth. New mantle tomography suggest that Yellowstone volcanism is fed by an upper-mantle plume-shaped low velocity body that is composed of melt "blobs", extending from 80 km to 650 km in depth, tilting 60° NW, but then reversing tilt to ~60° SE to a depth of ~1500 km. Moreover, images of upper mantle conductivity from inversion of MT data reveal a high conductivity annulus around the north side of the plume in the upper mantle to resolved depths of ~300 km. On a larger scale, upper mantle flow beneath the western U.S. is characterized by eastward flow beneath Yellowstone at 5 cm/yr that deflects the plume to the west, and is underlain by a deeper zone of westerly return flow in the lower mantle reversing the deflection of the plume body to the SE. Dynamic modeling of the Yellowstone plume including a +15 m geoid anomaly reveals low excess plume temperatures, up to 150°K, consistent with a weak buoyancy flux of ~0.25 Mg/s. Integrated kinematic modeling of GPS

Magma beneath Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eaton, G.P.; Christiansen, R.L.; Iyer, H.M.; Pitt, A.M.; Mabey, D.R.; Blank, H.R.; Zietz, I.; Gettings, M.E.

1975-01-01

The Yellowstone plateau volcanic field is less than 2 million years old, lies in a region of intense tectonic and hydrothermal activity, and probably has the potential for further volcanic activity. The youngest of three volcanic cycles in the field climaxed 600,000 years ago with a voluminous ashflow eruption and the collapse of two contiguous cauldron blocks. Doming 150,000 years ago, followed by voluminous rhyolitic extrusions as recently as 70,000 years ago, and high convective heat flow at present indicate that the latest phase of volcanism may represent a new magmatic insurgence. These observations, coupled with (i) localized postglacial arcuate faulting beyond the northeast margin of the Yellowstone caldera, (ii) a major gravity low with steep bounding gradients and an amplitude regionally atypical for the elevation of the plateau, (iii) an aeromagnetic low reflecting extensive hydrothermal alteration and possibly indicating the presence of shallow material above its Curie temperature, (iv) only minor shallow seismicity within the caldera (in contrast to a high level of activity in some areas immediately outside), (v) attenuation and change of character of seismic waves crossing the caldera area, and (vi) a strong azimuthal pattern of teleseismic P-wave delays, strongly suggest that a body composed at least partly of magma underlies the region of the rhyolite plateau, including the Tertiary volcanics immediately to its northeast. The Yellowstone field represents the active end of a system of similar volcanic foci that has migrated progressively northeastward for 15 million years along the trace of the eastern Snake River Plain (8). Regional aeromagnetic patterns suggest that this course was guided by the structure of the Precambrian basement. If, as suggested by several investigators (24), the Yellowstone magma body marks a contemporary deep mantle plume, this plume, in its motion relative to the North American plate, would appear to be "navigating" along a

Track of the Yellowstone hotspot: young and ongoing geologic processes from the Snake River Plain to the Yellowstone Plateau and Tetons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, Lisa A.; Pierce, Kenneth L.; Shanks, Pat; Raynolds, Robert G.H.

2008-01-01

This field trip highlights various stages in the evolution of the Snake River Plain–Yellowstone Plateau bimodal volcanic province, and associated faulting and uplift, also known as the track of the Yellowstone hotspot. The 16 Ma Yellowstone hotspot track is one of the few places on Earth where time-transgressive processes on continental crust can be observed in the volcanic and tectonic (faulting and uplift) record at the rate and direction predicted by plate motion. Recent interest in young and possible renewed volcanism at Yellowstone along with new discoveries and synthesis of previous studies, i.e., tomographic, deformation, bathymetric, and seismic surveys, provide a framework of evidence of plate motion over a mantle plume. This 3-day trip is organized to present an overview into volcanism and tectonism in this dynamically active region. Field trip stops will include the young basaltic Craters of the Moon, exposures of 12–4 Ma rhyolites and edges of their associated collapsed calderas on the Snake River Plain, and exposures of faults which show an age progression similar to the volcanic fields. An essential stop is Yellowstone National Park, where the last major caldera-forming event occurred 640,000 years ago and now is host to the world's largest concentration of hydrothermal features (>10,000 hot springs and geysers). This trip presents a quick, intensive overview into volcanism and tectonism in this dynamically active region. Field stops are directly linked to conceptual models related to hotspot passage through this volcano-tectonic province. Features that may reflect a tilted thermal mantle plume suggested in recent tomographic studies will be examined. The drive home will pass through Grand Teton National Park, where the Teton Range is currently rising in response to the passage of the North American plate over the Yellowstone hotspot.

Towards understanding the puzzling lack of acid geothermal springs in Tibet (China): Insight from a comparison with Yellowstone (USA) and some active volcanic hydrothermal systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Guo, Qinghai; McCleskey, R. Blaine

2014-01-01

Explanations for the lack of acid geothermal springs in Tibet are inferred from a comprehensive hydrochemical comparison of Tibetan geothermal waters with those discharged from Yellowstone (USA) and two active volcanic areas, Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) and Miravalles (Costa Rica) where acid springs are widely distributed and diversified in terms of geochemical characteristic and origin. For the hydrothermal areas investigated in this study, there appears to be a relationship between the depths of magma chambers and the occurrence of acid, chloride-rich springs formed via direct magmatic fluid absorption. Nevado del Ruiz and Miravalles with magma at or very close to the surface (less than 1–2 km) exhibit very acidic waters containing HCl and H2SO4. In contrast, the Tibetan hydrothermal systems, represented by Yangbajain, usually have fairly deep-seated magma chambers so that the released acid fluids are much more likely to be fully neutralized during transport to the surface. The absence of steam-heated acid waters in Tibet, however, may be primarily due to the lack of a confining layer (like young impermeable lavas at Yellowstone) to separate geothermal steam from underlying neutral chloride waters and the possible scenario that the deep geothermal fluids below Tibet carry less H2S than those below Yellowstone.

Towards understanding the puzzling lack of acid geothermal springs in Tibet (China): Insight from a comparison with Yellowstone (USA) and some active volcanic hydrothermal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Qinghai; Kirk Nordstrom, D.; Blaine McCleskey, R.

2014-11-01

Explanations for the lack of acid geothermal springs in Tibet are inferred from a comprehensive hydrochemical comparison of Tibetan geothermal waters with those discharged from Yellowstone (USA) and two active volcanic areas, Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) and Miravalles (Costa Rica) where acid springs are widely distributed and diversified in terms of geochemical characteristic and origin. For the hydrothermal areas investigated in this study, there appears to be a relationship between the depths of magma chambers and the occurrence of acid, chloride-rich springs formed via direct magmatic fluid absorption. Nevado del Ruiz and Miravalles with magma at or very close to the surface (less than 1-2 km) exhibit very acidic waters containing HCl and H2SO4. In contrast, the Tibetan hydrothermal systems, represented by Yangbajain, usually have fairly deep-seated magma chambers so that the released acid fluids are much more likely to be fully neutralized during transport to the surface. The absence of steam-heated acid waters in Tibet, however, may be primarily due to the lack of a confining layer (like young impermeable lavas at Yellowstone) to separate geothermal steam from underlying neutral chloride waters and the possible scenario that the deep geothermal fluids below Tibet carry less H2S than those below Yellowstone.

Voluminous low δ18O magmas in the late Miocene Heise volcanic field, Idaho: Implications for the fate of Yellowstone hotspot calderas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bindeman, I.N.; Watts, K.E.; Schmitt, A.K.; Morgan, L.A.; Shanks, P.W.C.

2007-01-01

We report oxygen isotope compositions of phenocrysts and U-Pb ages of zircons in four large caldera-forming ignimbrites and post-caldera lavas of the Heise volcanic field, a nested caldera complex in the Snake River Plain, that preceded volcanism in Yellowstone. Early eruption of three normal δ18O voluminous ignimbrites with δ18Oquartz = 6.4‰ and δ18Ozircon = 4.8‰ started at Heise at 6.6 Ma, and was followed by a 2‰–3‰ δ18O depletion in the subsequent 4.45 Ma Kilgore caldera cycle that includes the 1800 km3 Kilgore ignimbrite, and post-Kilgore intracaldera lavas with δ18Oquartz = 4.3‰ and δ18Ozircon = 1.5‰. The Kilgore ignimbrite represents the largest known low-δ18O magma in the Snake River Plain and worldwide. The post-Kilgore low δ18O volcanism likely represents the waning stages of silicic magmatism at Heise, prior to the reinitiation of normal δ18O silicic volcanism 100 km to the northeast at Yellowstone. The occurrence of low δ18O magmas at Heise and Yellowstone hallmarks a mature stage of individual volcanic cycles in each caldera complex. Sudden shifts in δ18O of silicic magmas erupted from the same nested caldera complexes argue against any inheritance of the low δ18O signature from mantle or crustal sources. Instead, δ18O age trends indicate progressive remelting of low δ18O hydrothermally altered intracaldera rocks of previous eruptions. This trend may be generally applicable to older caldera complexes in the Snake River Plain that are poorly exposed.

Uplift, thermal unrest and magma intrusion at Yellowstone caldera

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wicks, Charles W.; Thatcher, Wayne; Dzurisin, Daniel; Svarc, Jerry

2006-01-01

The Yellowstone caldera, in the western United States, formed 640,000 years ago when an explosive eruption ejected 1,000 km3 of material1. It is the youngest of a series of large calderas that formed during sequential cataclysmic eruptions that began 16 million years ago in eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. The Yellowstone caldera was largely buried by rhyolite lava flows during eruptions that occurred from 150,000 to 70,000 years ago1. Since the last eruption, Yellowstone has remained restless, with high seismicity, continuing uplift/subsidence episodes with movements of 70 cm historically2 to several metres since the Pleistocene epoch3, and intense hydrothermal activity. Here we present observations of a new mode of surface deformation in Yellowstone, based on radar interferometry observations from the European Space Agency ERS-2 satellite. We infer that the observed pattern of uplift and subsidence results from variations in the movement of molten basalt into and out of the Yellowstone volcanic system.

Uplift, thermal unrest and magma intrusion at Yellowstone caldera.

PubMed

Wicks, Charles W; Thatcher, Wayne; Dzurisin, Daniel; Svarc, Jerry

2006-03-02

The Yellowstone caldera, in the western United States, formed approximately 640,000 years ago when an explosive eruption ejected approximately 1,000 km3 of material. It is the youngest of a series of large calderas that formed during sequential cataclysmic eruptions that began approximately 16 million years ago in eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. The Yellowstone caldera was largely buried by rhyolite lava flows during eruptions that occurred from approximately 150,000 to approximately 70,000 years ago. Since the last eruption, Yellowstone has remained restless, with high seismicity, continuing uplift/subsidence episodes with movements of approximately 70 cm historically to several metres since the Pleistocene epoch, and intense hydrothermal activity. Here we present observations of a new mode of surface deformation in Yellowstone, based on radar interferometry observations from the European Space Agency ERS-2 satellite. We infer that the observed pattern of uplift and subsidence results from variations in the movement of molten basalt into and out of the Yellowstone volcanic system.

Anomalous mantle transition zone beneath the Yellowstone hotspot track

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ying

2018-06-01

The origin of the Yellowstone and Snake River Plain volcanism has been strongly debated. The mantle plume model successfully explains the age-progressive volcanic track, but a deep plume structure has been absent in seismic imaging. Here I apply diffractional tomography to receiver functions recorded at USArray stations to map high-resolution topography of mantle transition-zone discontinuities. The images reveal a trail of anomalies that closely follow the surface hotspot track and correlate well with a seismic wave-speed gap in the subducting Farallon slab. This observation contradicts the plume model, which requires anomalies in the mid mantle to be confined in a narrow region directly beneath the present-day Yellowstone caldera. I propose an alternative interpretation of the Yellowstone volcanism. About 16 million years ago, a section of young slab that had broken off from a subducted spreading centre in the mantle first penetrated the 660 km discontinuity beneath Oregon and Idaho, and pulled down older stagnant slab. Slab tearing occurred along pre-existing fracture zones and propagated northeastward. This reversed-polarity subduction generated passive upwellings from the lower mantle, which ascended through a water-rich mantle transition zone to produce melting and age-progressive volcanism.

Origins of geothermal gases at Yellowstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Bergfeld, Deborah; Evans, William C.; Hunt, Andrew G.

2015-01-01

Gas emissions at the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field (YPVF) reflect open-system mixing of gas species originating from diverse rock types, magmas, and crustal fluids, all combined in varying proportions at different thermal areas. Gases are not necessarily in chemical equilibrium with the waters through which they vent, especially in acid sulfate terrain where bubbles stream through stagnant acid water. Gases in adjacent thermal areas often can be differentiated by isotopic and gas ratios, and cannot be tied to one another solely by shallow processes such as boiling-induced fractionation of a parent liquid. Instead, they inherit unique gas ratios (e.g., CH4/He) from the dominant rock reservoirs where they originate, some of which underlie the Quaternary volcanic rocks. Steam/gas ratios (essentially H2O/CO2) of Yellowstone fumaroles correlate with Ar/He and N2/CO2, strongly suggesting that H2O/CO2 is controlled by addition of steam boiled from water rich in atmospheric gases. Moreover, H2O/CO2 varies systematically with geographic location, such that boiling is more enhanced in some areas than others. The δ13C and 3He/CO2 of gases reflect a dominant mantle origin for CO2 in Yellowstone gas. The mantle signature is most evident at Mud Volcano, which hosts gases with the lowest H2O/CO2, lowest CH4 concentrations and highest He isotope ratios (~16Ra), consistent with either a young subsurface intrusion or less input of crustal and meteoric gas than any other location at Yellowstone. Across the YPVF, He isotope ratios (3He/4He) inversely vary with He concentrations, and reflect varied amounts of long- stored, radiogenic He added to the magmatic endmember within the crust. Similarly, addition of CH4 from organic-rich sediments is common in the eastern thermal areas at Yellowstone. Overall, Yellowstone gases reflect addition of deep, high-temperature magmatic gas (CO2-rich), lower-temperatures crustal gases (4He- and CH4-bearing), and those gases (N2, Ne, Ar) added

Is the track of the Yellowstone hotspot driven by a deep mantle plume? -- Review of volcanism, faulting, and uplift in light of new data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Morgan, Lisa A.

2009-01-01

Both the belts of faulting and the YCHT are asymmetrical across the volcanic hotspot track, flaring out 1.6 times more on the south than the north side. This and the southeast tilt of the Yellowstone plume may reflect southeast flow of the upper mantle.

The duration of a Yellowstone super-eruption cycle and implications for the age of the Olduvai subchron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera, Tiffany A.; Darata, Rachel; Lippert, Peter C.; Jicha, Brian R.; Schmitz, Mark D.

2017-12-01

Small-volume rhyolitic eruptions preceding and following a caldera-forming eruption can provide insights into the tempo of eruption cycles and timing of magmatic recharge. In this contribution, high-precision 40Ar/39Ar eruption ages were obtained on the three effusive eruptions bracketing the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, which comprise Yellowstone's first volcanic cycle. These dates are supplemented with detailed paleomagnetic and rock magnetic analyses to resolve discrepancies with previous reported stratigraphy. The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff (2.08 Ma) was preceded by an eruption at 2.14 Ma, and followed by eruptions at 1.98 and 1.95 Ma, all of which occurred during four distinct periods of geomagnetic instability within the Matuyama chron. The first volcanic cycle of Yellowstone has now been constrained to within a 200 kyr timespan, or half of the previously proposed duration, and similar to the duration of volcanic activity for caldera-forming systems in the Jemez Volcanic Field. The maximum duration for magmatic recharge for the first Yellowstone volcanic cycle is no greater than 100 kyr, and likely closer to 40 kyr. Furthermore, the combined 40Ar/39Ar eruption ages and paleomagnetic results provide polarity anchors for the Pre-Olduvai excursion and Olduvai subchron, which are often used as tie-points in studies of early Pleistocene hominin evolution.

YELLOWSTONE MAGMATIC-HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM, U. S. A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fournier, R.O.; Pitt, A.M.; ,

1985-01-01

At Yellowstone National Park, the deep permeability and fluid circulation are probably controlled and maintained by repeated brittle fracture of rocks in response to local and regional stress. Focal depths of earthquakes beneath the Yellowstone caldera suggest that the transition from brittle fracture to quasi-plastic flow takes place at about 3 to 4 km. The maximum temperature likely to be attained by the hydrothermal system is 350 to 450 degree C, the convective thermal output is about 5. 5 multiplied by 10**9 watts, and the minimum average thermal flux is about 1800 mW/m**2 throughout 2,500 km**2. The average thermal gradient between the heat source and the convecting hydrothermal system must be at least 700 to 1000 degree C/km. Crystallization and partial cooling of about 0. 082 km**3 of basalt or 0. 10 km**3 of rhyolite annually could furnish the heat discharged in the hot-spring system. The Yellowstone magmatic-hydrothermal system as a whole appears to be cooling down, in spite of a relatively large rate of inflation of the Yellowstone caldera.

Seismic Evidence for Lower Mantle Plume Under the Yellowstone Hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, P.; Grand, S.

2017-12-01

The mantle plume hypothesis for the origin of intraplate volcanism has been controversial since its inception in the 1970s. The hypothesis proposes hot narrow upwelling of rock rooted at the core mantle boundary (CMB) rise through the mantle and interact with the base of the lithosphere forming linear volcanic systems such as Hawaii and Yellowstone. Recently, broad lower mantle (>500 km in diameter) slow velocity conduits, most likely thermochemical in origin, have been associated with some intraplate volcanic provinces (French and Romanowicz, 2015). However, the direct detection of a classical thin thermal plume in the lower mantle using travel time tomography has remained elusive (Anderson and Natland, 2014). Here we present a new shear wave tomography model for the mantle beneath the western United States that is optimized to find short wavelength, sub-vertical structures in the lower mantle. Our approach uses carefully measured SKS and SKKS travel times recorded by dense North American seismic networks in conjunction with finite frequency kernels to build on existing tomography models. We find the presence of a narrow ( 300 km diameter) well isolated cylindrically shaped slow anomaly in the lower most mantle which we associate with the Yellowstone Hotspot. The conduit has a 2% reduction in shear velocity and is rooted at the CMB near the California/Arizona/Nevada border. A cross sectional view through the anomaly shows that it is slightly tilted toward the north until about 1300 km depth where it appears to weaken and deflect toward the surficial positon of the hotspot. Given the anomaly's strength, proximity to the Yellowstone Hotspot, and morphology we argue that a thermal plume interpretation is the most reasonable. Our results provide strong support for a lower mantle plume origin of the Yellowstone hotspot and more importantly the existence of deep thermal plumes.

The timing and origin of pre- and post-caldera volcanism associated with the Mesa Falls Tuff, Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelten, Mark E.; Champion, Duane E.; Kuntz, Mel A.

2018-01-01

We present new sanidine 40Ar/39Ar ages and paleomagnetic data for pre- and post-caldera rhyolites from the second volcanic cycle of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field, which culminated in the caldera-forming eruption of the Mesa Falls Tuff at ca. 1.3 Ma. These data allow for a detailed reconstruction of the eruptive history of the second volcanic cycle and provide new insights into the petrogenesis of rhyolite domes and flows erupted during this time period. 40Ar/39Ar age data for the biotite-bearing Bishop Mountain flow demonstrate that it erupted approximately 150 kyr prior to the Mesa Falls Tuff. Integrating 40Ar/39Ar ages and paleomagnetic data for the post-caldera Island Park rhyolite domes suggests that these five crystal-rich rhyolites erupted over a centuries-long time interval at 1.2905 ± 0.0020 Ma (2σ). The biotite-bearing Moonshine Mountain rhyolite dome was originally thought to be the downfaulted vent dome for the pre-caldera Bishop Mountain flow due to their similar petrographic and oxygen isotope characteristics, but new 40Ar/39Ar dating suggest that it erupted near contemporaneously with the Island Park rhyolite domes at 1.2931 ± 0.0018 Ma (2σ) and is a post-caldera eruption. Despite their similar eruption ages, the Island Park rhyolite domes and the Moonshine Mountain dome are chemically and petrographically distinct and are not derived from the same source. Integrating these new data with field relations and existing geochemical data, we present a petrogenetic model for the formation of the post-Mesa Falls Tuff rhyolites. Renewed influx of basaltic and/or silicic recharge magma into the crust at 1.2905 ± 0.0020 Ma led to [1] the formation of the Island Park rhyolite domes from the source region that earlier produced the Mesa Falls Tuff and [2] the formation of Moonshine Mountain dome from the source region that earlier produced the biotite-bearing Bishop Mountain flow. These magmas were stored in the crust for less than a few thousand

Monitoring super-volcanoes: geophysical and geochemical signals at Yellowstone and other large caldera systems.

PubMed

Lowenstern, Jacob B; Smith, Robert B; Hill, David P

2006-08-15

Earth's largest calderas form as the ground collapses during immense volcanic eruptions, when hundreds to thousands of cubic kilometres of magma are explosively withdrawn from the Earth's crust over a period of days to weeks. Continuing long after such great eruptions, the resulting calderas often exhibit pronounced unrest, with frequent earthquakes, alternating uplift and subsidence of the ground, and considerable heat and mass flux. Because many active and extinct calderas show evidence for repetition of large eruptions, such systems demand detailed scientific study and monitoring. Two calderas in North America, Yellowstone (Wyoming) and Long Valley (California), are in areas of youthful tectonic complexity. Scientists strive to understand the signals generated when tectonic, volcanic and hydrothermal (hot ground water) processes intersect. One obstacle to accurate forecasting of large volcanic events is humanity's lack of familiarity with the signals leading up to the largest class of volcanic eruptions. Accordingly, it may be difficult to recognize the difference between smaller and larger eruptions. To prepare ourselves and society, scientists must scrutinize a spectrum of volcanic signals and assess the many factors contributing to unrest and toward diverse modes of eruption.

Hydrothermal processes above the Yellowstone magma chamber: Large hydrothermal systems and large hydrothermal explosions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, L.A.; Shanks, W.C. Pat; Pierce, K.L.

2009-01-01

Hydrothermal explosions are violent and dramatic events resulting in the rapid ejection of boiling water, steam, mud, and rock fragments from source craters that range from a few meters up to more than 2 km in diameter; associated breccia can be emplaced as much as 3 to 4 km from the largest craters. Hydrothermal explosions occur where shallow interconnected reservoirs of steam- and liquid-saturated fluids with temperatures at or near the boiling curve underlie thermal fields. Sudden reduction in confi ning pressure causes fluids to fl ash to steam, resulting in signifi cant expansion, rock fragmentation, and debris ejection. In Yellowstone, hydrothermal explosions are a potentially signifi cant hazard for visitors and facilities and can damage or even destroy thermal features. The breccia deposits and associated craters formed from hydrothermal explosions are mapped as mostly Holocene (the Mary Bay deposit is older) units throughout Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and are spatially related to within the 0.64-Ma Yellowstone caldera and along the active Norris-Mammoth tectonic corridor. In Yellowstone, at least 20 large (>100 m in diameter) hydrothermal explosion craters have been identifi ed; the scale of the individual associated events dwarfs similar features in geothermal areas elsewhere in the world. Large hydrothermal explosions in Yellowstone have occurred over the past 16 ka averaging ??1 every 700 yr; similar events are likely in the future. Our studies of large hydrothermal explosion events indicate: (1) none are directly associated with eruptive volcanic or shallow intrusive events; (2) several historical explosions have been triggered by seismic events; (3) lithic clasts and comingled matrix material that form hydrothermal explosion deposits are extensively altered, indicating that explosions occur in areas subjected to intense hydrothermal processes; (4) many lithic clasts contained in explosion breccia deposits preserve evidence of repeated fracturing

Oxygen isotope and trace element evidence for three-stage petrogenesis of the youngest episode (260-79 ka) of Yellowstone rhyolitic volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loewen, Matthew W.; Bindeman, Ilya N.

2015-10-01

three-stage geochemical evolution of these most recent Yellowstone rhyolites: (1) repeated batch melting events at the base of a homogenized low-δ18O intracaldera fill resulting in liquidus rhyolite melt and a refractory residue that sequesters feldspar-compatible elements over time. This melting may be triggered by conductive "hot plate" heating by basaltic magma intruding beneath the Yellowstone caldera resulting in contact rhyolitic melt that crystallizes early clinopyroxene and/or sanidine at high temperature. (2) Heterogeneity within individual samples and across flows reflects crystallization of these melts during preeruptive storage of magma at at lower, zircon-saturated temperatures. Compatible behavior and variations of most trace elements within individual lava flows are the result of sanidine, quartz, Fe-Ti oxide, zircon, and chevkinite crystallization at this stage. (3) Internal mixing immediately prior to and/or during eruption disrupts, these compositional gradients in each parental magma body that are preserved as melt domains distributed throughout the lava flows. These results based on the most recent and best-preserved volcanic products from the Yellowstone volcanic system provide new insight into the multiple stages required to generate highly fractionated hot spot and rift-related rhyolites. Our proposed model differs from previous interpretations that extreme Sr and Ba depletion result from long-term crystallization of a single magma body—instead we suggest that punctuated batch melting events generated a sanidine-rich refractory residue and a melt source region progressively depleted in Sr and Ba.

A plate-driven model for enigmatic volcanic history of the Cascades-Yellowstone System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szwaja, S.; Kincaid, C. R.; Druken, K. A.; MacDougall, J.

2013-12-01

The Cascades subduction system in the Pacific Northwest (USA) represents a complex tectonic setting, where rollback subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the North American plate, back-arc extension, and a possible mantle plume have been proposed to explain the complicated volcanic trends observed over the past 20 Ma. Plume and non-plume models have been developed to reconcile the voluminous Columbia River/Steens Flood Basalts (CSFB) (~20 Ma), the age progressive (15 Ma to present) Snake River Plain (SRP) that terminates at Yellowstone and the opposite, or westward trending High Lava Plains (HLP) volcanic track of eastern/central Oregon. We present results from laboratory experiments designed to test a plate-driven model for reproducing gross spatial-temporal characteristics of these three magmatic features. Models use a glucose fluid with temperature dependent viscosity in representing Earth's mantle and continuous rubber belts that kinematically reproduce subduction trends for the Cascades system. Experiments begin at 20 Ma with a volume of mantle residuum in the Cascades wedge that is elongated and restricted in the trench-parallel and trench-normal directions, respectively. The underlying assumption is that residuum was created in the wedge during an earlier plate steepening event that caused the flood basalts. Our models characterize dispersion patterns for the melt residuum material as it deforms within four-dimensional wedge circulation fields driven by rollback subduction (e.g. with a translational component of motion). Results show that residuum viscosity, relative to the ambient fluid, determines whether anomalous fluid can evolve to a morphology that matches the SRP/HLP tracks over ~15-20Ma. A weak residuum (e.g. retained partial melt) deforms over this time scale from the initial north-south oriented feature to an east-west trending morphology that is thin in both depth and north-south extent, material initially beneath CSFB is offset to the

The Middle to Late Devonian Eden-Comerong-Yalwal Volcanic Zone of Southeastern Australia: An ancient analogue of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain region of the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadd, K. A.

1992-11-01

The Middle to Late Devonian Yalwal Volcanics, Comerong Volcanics, Boyd Volcanic Complex and associated gabbroic and A-type granitic plutons form part of a continental volcano-tectonic belt, the Eden-Comerong-Yalwal Volcanic Zone (EVZ), located parallel to the coast of southeastern Australia. The EVZ is characterised by an elongate outcrop pattern, bimodal basalt-rhyolite volcanism, and a paucity of sedimentary rocks. Volcanic centres were located along the length of the volcanic zone at positions indicated by subvolcanic plutons, dykes, rhyolite lavas and other proximal vent indicators including surge bedforms in tuff rings, and hydrothermal alteration. Previous interpretations that suggested the volcanic zone was a fault bounded rift are rejected in favour of a volcano-tectonic belt. The Yellowstone-Snake River Plain region (Y-SRP) in the USA is an appropriate analogue. Both regions have basalt lavas which range in composition from olivine tholeiite to ferrobasalt, alkalic rhyolitic rocks enriched in Y, Zr and Th, large rhyolite lava flows, plains-type basalt lava flows, and a paucity of sedimentary rocks. The Y-SRP is inferred to have developed by migration of the American plate over a fixed hot spot leading to a northeast temporal progression of the focus of volcanic activity. Application of a similar hot spot model to the EVZ (using a length of 300 km and a time range for volcanic activity of 5-10 Ma), suggests that during the Middle to Late Devonian the Australian plate was moving at a rate of between 3 and 6 cm/yr relative to the hot spot and that the northern extent of the volcanic zone at any time was a topographically high region with rhyolitic activity, similar to present day Yellowstone. As the focus of activity moved northward, the high region subsided and the depression was flooded by basalt. The EVZ was much wider (up to 70 km) and much longer than the belt defined by present-day outcrop and was of comparable scale to the Y-SRP. The main difference

Mapping temperature and radiant geothermal heat flux anomalies in the Yellowstone geothermal system using ASTER thermal infrared data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaughan, R. Greg; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.; Jaworowski, Cheryl; Heasler, Henry

2012-01-01

The purpose of this work was to use satellite-based thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing data to measure, map, and monitor geothermal activity within the Yellowstone geothermal area to help meet the missions of both the U.S. Geological Survey Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and the Yellowstone National Park Geology Program. Specifically, the goals were to: 1) address the challenges of remotely characterizing the spatially and temporally dynamic thermal features in Yellowstone by using nighttime TIR data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and 2) estimate the temperature, geothermal radiant emittance, and radiant geothermal heat flux (GHF) for Yellowstone’s thermal areas (both Park wide and for individual thermal areas). ASTER TIR data (90-m pixels) acquired at night during January and February, 2010, were used to estimate surface temperature, radiant emittance, and radiant GHF from all of Yellowstone’s thermal features, produce thermal anomaly maps, and update field-based maps of thermal areas. A background subtraction technique was used to isolate the geothermal component of TIR radiance from thermal radiance due to insolation. A lower limit for the Yellowstone’s total radiant GHF was established at ~2.0 GW, which is ~30-45% of the heat flux estimated through geochemical (Cl-flux) methods. Additionally, about 5 km2 was added to the geodatabase of mapped thermal areas. This work provides a framework for future satellite-based thermal monitoring at Yellowstone as well as exploration of other volcanic / geothermal systems on a global scale.

Yellowstone Lake/National Park

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-09-30

STS068-247-061 (30 September-11 October 1994) --- Photographed through the Space Shuttle Endeavour's flight windows, this 70mm frame centers on Yellowstone Lake in the Yellowstone National Park. North will be at the top if picture is oriented with series of sun glinted creeks and river branches at top center. The lake, at 2,320 meters (7,732 feet) above sea level, is the largest high altitude lake in North America. East of the park part of the Absaroka Range can be traced by following its north to south line of snow capped peaks. Jackson Lake is southeast of Yellowstone Park, and the connected Snake River can be seen in the lower left corner. Yellowstone, established in 1872 is the world's oldest national park. It covers an area of 9,000 kilometers (3,500 square miles), lying mainly on a broad plateau of the Rocky Mountains on the Continental Divide. It's average altitude is 2,440 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level. The plateau is surrounded by mountains exceeding 3,600 meters (12,000 feet) in height. Most of the plateau was formed from once-molten lava flows, the last of which is said to have occurred 100,000 years ago. Early volcanic activity is still evident in the region by nearly 10,000 hot springs, 200 geysers and numerous vents found throughout the park.

Crustal Deformation in the Eastern Snake River Plain and Yellowstone Plateau Observed by SAR Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aly, M. H.; Hughes, S. S.; Rodgers, D. W.; Glenn, N. F.; Thackray, G. D.

2007-12-01

The Snake River Plain-Yellowstone tectono-volcanic province was created when North America migrated over a fixed hotspot in the mantle. Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) has been applied in this study to address the recent tectono-volcanic activity in the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) and the southwestern part of Yellowstone Plateau. InSAR results show that crustal deformation across the tectono-volcanic province is episodic. An episode of uplift (about 1 cm/yr) along the ESRP axial volcanic zone, directly southwest of Island Park, has been detected from a time-series of independent differential interferograms created for the 1993-2000 period. Episodes of subsidence (1 cm/yr) during 1997-2000 and uplift (3 cm/yr) during 2004-2006 have been also detected in the active Yellowstone caldera, just northeast of Island Park. The detected interferometric signals indicate that deformation across the axial volcanic zone near Island Park is inversely linked to deformation in the active Yellowstone caldera. One explanation is that the inverse motions reflect a flexure response of the ESRP crust to magma chamber activity beneath the active caldera, although other interpretations are possible. The time-series of differential interferograms shows that no regional deformation has occurred across the central part of ESRP during the periods of observations, but local surface displacements of 1-3 cm magnitude have been detected in the adjacent Basin-Range province. Differential surface movements of varying rates have been also detected along Centennial, Madison, and Hebgen faults between 1993 and 2006.

Revised ages for tuffs of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field: Assignment of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff to a new geomagnetic polarity event

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanphere, M.A.; Champion, D.E.; Christiansen, R.L.; Izett, G.A.; Obradovich, J.D.

2002-01-01

40Ar/39Ar ages were determined on the three major ash-flow tuffs of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field in the region of Yellowstone National Park in order to improve the precision of previously determined ages. Total-fusion and incremental-heating ages of sanidine yielded the following mean ages: Huckleberry Ridge Tuff-2.059 ?? 0.004 Ma; Mesa Falls Tuff-1.285 ?? 0.004 Ma; and Lava Creek Tuff-0.639 ?? 0.002 Ma. The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff has a transitional magnetic direction and has previously been related to the Reunion Normal-Polarity Subchron. Dating of the Reunion event has been reviewed and its ages have been normalized to a common value for mineral standards. The age of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff is significantly younger than lava flows of the Reunion event on Re??union Island, supporting other evidence for a normal-polarity event younger than the Reunion event.

Western US volcanism due to intruding oceanic mantle driven by ancient Farallon slabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Quan; Liu, Lijun; Hu, Jiashun

2018-01-01

The origin of late Cenozoic intraplate volcanism over the western United States is debated. One important reason is the lack of a clear understanding of the mantle dynamics during this volcanic history. Here we reconstruct the mantle thermal states beneath North America since 20 million years ago using a hybrid inverse geodynamic model with data assimilation. The model simultaneously satisfies the past subduction kinematics, present mantle tomographic image and the volcanic history. We find that volcanism in both the Yellowstone volcanic province and the Basin and Range province corresponds to a similar eastward-intruding mantle derived from beneath the Pacific Ocean and driven mostly by the sinking Farallon slab below the central-eastern United States. The hot mantle that forms the Columbia River flood basalt and subsequent Yellowstone-Newberry hotspot tracks first enters the western United States through tears within the Juan de Fuca slab. Subsequent coexistence of the westward asthenospheric flow above the retreating Juan de Fuca slab and eastward-propagating mantle beyond the back-arc region reproduces the bifurcating hotspot chains. A similar but weaker heat source intrudes below the Basin and Range around the southern edge of the slab, and can explain the diffuse basaltic volcanism in this region. According to our models, the putative Yellowstone plume contributes little to the formation of the Yellowstone volcanic province.

Is the track of the Yellowstone hotspot driven by a deep mantle plume? — Review of volcanism, faulting, and uplift in light of new data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Morgan, Lisa A.

2009-11-01

Geophysical imaging of a tilted mantle plume extending at least 500 km beneath the Yellowstone caldera provides compelling support for a plume origin of the entire Yellowstone hotspot track back to its inception at 17 Ma with eruptions of flood basalts and rhyolite. The widespread volcanism, combined with a large volume of buoyant asthenosphere, supports a plume head as an initial phase. Estimates of the diameter of the plume head suggest it completely spanned the upper mantle and was fed from sources beneath the transition zone, We consider a mantle-plume depth to at least 1,000 km to best explain the large scale of features associated with the hotspot track. The Columbia River-Steens flood basalts form a northward-migrating succession consistent with the outward spreading of a plume head beneath the lithosphere. The northern part of the inferred plume head spread (pancaked) upward beneath Mesozoic oceanic crust to produce flood basalts, whereas basalt melt from the southern part intercepted and melted Paleozoic and older crust to produce rhyolite from 17 to 14 Ma. The plume head overlapped the craton margin as defined by strontium isotopes; westward motion of the North American plate has likely "scraped off" the head from the plume tail. Flood basalt chemistries are explained by delamination of the lithosphere where the plume head intersected this cratonic margin. Before reaching the lithosphere, the rising plume head apparently intercepted the east-dipping Juan de Fuca slab and was deflected ~ 250 km to the west; the plume head eventually broke through the slab, leaving an abruptly truncated slab. Westward deflection of the plume head can explain the anomalously rapid hotspot movement of 62 km/m.y. from 17 to 10 Ma, compared to the rate of ~ 25 km/m.y. from 10 to 2 Ma. A plume head-to-tail transition occurred in the 14-to-10-Ma interval in the central Snake River Plain and was characterized by frequent (every 200-300 ka for about 2 m.y. from 12.7 to 10.5 Ma

Values associated with management of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gresswell, Robert E.; Liss, W.J.

1995-01-01

Recent emphasis on a holistic view of natural systems and their management is associated with a growing appreciation of the role of human values in these systems. In the past, resource management has been perceived as a dichotomy between extraction (harvest) and nonconsumptive use, but this appears to be an oversimplified view of natural-cultural systems. The recreational fishery for Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) in Yellowstone National Park is an example of the effects of management on a natural-cultural system. Although angler harvest has been drastically reduced or prohibited, the recreational value of Yellowstone cutthroat trout estimated by angling factors (such as landing rate or size) ranks above that of all other sport species in Yellowstone National Park. To maintain an indigenous fishery resource of this quality with hatchery propagation is not economically or technically feasible. Nonconsumptive uses of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout including fish-watching and intangible values, such as existence demand, provide additional support for protection of wild Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations. A management strategy that reduces resource extraction has provided a means to sustain a quality recreational fishery while enhancing values associated with the protection of natural systems.

Evaluation of the evolving stress field of the Yellowstone volcanic plateau, 1988 to 2010, from earthquake first-motion inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, E.; Waite, G. P.; Tibaldi, A.

2017-03-01

Although the last rhyolite eruption occurred around 70 ka ago, the silicic Yellowstone volcanic field is still considered active due to high hydrothermal and seismic activity and possible recent magma intrusions. Geodetic measurements document complex deformation patterns in crustal strain and seismic activity likewise reveal spatial and temporal variations in the stress field. We use earthquake data recorded between 1988 and 2010 to investigate these variations and their possible causes in more detail. Earthquake relocations and a set of 369 well-constrained, double-couple, focal mechanism solutions were computed. Events were grouped according to location and time to investigate trends in faulting. The majority of the events have normal-faulting solutions, subordinate strike-slip kinematics, and very rarely, reverse motions. The dominant direction of extension throughout the 0.64 Ma Yellowstone caldera is nearly ENE, consistent with the perpendicular direction of alignments of volcanic vents within the caldera, but our study also reveals spatial and temporal variations. Stress-field solutions for different areas and time periods were calculated from earthquake focal mechanism inversion. A well-resolved rotation of σ3 was found, from NNE-SSW near the Hebgen Lake fault zone, to ENE-WSW near Norris Junction. In particular, the σ3 direction changed throughout the years around Norris Geyser Basin, from being ENE-WSW, as calculated in the study by Waite and Smith (2004), to NNE-SSW, while the other σ3 directions are mostly unchanged over time. The presence of ;chocolate tablet; structures, with two sets of nearly perpendicular normal faults, was identified in many stages of the deformation history both in the Norris Geyser Basin area and inside the caldera.

Is the track of the Yellowstone hotspot driven by a deep mantle plume? - Review of volcanism, faulting, and uplift in light of new data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, K.L.; Morgan, L.A.

2009-01-01

Geophysical imaging of a tilted mantle plume extending at least 500??km beneath the Yellowstone caldera provides compelling support for a plume origin of the entire Yellowstone hotspot track back to its inception at 17??Ma with eruptions of flood basalts and rhyolite. The widespread volcanism, combined with a large volume of buoyant asthenosphere, supports a plume head as an initial phase. Estimates of the diameter of the plume head suggest it completely spanned the upper mantle and was fed from sources beneath the transition zone, We consider a mantle-plume depth to at least 1,000 km to best explain the large scale of features associated with the hotspot track. The Columbia River-Steens flood basalts form a northward-migrating succession consistent with the outward spreading of a plume head beneath the lithosphere. The northern part of the inferred plume head spread (pancaked) upward beneath Mesozoic oceanic crust to produce flood basalts, whereas basalt melt from the southern part intercepted and melted Paleozoic and older crust to produce rhyolite from 17 to 14??Ma. The plume head overlapped the craton margin as defined by strontium isotopes; westward motion of the North American plate has likely "scraped off" the head from the plume tail. Flood basalt chemistries are explained by delamination of the lithosphere where the plume head intersected this cratonic margin. Before reaching the lithosphere, the rising plume head apparently intercepted the east-dipping Juan de Fuca slab and was deflected ~ 250??km to the west; the plume head eventually broke through the slab, leaving an abruptly truncated slab. Westward deflection of the plume head can explain the anomalously rapid hotspot movement of 62??km/m.y. from 17 to 10??Ma, compared to the rate of ~ 25??km/m.y. from 10 to 2??Ma. A plume head-to-tail transition occurred in the 14-to-10-Ma interval in the central Snake River Plain and was characterized by frequent (every 200-300??ka for about 2??m.y. from 12.7 to 10

Understanding the Yellowstone magmatic system using 3D geodynamic inverse models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaus, B. J. P.; Reuber, G. S.; Popov, A.; Baumann, T.

2017-12-01

The Yellowstone magmatic system is one of the largest magmatic systems on Earth. Recent seismic tomography suggest that two distinct magma chambers exist: a shallow, presumably felsic chamber and a deeper much larger, partially molten, chamber above the Moho. Why melt stalls at different depth levels above the Yellowstone plume, whereas dikes cross-cut the whole lithosphere in the nearby Snake River Plane is unclear. Partly this is caused by our incomplete understanding of lithospheric scale melt ascent processes from the upper mantle to the shallow crust, which requires better constraints on the mechanics and material properties of the lithosphere.Here, we employ lithospheric-scale 2D and 3D geodynamic models adapted to Yellowstone to better understand magmatic processes in active arcs. The models have a number of (uncertain) input parameters such as the temperature and viscosity structure of the lithosphere, geometry and melt fraction of the magmatic system, while the melt content and rock densities are obtained by consistent thermodynamic modelling of whole rock data of the Yellowstone stratigraphy. As all of these parameters affect the dynamics of the lithosphere, we use the simulations to derive testable model predictions such as gravity anomalies, surface deformation rates and lithospheric stresses and compare them with observations. We incorporated it within an inversion method and perform 3D geodynamic inverse models of the Yellowstone magmatic system. An adjoint based method is used to derive the key model parameters and the factors that affect the stress field around the Yellowstone plume, locations of enhanced diking and melt accumulations. Results suggest that the plume and the magma chambers are connected with each other and that magma chamber overpressure is required to explain the surface displacement in phases of high activity above the Yellowstone magmatic system.

Slab-controlled Tectonomagmatism of the Pacific Northwest: A Holistic view of Columbia River, High Lava Plains, and Snake River Plain/Yellowstone Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, D. E.; Fouch, M. J.; Long, M. D.; Druken, K. A.; Wagner, L. S.; Chen, C.; Carlson, R. W.

2012-12-01

We interpret post-20 Ma tectonomagmatism across the U.S. Pacific Northwest in the context of subduction related processes. While mantle plume models have long enjoyed favor as an explanation for the post 20-Ma magmatism in the region, conceptually their support has hinged almost entirely on two major features: (1) Steens/Columbia River flood basalt volcanism (plume head); and (2) The Snake River Plain/Yellowstone hotspot track (plume tail). Recent work, synthesized in this presentation, suggests that these features are more plausibly the result of mantle dynamical processes driven by southerly truncation of the Farallon/Juan de Fuca subduction zone and slab detachment along the evolving margin of western North America (Long et al., 2012; James et al., 2011). Plate reconstructions indicate that shortening of the subduction zone by the northward migration of the Mendocino triple junction resulted in a significant increase in the rate of trench retreat and slab rollback ca 20 Ma. Both numerical modeling and physical tank experiments in turn predict large-scale mantle upwelling and flow around the southern edge of the rapidly retreating slab, consistent both with the observed Steens/Columbia River flood volcanism and with the strong E-W mantle fabric observed beneath the region of the High Lava Plains of central and eastern Oregon. The High Lava Plains and Snake River Plain time-progressive volcanism began concurrently about 12 Ma, but along highly divergent tracks and characterized by strikingly different upper mantle structure. Crustal and upper mantle structure beneath the High Lava Plains exhibits evidence typical of regional extension; i.e. thin crust, flat and sharp Moho, and an uppermost mantle with low velocities but otherwise largely devoid of significant vertical structure. In contrast, the Snake River Plain exhibits ultra-low mantle velocities to depths of about 180 km along the length of the hotspot track. Seismic images of the upper mantle in the depth

Bifurcation of the Yellowstone plume driven by subduction-induced mantle flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kincaid, C.; Druken, K. A.; Griffiths, R. W.; Stegman, D. R.

2013-05-01

The causes of volcanism in the northwestern United States over the past 20 million years are strongly contested. Three drivers have been proposed: melting associated with plate subduction; tectonic extension and magmatism resulting from rollback of a subducting slab; or the Yellowstone mantle plume. Observations of the opposing age progression of two neighbouring volcanic chains--the Snake River Plain and High Lava Plains--are often used to argue against a plume origin for the volcanism. Plumes are likely to occur near subduction zones, yet the influence of subduction on the surface expression of mantle plumes is poorly understood. Here we use experiments with a laboratory model to show that the patterns of volcanism in the northwestern United States can be explained by a plume upwelling through mantle that circulates in the wedge beneath a subduction zone. We find that the buoyant plume may be stalled, deformed and partially torn apart by mantle flow induced by the subducting plate. Using plausible model parameters, bifurcation of the plume can reproduce the primary volcanic features observed in the northwestern United States, in particular the opposite progression of two volcanic chains. Our results support the presence of the Yellowstone plume in the northwestern United States, and also highlight the power of plume-subduction interactions to modify surface geology at convergent plate margins.

The Snake River Plain Volcanic Province: Insights from Project Hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shervais, J. W.; Potter, K. E.; Hanan, B. B.; Jean, M. M.; Duncan, R. A.; Champion, D. E.; Vetter, S.; Glen, J. M. G.; Christiansen, E. H.; Miggins, D. P.; Nielson, D. L.

2017-12-01

The Snake River Plain (SRP) Volcanic Province is the best modern example of a time-transgressive hotspot track beneath continental crust. The SRP began 17 Ma with massive eruptions of Columbia River basalt and rhyolite. After 12 Ma volcanism progressed towards Yellowstone, with early rhyolite overlain by basalts that may exceed 2 km thick. The early rhyolites are anorogenic with dry phenocryst assemblages and eruption temperatures up to 950C. Tholeiitic basalts have major and trace element compositions similar to ocean island basalts (OIB). Project Hotspot cored three deep holes in the central and western Snake River Plain: Kimama (mostly basalt), Kimberly (mostly rhyolite), and Mountain Home (lake sediments and basaslt). The Kimberly core documents rhyolite ash flows up to 700 m thick, possibly filling a caldera or sag. Chemical stratigraphy in Kimama and other basalt cores document fractional crystallization in relatively shallow magma chambers with episodic magma recharge. Age-depth relations in the Kimama core suggest accumulation rates of roughly 305 m/Ma. Surface and subsurface basalt flows show systematic variations in Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes with distance from Yellowstone interpreted to reflect changes in the proportion of plume source and the underlying heterogeneous cratonic lithosphere, which varies in age, composition, and thickness from west to east. Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes suggest <5% lithospheric input into a system dominated by OIB-like plume-derived basalts. A major flare-up of basaltic volcanism occurred 75-780 ka throughout the entire SRP, from Yellowstone in the east to Boise in the west. The youngest western SRP basalts are transitional alkali basalts that range in age from circa 900 ka to 2 ka, with trace element and isotopic compositions similar to the plume component of Hawaiian basalts. These observations suggest that ancient SCLM was replaced by plume mantle after the North America passed over the hotspot in the western SRP, which triggered renewed

Lessons from geothermal gases at Yellowstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowenstern, J. B.; Bergfeld, D.; Evans, W.; Hurwitz, S.

2015-12-01

The magma-hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field encompasses over ten thousand individual springs, seeps, and fumaroles spread out over >9000 square kilometers, and produces a range of acid, neutral and alkaline waters. A prominent model (Fournier, 1989 and related papers) concludes that many neutral and alkaline fluids found in hot springs and geysers are derived from a uniform, high-enthalpy parent fluid through processes such as deep boiling and mixing with dilute meteoric groundwater. Acid waters are generally condensates of gas-bearing steam that boils off of subsurface geothermal waters. Our recent studies of gases at Yellowstone (Lowenstern et al., 2015 and references therein) are compatible with such a model, but also reveal that gases are largely decoupled from thermal waters due to open-system addition of abundant deep gas to (comparatively) shallow circulating thermal waters. Fumarole emissions at Yellowstone range from gas-rich (up to 15 mol%) composed of deeply derived CO2, He and CH4, to steam-rich emissions (<0.01% gas) dominated by N2 and Ar. The clear implication is that deep gas is diluted with atmospheric gas boiled off of geothermal liquids. The general trend is antithetical to that predicted by progressive boiling of a parent fluid (Rayleigh or batch degassing), where decreasing gas content should correlate with increasing proportions of soluble gas (i.e., CO2). Deep gas at Yellowstone fits into two general categories: 1) mantle-derived CO2 with a hotspot He isotope signature (>16 RA) and low CH4 and He concentrations and 2) mantle-derived CO2 with much higher CH4 and/or He concentrations and abundant radiogenic He picked up from crustal degassing. Individual thermal areas have distinct CH4/He. It remains unclear whether some gas ratios mainly reflect subsurface geothermal temperatures. Instead, they may simply reflect signatures imparted by local rock types and mixing on timescales too fast for reequilibration. Overall

A preliminary study of older hot spring alteration in Sevenmile Hole, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Peter B.; Phillips, Allison; John, David A.; Cosca, Michael A.; Pritchard, Chad; Andersen, Allen; Manion, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Erosion in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone Caldera (640 ka), Wyoming, has exposed a cross section of older hydrothermal alteration in the canyon walls. The altered outcrops of the post-collapse tuff of Sulphur Creek (480 ka) extend from the canyon rim to more than 300 m beneath it. The hydrothermal minerals are zoned, with an advanced argillic alteration consisting of an association of quartz (opal) + kaolinite ± alunite ± dickite, and an argillic or potassic alteration association with quartz + illite ± adularia. Disseminated fine-grained pyrite or marcasite is ubiquitous in both alteration types. These alteration associations are characteristic products of shallow volcanic epithermal environments. The contact between the two alteration types is about 100 m beneath the rim. By analogy to other active geothermal systems including active hydrothermal springs in the Yellowstone Caldera, the transition from kaolinite to illite occurred at temperatures in the range 150 to 170 °C. An 40Ar/39Ar age on alunite of 154,000 ± 16,000 years suggests that hydrothermal activity has been ongoing since at least that time. A northwest-trending linear array of extinct and active hot spring centers in the Sevenmile Hole area implies a deeper structural control for the upflowing hydrothermal fluids. We interpret this deeper structure to be the Yellowstone Caldera ring fault that is covered by the younger tuff of Sulphur Creek. The Sevenmile Hole altered area lies at the eastern end of a band of hydrothermal centers that may mark the buried extension of the Yellowstone Caldera ring fault across the northern part of the Caldera.

Geodynamics Of The Yellowstone Hotspot From S Eismic And Gps Imaging: Progress Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. B.; Humphreys, E.; Dueker, K.; Tackley, P.; Waite, G.; Schutt, D.; Hernland, J.

An integrated study of the Yellowstone hotspot and it's interaction with the continental lithosphere is focused on understanding the evolution and effects of plume interaction with the continental lithosphere. Our basic goal is to develop a unified dynamic model of the Yellowstone hotspot and to resolve the question of whether there it has a deep mantle plume source. The 800-km-track of the 16Myr. Yellowstone-Snake River Plain (YSRP) volcanic system extends NE across the western U.S. with associated active seismicity and faulting. We will discuss the initial results of seismic tomography experiments: 1) an 80-instrument, NW-SE trending 500 km x 400 km broadband and high frequency array centered over Yellowstone planned to resolve structural geometry and composition of a presumed mantle plume and to record presumed plume-penetrating rays to ~600 km depth; and 2) an array of ~350 seismic stations of regional seismic networks focusing on the magmatically modified crust using local earthquake and controlled sources. Crustal deformation was assessed by 160-station campaign GPS surveys (1987-2000) complimented by a 15-station permanent GPS network planned to resolve the velocity vectors around the hotspot needed for kinematic and dynamic modeling. Initial tomographic results reveal a low-velocity, upper-crustal body beneath Yellowstone, interpreted to be the source of its active silicic volcanism; conversely, a high-velocity mid crustal body extends along the cooled hotspot track is interpreted to an Fe-rich residuum of the rhyolitic-basaltic volcanism. Teleseismic images within the Yellowstone swell that, combined with isostatic considerations, suggests that convective overturn has left partially molten mantle beneath the hotspot track to depths of about 180 km, and depleted residuum beneath the swell adjacent to the hotspot track. Also the fast axis of mantle anisotropy is oriented in the direction of plate transport; this differs from the anisotropy away from the

Variations in the boron isotopic composition of the Yellowstone hotspot identified through in situ SHRIMP-RG analysis of quartz-hosted melt inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, T. R.; Coble, M. A.

2017-12-01

New δ11B and trace element compositions of quartz-hosted melt inclusions were measured using the SHRIMP-RG from rhyolites sampled along the Yellowstone hotspot trend. We identify an abrupt change in boron composition coincident with the increased thickness of felsic continental crust across the North American craton margin. The 2.1 Ma Huckleberry Ridge Tuff from the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, Wyoming, has δ11B = -8 ‰ and B/Nb = 0.4. These values are similar to hotspot rhyolites reported for Yellowstone and Bruneau-Jarbidge centers, and reflect the strong influence from interaction with felsic crust. West of the 87Sr/86Sr 0.704 isopleth, where the crust is comprised of accreted island arc terranes, eruption of 16 Ma magmas of the High Rock Caldera Complex (Nevada) related to initial impingement of the Yellowstone plume head have the highest δ11B (-0.5 - 1.0 ‰) and B/Nb (2 - 3) measured in this study. These values overlap those of the younger High Lava Plains rhyolites in central Oregon, which formed in crust similar in composition to High Rock. Contemporaneous with High Rock volcanism, magmas erupted at the McDermitt Volcanic Field (Nevada and Oregon) formed in crust transitional between the accreted terranes and the felsic continental craton (between the 0.704 and 0.706 isopleths). Accordingly, B values from this field are transitional between the High Rock and cratonic Yellowstone hotspot magmas, with δ11B = -3 ‰ and B/Nb = 1. Despite the relatively high analytical uncertainty of measurements on SHRIMP-RG ( ± 1-2 ‰), variations between ignimbrites and lavas from a nested caldera complex in the northern McDermitt Volcanic Field indicate that both δ18O and δ11B behave similarly, generally decreasing with time within an individual system as magmas assimilate increasing proportions of 18O- and 11B-depleted hydrothermally altered crust. The spatial variation in [B] and δ11B along the Yellowstone hotspot track are similar to the variation

Modeling ash fall distribution from a Yellowstone supereruption

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastin, Larry G.; Van Eaton, Alexa R.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.

2014-01-01

We used the volcanic ash transport and dispersion model Ash3d to estimate the distribution of ashfall that would result from a modern-day Plinian supereruption at Yellowstone volcano. The simulations required modifying Ash3d to consider growth of a continent-scale umbrella cloud and its interaction with ambient wind fields. We simulated eruptions lasting 3 days, 1 week, and 1 month, each producing 330 km3 of volcanic ash, dense-rock equivalent (DRE). Results demonstrate that radial expansion of the umbrella cloud is capable of driving ash upwind (westward) and crosswind (N-S) in excess of 1500 km, producing more-or-less radially symmetric isopachs that are only secondarily modified by ambient wind. Deposit thicknesses are decimeters to meters in the northern Rocky Mountains, centimeters to decimeters in the northern Midwest, and millimeters to centimeters on the East, West, and Gulf Coasts. Umbrella cloud growth may explain the extremely widespread dispersal of the ∼640 ka and 2.1 Ma Yellowstone tephra deposits in the eastern Pacific, northeastern California, southern California, and South Texas.

The Physical and Petrologic Evolution of a Multi-vent Volcanic Field Associated With Yellowstone-Newberry Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brueseke, M. E.; Hart, W. K.

2004-12-01

The Santa Rosa-Calico volcanic field (SC) of northern Nevada is perhaps the most chemically and physically diverse of all volcanic fields associated with mid-Miocene northwestern USA volcanism. SC volcanism occurred from 16.5 to 14 Ma and was characterized by the eruption of a complete compositional spectrum from basalt through high-Si rhyolite. Locally derived tholeiitic lava flows and shallow intrusive bodies are chemically and isotopically identical to the Steens Basalt (87/86Sri=<0.7040), the Oregon Plateau-wide mid-Miocene flood basalt. Andesite-dacite lava flows are exposed as at least four geographically and chemically distinct packages representing products of multiple, discrete magmatic systems. The most voluminous of these is calc-alkaline and characterized by abundant granitoid and mafic xenoliths/xenocrysts and radiogenic Sr isotopic ratios. Subalkaline silicic lava flows, domes, and shallow intrusive bodies define three diffuse north-south trending zones. Textural, chemical, and isotopic variability within the silicic units is linked to their spatial and temporal distribution, again necessitating the existence of multiple magmatic systems. The youngest locally derived silicic units are ash flows exposed in the central portion of the SC that erupted in actively forming sedimentary basins at ˜15.4 Ma. Underlying the 400-1500m thick package of SC volcanic rocks are temporally ( ˜103 and ˜85 Ma), chemically, and isotopically (87/86Sr at 16 Ma= 0.7045 to 0.7058 and 0.7061 to >0.7070) heterogeneous granitoid plutons and a package of ˜20-23 Ma calc-alkaline, arc-related intermediate lava flows. The observed disequilibrium textures, xenoliths, and chemical/isotopic diversity suggests that upwelling Steens magma interacted with local crust, siliceous crustal melts, and the mafic plutonic roots of early Miocene arc volcanism in multiple magmatic systems characterized by heterogeneous open system processes. The formation of these systems is tectonically

The Geology and Remarkable Thermal Activity of Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Donald Edward; Hutchinson, Roderick A.; Keith, Terry E.C.

1988-01-01

Norris Geyser Basin, normally shortened to Norris Basin, is adjacent to the north rim of the Yellowstone caldera at the common intersection of the caldera rim and the Norris-Mammoth Corridor, a zone of faults, volcanic vents, and thermal activity that strikes north from the caldera rim to Mammoth Hot Springs. An east-west fault zone terminates the Gallatin Range at its southern end and extends from Hebgen Lake, west of the park, to Norris Basin. No local evidence exists at the surface in Norris Basin for the two oldest Yellowstone volcanic caldera cycles (~2.0 and 1.3 m.y.B.P.). The third and youngest cycle formed the Yellowstone caldera, which erupted the 600,000-year-old Lava Creek Tuff. No evidence is preserved of hydrothermal activity near Norris Basin during the first 300,000.years after the caldera collapse. Glaciation probably removed most of the early evidence, but erratics of hot-spring sinter that had been converted diagenetically to extremely hard, resistant chalcedonic sinter are present as cobbles in and on some moraines and till from the last two glacial stages, here correlated with the early and late stages of the Pinedale glaciation <150,000 years B.P.). Indirect evidence for the oldest hydrothermal system at Norris Basin indicates an age probably older than both stages of Pinedale glaciation. Stream deposits consisting mainly of rounded quartz phenocrysts of the Lava Creek Tuff were subaerial, perhaps in part windblown and redeposited by streams. A few small rounded pebbles are interpreted as chalcedonic sinter of a still older cycle. None of these are precisely dated but are unlikely to be more than 150,000 to 200,000 years old. ...Most studies of active hydrothermal areas have noted chemical differences in fluids and alteration products but have given little attention to differences and models to explain evolution in types. This report, in contrast, emphasizes the kinds of changes in vents and their changing chemical types of waters and then

VP and VS structure of the Yellowstone hot spot from teleseismic tomography: Evidence for an upper mantle plume

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waite, Gregory P.; Smith, Robert B.; Allen, Richard M.

2006-01-01

The movement of the lithosphere over a stationary mantle magmatic source, often thought to be a mantle plume, explains key features of the 16 Ma Yellowstone–Snake River Plain volcanic system. However, the seismic signature of a Yellowstone plume has remained elusive because of the lack of adequate data. We employ new teleseismic P and S wave traveltime data to develop tomographic images of the Yellowstone hot spot upper mantle. The teleseismic data were recorded with two temporary seismograph arrays deployed in a 500 km by 600 km area centered on Yellowstone. Additional data from nearby regional seismic networks were incorporated into the data set. The VP and VS models reveal a strong low-velocity anomaly from ∼50 to 200 km directly beneath the Yellowstone caldera and eastern Snake River Plain, as has been imaged in previous studies. Peak anomalies are −2.3% for VP and −5.5% for VS. A weaker, anomaly with a velocity perturbation of up to −1.0% VP and −2.5% VS continues to at least 400 km depth. This anomaly dips 30° from vertical, west-northwest to a location beneath the northern Rocky Mountains. We interpret the low-velocity body as a plume of upwelling hot, and possibly wet rock, from the mantle transition zone that promotes small-scale convection in the upper ∼200 km of the mantle and long-lived volcanism. A high-velocity anomaly, 1.2%VP and 1.9% VS, is located at ∼100 to 250 km depth southeast of Yellowstone and may represent a downwelling of colder, denser mantle material.

Hydrothermal and tectonic activity in northern Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, S.Y.; Stephenson, W.J.; Morgan, L.A.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Pierce, K.L.

2003-01-01

Yellowstone National Park is the site of one of the world's largest calderas. The abundance of geothermal and tectonic activity in and around the caldera, including historic uplift and subsidence, makes it necessary to understand active geologic processes and their associated hazards. To that end, we here use an extensive grid of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles (???450 km) to document hydrothermal and tectonic features and deposits in northern Yellowstone Lake. Sublacustrine geothermal features in northern Yellowstone Lake include two of the largest known hydrothermal explosion craters, Mary Bay and Elliott's. Mary Bay explosion breccia is distributed uniformly around the crater, whereas Elliott's crater breccia has an asymmetric distribution and forms a distinctive, ???2-km-long, hummocky lobe on the lake floor. Hydrothermal vents and low-relief domes are abundant on the lake floor; their greatest abundance is in and near explosion craters and along linear fissures. Domed areas on the lake floor that are relatively unbreached (by vents) are considered the most likely sites of future large hydrothermal explosions. Four submerged shoreline terraces along the margins of northern Yellowstone Lake add to the Holocene record or postglacial lake-level fluctuations attributed to "heavy breathing" of the Yellowstone magma reservoir and associated geothermal system. The Lake Hotel fault cuts through northwestern Yellowstone Lake and represents part of a 25-km-long distributed extensional deformation zone. Three postglacial ruptures indicate a slip rate of ???0.27 to 0.34 mm/yr. The largest (3.0 m slip) and most recent event occurred in the past ???2100 yr. Although high heat flow in the crust limits the rupture area of this fault zone, future earthquakes of magnitude ???5.3 to 6.5 are possible. Earthquakes and hydrothermal explosions have probably triggered landslides, common features around the lake margins. Few high-resolution seismic reflection surveys have

Volcano and Earthquake Monitoring Plan for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, 2006-2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

To provide Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and its surrounding communities with a modern, comprehensive system for volcano and earthquake monitoring, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) has developed a monitoring plan for the period 2006-2015. Such a plan is needed so that YVO can provide timely information during seismic, volcanic, and hydrothermal crises and can anticipate hazardous events before they occur. The monitoring network will also provide high-quality data for scientific study and interpretation of one of the largest active volcanic systems in the world. Among the needs of the observatory are to upgrade its seismograph network to modern standards and to add five new seismograph stations in areas of the park that currently lack adequate station density. In cooperation with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its Plate Boundary Observatory Program (PBO), YVO seeks to install five borehole strainmeters and two tiltmeters to measure crustal movements. The boreholes would be located in developed areas close to existing infrastructure and away from sensitive geothermal features. In conjunction with the park's geothermal monitoring program, installation of new stream gages, and gas-measuring instruments will allow YVO to compare geophysical phenomena, such as earthquakes and ground motions, to hydrothermal events, such as anomalous water and gas discharge. In addition, YVO seeks to characterize the behavior of geyser basins, both to detect any precursors to hydrothermal explosions and to monitor earthquakes related to fluid movements that are difficult to detect with the current monitoring system. Finally, a monitoring network consists not solely of instruments, but requires also a secure system for real-time transmission of data. The current telemetry system is vulnerable to failures that could jeopardize data transmission out of Yellowstone. Future advances in monitoring technologies must be accompanied by improvements in the infrastructure for

Crustal deformation and source models of the Yellowstone volcanicfield from geodetic data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vasco, D.W.; Puskas, C.M.; Smith, R.B.

2006-07-05

Geodetic observations, comprised of InterferometricSynthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), Global Positioning System (GPS). andleveling measurements, are used to infer volume change in the subsurfaceassociated with the Yellowstone volcanic system. We find that existingfaults play a significant role in controlling subsurface volume increasesand decreases due to fluid migration within the volcanic system. Forexample, subsidence from 1992 to 1995 appears to be associated withvolume changes below the Elephant Back fault zone and a north-southtrending fault which cuts across the caldera. Furthermore, we are able toimage an episode of magma intrusion near the northern edge of the calderawhich parallels and is adjacent to themore » north trending volume decrease.The primary intrusion occurred between 1996 and 2000, though theintrusion appears to have continnued, shallowed, and changed shapebetween 2000 and 2001. There is evidence that the intrusive activityaffected extensional fauts to the north of the caldera.« less

Understanding the physics of the Yellowstone magmatic system with geodynamic inverse modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuber, Georg; Kaus, Boris

2017-04-01

The Yellowstone magmatic system is one of the largest magmatic systems on Earth. Thus, it is important to understand the geodynamic processes that drive this very complex system on a larger scale ranging from the mantle plume up to the shallow magma chamber in the upper crust. Recent geophysical results suggest that two distinct magma chambers exist: a shallow, presumably felsic chamber and a deeper and partially molten chamber above the Moho [1]. Why melt stalls at different depth levels above the Yellowstone plume, whereas dikes cross-cut the whole lithosphere in the nearby Snake River Plane is puzzling. Therefore, we employ lithospheric-scale 2D and 3D geodynamic models to test the influence of different model parameters, such as the geometry of the magma chamber, the melt fraction, the rheological flow law, the densities and the thermal structure on their influence on the dynamics of the lithosphere. The melt content and the rock densities are obtained by consistent thermodynamic modelling of whole rock data of the Yellowstone stratigraphy. We present derivations in the stress field around the Yellowstone plume, diking areas and different melt accumulations. Our model predictions can be tested with available geophysical data (uplift rates, melt fractions, stress states, seismicity). By framing it in an inverse modelling approach we can constrain which parameters (melt fractions, viscosities, geometries) are consistent with the data and which are not. [1] Huang, Hsin-Hua, et al. "The Yellowstone magmatic system from the mantle plume to the upper crust." Science 348.6236 (2015): 773-776.

Heat flow in vapor dominated areas of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field: implications for the thermal budget of the Yellowstone Caldera

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hurwitz, Shaul; Harris, Robert; Werner, Cynthia Anne; Murphy, Fred

2012-01-01

Characterizing the vigor of magmatic activity in Yellowstone requires knowledge of the mechanisms and rates of heat transport between magma and the ground surface. We present results from a heat flow study in two vapor dominated, acid-sulfate thermal areas in the Yellowstone Caldera, the 0.11 km2 Obsidian Pool Thermal Area (OPTA) and the 0.25 km2 Solfatara Plateau Thermal Area (SPTA). Conductive heat flux through a low permeability layer capping large vapor reservoirs is calculated from soil temperature measurements at >600 locations and from laboratory measurements of soil properties. The conductive heat output is 3.6 ± 0.4 MW and 7.5 ± 0.4 MW from the OPTA and the SPTA, respectively. The advective heat output from soils is 1.3 ± 0.3 MW and 1.2 ± 0.3 MW from the OPTA and the SPTA, respectively and the heat output from thermal pools in the OPTA is 6.8 ± 1.4 MW. These estimates result in a total heat output of 11.8 ± 1.4 MW and 8.8 ± 0.4 MW from OPTA and SPTA, respectively. Focused zones of high heat flux in both thermal areas are roughly aligned with regional faults suggesting that faults in both areas serve as conduits for the rising acid vapor. Extrapolation of the average heat flux from the OPTA (103 ± 2 W·m−2) and SPTA (35 ± 3 W·m−2) to the ~35 km2 of vapor dominated areas in Yellowstone yields 3.6 and 1.2 GW, respectively, which is less than the total heat output transported by steam from the Yellowstone Caldera as estimated by the chloride inventory method (4.0 to 8.0 GW).

Exploration and discovery in Yellowstone Lake: Results from high-resolution sonar imaging, seismic reflection profiling, and submersible studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, L.A.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Lovalvo, D.A.; Johnson, S.Y.; Stephenson, W.J.; Pierce, K.L.; Harlan, S.S.; Finn, C.A.; Lee, G.; Webring, M.; Schulze, B.; Duhn, J.; Sweeney, R.; Balistrieri, L.

2003-01-01

Discoveries from multi-beam sonar mapping and seismic reflection surveys of the northern, central, and West Thumb basins of Yellowstone Lake provide new insight into the extent of post-collapse volcanism and active hydrothermal processes occurring in a large lake environment above a large magma chamber. Yellowstone Lake has an irregular bottom covered with dozens of features directly related to hydrothermal, tectonic, volcanic, and sedimentary processes. Detailed bathymetric, seismic reflection, and magnetic evidence reveals that rhyolitic lava flows underlie much of Yellowstone Lake and exert fundamental control on lake bathymetry and localization of hydrothermal activity. Many previously unknown features have been identified and include over 250 hydrothermal vents, several very large (>500 m diameter) hydrothermal explosion craters, many small hydrothermal vent craters (???1-200 m diameter), domed lacustrine sediments related to hydrothermal activity, elongate fissures cutting post-glacial sediments, siliceous hydrothermal spire structures, sublacustrine landslide deposits, submerged former shorelines, and a recently active graben. Sampling and observations with a submersible remotely operated vehicle confirm and extend our understanding of the identified features. Faults, fissures, hydrothermally inflated domal structures, hydrothermal explosion craters, and sublacustrine landslides constitute potentially significant geologic hazards. Toxic elements derived from hydrothermal processes also may significantly affect the Yellowstone ecosystem. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

The Yellowstone ‘hot spot’ track results from migrating Basin Range extension

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foulger, Gillian R.; Christiansen, Robert L.; Anderson, Don L.; Foulger, Gillian R.; Lustrino, Michele; King, Scott D.

2015-01-01

Whether the volcanism of the Columbia River Plateau, eastern Snake River Plain, and Yellowstone (western U.S.) is related to a mantle plume or to plate tectonic processes is a long-standing controversy. There are many geological mismatches with the basic plume model as well as logical flaws, such as citing data postulated to require a deep-mantle origin in support of an “upper-mantle plume” model. USArray has recently yielded abundant new seismological results, but despite this, seismic analyses have still not resolved the disparity of opinion. This suggests that seismology may be unable to resolve the plume question for Yellowstone, and perhaps elsewhere. USArray data have inspired many new models that relate western U.S. volcanism to shallow mantle convection associated with subduction zone processes. Many of these models assume that the principal requirement for surface volcanism is melt in the mantle and that the lithosphere is essentially passive. In this paper we propose a pure plate model in which melt is commonplace in the mantle, and its inherent buoyancy is not what causes surface eruptions. Instead, it is extension of the lithosphere that permits melt to escape to the surface and eruptions to occur—the mere presence of underlying melt is not a sufficient condition. The time-progressive chain of rhyolitic calderas in the eastern Snake River Plain–Yellowstone zone that has formed since basin-range extension began at ca. 17 Ma results from laterally migrating lithospheric extension and thinning that has permitted basaltic magma to rise from the upper mantle and melt the lower crust. We propose that this migration formed part of the systematic eastward migration of the axis of most intense basin-range extension. The bimodal rhyolite-basalt volcanism followed migration of the locus of most rapid extension, not vice versa. This model does not depend on seismology to test it but instead on surface geological observations.

Origin and Evolution of the Yellowstone Hotspot from Seismic-GPS Imaging and Geodynamic Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. B.; Jordan, M.; Puskas, C. M.; Farrell, J.; Waite, G. P.

2006-12-01

the plume beginning at 12 Ma, reducing the rate of large-scale volcanic eruptions in the YSRP. The decapitated plume head beneath Oregon underwent mantle return flow above the subducting Juan de Fuca plate and was responsible for the NW transgressive magmatism of the Newberry system. We then model the overall kinematics of the western U.S. from GPS data as SW motion for the YSRP, ~2 mm/yr, rotating into E-W motion in the Basin-Range, with a cumulative rate of ~4 mm/yr, and rotating to the northwest at rates of up to ~5 mm/yr in the Pacific Northwest, totaling ~10 mm/yr. Geodynamic models employing the GPS data and geometry of the crust-mantle structure suggests that southwest motion of the YSRP is dominated by stresses produced by the high potential energy of the Yellowstone hotspot while westward motion of the Basin-Range is driven by stress differences associated with the high topography of the Rocky Mountains.

Atlas of Yellowstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Marcus, A. W.; Meachan, J. E.; Rodman, A. W.; Steingisser, A. Y.; Allan, Stuart; West, Ross

2012-01-01

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was the world’s first national park. In a fitting tribute to this diverse and beautiful region, the Atlas of Yellowstone is a compelling visual guide to this unique national park and its surrounding area. Ranging from art to wolves, from American Indians to the Yellowstone Volcano, and from geysers to population, each page explains something new about the dynamic forces shaping Yellowstone. Equal parts reference and travel guide, the Atlas of Yellowstone is an unsurpassed resource.

Paleomagnetic results from Tertiary volcanic strata and intrusions, Absaroka Volcanic Supergroup, Yellowstone National Park and vicinity: Contributions to the North American apparent polar wander path

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harlan, S.S.; Morgan, L.A.

2010-01-01

We report paleomagnetic and rock magnetic data from volcanic, volcaniclastic, and intrusive rocks of the 55-44Ma Absaroka Volcanic Supergroup (AVS) exposed along the northeastern margin of Yellowstone National Park and adjacent areas. Demagnetization behavior and rock magnetic experiments indicate that the remanence in most samples is carried by low-Ti titanomagnetite, although high-coercivity phases are present in oxidized basalt flows. Paleomagnetic demagnetization and rock magnetic characteristics, the presence of normal and reverse polarity sites, consistency with previous results, and positive conglomerate tests suggest that the observed remanences are primary thermoremanent magnetizations of Eocene age (c. 50Ma). An in situ grand-mean for 22 individual site- or cooling-unit means from this study that yield acceptable data combined with published data from Independence volcano yields a declination of 347.6?? and inclination of 59.2?? (k=21.8, ??95=6.8??) and a positive reversal test. Averaging 21 virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) that are well-grouped yields a mean at 137.1??E, 82.5??N (K=17.6, A95=7.8??), similar to results previously obtained from published studies from the AVS. Combining the VGPs from our study with published data yields a combined AVS pole at 146.3??E, 83.1??N (K=13.5, A95=6.2??, N=42 VGPs). Both poles are indistinguishable from c. 50Ma cratonic and synthetic reference poles for North America, and demonstrate the relative stability of this part of the Cordillera with respect to the craton. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

The Yellowstone hotspot, Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and human geography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Despain, Don G.; Morgan, Lisa A.; Good, John M.; Morgan Morzel, Lisa Ann

2007-01-01

The effects of the Yellowstone hotspot also profoundly shaped the human history in the GYE. Uplift associated with the hotspot elevates the GYE to form the Continental Divide, and streams drain radially outward like spokes from a hub. Inhabitants of the GYE 12,000–10,000 years ago, as well as more recent inhabitants, followed the seasonal green-up of plants and migrating animals up into the mountain areas. During European immigration, people settled around Yellowstone in the lower parts of the drainages and established roads, irrigation systems, and cultural associations. The core Yellowstone highland is too harsh for agriculture and inhospitable to people in the winter. Beyond this core, urban and rural communities exist in valleys and are separated by upland areas. The partitioning inhibits any physical connection of communities, which in turn complicates pursuit of common interests across the whole GYE. Settlements thus geographically isolated evolved as diverse, independent communities

Exploration and discovery in Yellowstone Lake: results from high-resolution sonar imaging, seismic reflection profiling, and submersible studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, L. A.; Shanks, W. C.; Lovalvo, D. A.; Johnson, S. Y.; Stephenson, W. J.; Pierce, K. L.; Harlan, S. S.; Finn, C. A.; Lee, G.; Webring, M.; Schulze, B.; Dühn, J.; Sweeney, R.; Balistrieri, L.

2003-04-01

'No portion of the American continent is perhaps so rich in wonders as the Yellow Stone' (F.V. Hayden, September 2, 1874) Discoveries from multi-beam sonar mapping and seismic reflection surveys of the northern, central, and West Thumb basins of Yellowstone Lake provide new insight into the extent of post-collapse volcanism and active hydrothermal processes occurring in a large lake environment above a large magma chamber. Yellowstone Lake has an irregular bottom covered with dozens of features directly related to hydrothermal, tectonic, volcanic, and sedimentary processes. Detailed bathymetric, seismic reflection, and magnetic evidence reveals that rhyolitic lava flows underlie much of Yellowstone Lake and exert fundamental control on lake bathymetry and localization of hydrothermal activity. Many previously unknown features have been identified and include over 250 hydrothermal vents, several very large (>500 m diameter) hydrothermal explosion craters, many small hydrothermal vent craters (˜1-200 m diameter), domed lacustrine sediments related to hydrothermal activity, elongate fissures cutting post-glacial sediments, siliceous hydrothermal spire structures, sublacustrine landslide deposits, submerged former shorelines, and a recently active graben. Sampling and observations with a submersible remotely operated vehicle confirm and extend our understanding of the identified features. Faults, fissures, hydrothermally inflated domal structures, hydrothermal explosion craters, and sublacustrine landslides constitute potentially significant geologic hazards. Toxic elements derived from hydrothermal processes also may significantly affect the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Large Volume 18O-depleted Rhyolitic Volcanism: the Bruneau-Jarbidge Volcanic Field, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boroughs, S.; Wolff, J.; Bonnichsen, B.; Godchaux, M. M.; Larson, P. B.

2003-12-01

The Bruneau-Jarbidge (BJ) volcanic field is located in southern Idaho at the intersection of the western and eastern arms of the Snake River Plain. The BJ region is an oval structural basin of about 6000 km2, and is likely a system of nested caldera and collapse structures similar to, though larger than, the Yellowstone Volcanic Plateau. BJ rocks are high-temperature rhyolite tuffs, high-temperature rhyolite lavas, and volumetrically minor basalts. Exposed volumes of individual rhyolite units range up to greater than 500 km3. We have analyzed feldspar and, where present, quartz from 30 rhyolite units emplaced throughout the history of the BJ center. All, including the Cougar Point Tuff, are 18O depleted (δ 18OFSP = -1.3 to 3.7‰ ), while petrographically, temporally, and chemically similar lavas erupted along the nearby Owyhee Front have "normal" rhyolite magmatic δ 18O values of 7 - 9‰ . There is no evidence for significant modification of δ 18O values by post-eruptive alteration. No correlation exists between δ 18O and age, magmatic temperature, major element composition or trace element abundances among depleted BJ rhyolites. The BJ and WSRP rhyolites possess the geochemical characteristics (depressed Al, Ca, Eu, and Sr contents, high Ga/Al and K/Na) expected of liquids derived from shallow melting of calc-alkaline granitoids with residual plagioclase and orthopyroxene (Patino-Douce, Geology v.25 p.743-746, 1997). The classic Yellowstone low δ 18O rhyolites are post-caldera collapse lavas, but at BJ, both lavas and caldera-forming ignimbrites are strongly 18O-depleted. The total volume of low δ 18O rhyolite may be as high as 10,000 km3, requiring massive involvement of meteoric-hydrothermally altered crust in rhyolite petrogenesis. Regional hydrothermal modification of the crust under the thermal influence of the Yellowstone hotspot apparently preceded voluminous rhyolite generation at Bruneau-Jarbidge.

The Blacktail Creek Tuff: an analytical and experimental study of rhyolites from the Heise volcanic field, Yellowstone hotspot system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolte, Torsten; Holtz, Francois; Almeev, Renat; Nash, Barbara

2015-02-01

The magma storage conditions of the 6.62 Ma Blacktail Creek Tuff eruption, belonging to the Heise volcanic field (6.62-4.45 Ma old) of the Yellowstone hotspot system, have been investigated by combining thermobarometric and experimental approaches. The results from different geothermometers (e.g., Fe-Ti oxides, feldspar pairs, apatite and zircon solubility, and Ti in quartz) indicate a pre-eruptive temperature in the range 825-875 °C. The temperature estimated using two-pyroxene pairs varies in a range of 810-950 °C, but the pyroxenes are probably not in equilibrium with each other, and the analytical results of melt inclusion in pyroxenes indicate a complex history for clinopyroxene, which hosts two compositionally different inclusion types. One natural Blacktail Creek Tuff rock sample has been used to determine experimentally the equilibrium phase assemblages in the pressure range 100-500 MPa and a water activity range 0.1-1.0. The experiments have been performed at fluid-present conditions, with a fluid phase composed of H2O and CO2, as well as at fluid-absent conditions. The stability of the quartzo-feldspathic phases is similar in both types of experiments, but the presence of mafic minerals such as biotite and clinopyroxene is strongly dependent on the experimental approach. Possible explanations are given for this discrepancy which may have strong impacts on the choice of appropriate experimental approaches for the determination of magma storage conditions. The comparison of the composition of natural phases and of experimentally synthesized phases confirms magma storage temperatures of 845-875 °C. Melt water contents of 1.5-2.5 wt% H2O are required to reproduce the natural Blacktail Creek Tuff mineral assemblage at these temperatures. Using the Ti-in-quartz barometer and the Qz-Ab-Or proportions of natural matrix glasses, coexisting with quartz, plagioclase and sanidine, the depth of magma storage is estimated to be in a pressure range between 130 and

Life history migrations of adult Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in the upper Yellowstone River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ertel, Brian D.; McMahon, Thomas E.; Koel, Todd M.; Gresswell, Robert E.; Burckhardt, Jason

2017-01-01

Knowledge of salmonid life history types at the watershed scale is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone for effective management. In this study, we used radiotelemetry to characterize the life history movements of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri in the upper Yellowstone River, an extensive tributary that composes nearly half of the drainage area of Yellowstone Lake. In Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout have precipitously declined over the past 2 decades primarily due to predation from introduced Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush. Radio tags were implanted in 152 Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, and their movements monitored over 3 years. Ninety-six percent of tagged trout exhibited a lacustrine–adfluvial life history, migrating upstream a mean distance of 42.6 km to spawn, spending an average of 24 d in the Yellowstone River before returning to Yellowstone Lake. Once in the lake, complex postspawning movements were observed. Only 4% of radio-tagged trout exhibited a fluvial or fluvial–adfluvial life history. Low prevalence of fluvial and fluvial–adfluvial life histories was unexpected given the large size of the upper river drainage. Study results improve understanding of life history diversity in potamodromous salmonids inhabiting relatively undisturbed watersheds and provide a baseline for monitoring Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout response to management actions in Yellowstone Lake.

Dual stable isotopes of CH 4 from Yellowstone hot-springs suggest hydrothermal processes involving magmatic CO 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moran, James J.; Whitmore, Laura M.; Jay, Zackary J.

Volcanism and post-magmatism contribute significant annual methane (CH 4) fluxes to the atmosphere (on par with other natural sources such as forest fire and wild animal emissions) and have been implicated in past climate-change events. The Yellowstone hot spot is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth and is known to emit CH 4 (as well as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other gases), but the ultimate sources of this CH 4 flux have not been elucidated. In this paper, we use dual stable isotope analysis (δ 2H and δ 13C) of CH 4 sampled from ten high-temperature geothermalmore » pools in Yellowstone National Park along with other isotopic and gas analyses to evaluate potential sources of methane. The average δ 13C and δ 2H values of CH 4 emitted from hot springs ( 26.7 (± 2.4) and - 236.9 (± 12.0) ‰, respectively) are inconsistent with microbial methanogenesis but do not allow distinction between thermogenic and abiotic sources. Correlation between δ 13C CH4 and δ 13C of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) is consistent with DIC as the parent C source for the observed CH 4, or with equilibration of CH 4 and DIC. Methane formation temperatures estimated by isotopic geothermometry based on δ 13C CH4 and δ 13C CO2 ranged from ~ 250–350 °C, which is just below previous temperature estimates for the hydrothermal reservoir. Further, the δ 2H H2O of the thermal springs and the measured δ 2H CH4 values are consistent with equilibration between the source water and the CH 4 at the formation temperatures. Though the ultimate origin of the CH 4 could be attributed to either abiotic of themorgenic processes with subsequent isotopic equilibration, the C 1/C 2+ composition of the gases is more consistent with abiotic origins for most of the samples. Finally, our data support the hypothesis that subsurface rock-water interactions are responsible for at least a significant fraction of the CH 4 flux from the Yellowstone National Park volcanic system.« less

Dual stable isotopes of CH 4 from Yellowstone hot-springs suggest hydrothermal processes involving magmatic CO 2

DOE PAGES

Moran, James J.; Whitmore, Laura M.; Jay, Zackary J.; ...

2017-05-16

Volcanism and post-magmatism contribute significant annual methane (CH 4) fluxes to the atmosphere (on par with other natural sources such as forest fire and wild animal emissions) and have been implicated in past climate-change events. The Yellowstone hot spot is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth and is known to emit CH 4 (as well as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other gases), but the ultimate sources of this CH 4 flux have not been elucidated. In this paper, we use dual stable isotope analysis (δ 2H and δ 13C) of CH 4 sampled from ten high-temperature geothermalmore » pools in Yellowstone National Park along with other isotopic and gas analyses to evaluate potential sources of methane. The average δ 13C and δ 2H values of CH 4 emitted from hot springs ( 26.7 (± 2.4) and - 236.9 (± 12.0) ‰, respectively) are inconsistent with microbial methanogenesis but do not allow distinction between thermogenic and abiotic sources. Correlation between δ 13C CH4 and δ 13C of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) is consistent with DIC as the parent C source for the observed CH 4, or with equilibration of CH 4 and DIC. Methane formation temperatures estimated by isotopic geothermometry based on δ 13C CH4 and δ 13C CO2 ranged from ~ 250–350 °C, which is just below previous temperature estimates for the hydrothermal reservoir. Further, the δ 2H H2O of the thermal springs and the measured δ 2H CH4 values are consistent with equilibration between the source water and the CH 4 at the formation temperatures. Though the ultimate origin of the CH 4 could be attributed to either abiotic of themorgenic processes with subsequent isotopic equilibration, the C 1/C 2+ composition of the gases is more consistent with abiotic origins for most of the samples. Finally, our data support the hypothesis that subsurface rock-water interactions are responsible for at least a significant fraction of the CH 4 flux from the Yellowstone National Park volcanic system.« less

Dual stable isotopes of CH4 from Yellowstone hot-springs suggest hydrothermal processes involving magmatic CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, James J.; Whitmore, Laura M.; Jay, Zackary J.; Jennings, Ryan deM.; Beam, Jacob P.; Kreuzer, Helen W.; Inskeep, William P.

2017-07-01

Volcanism and post-magmatism contribute significant annual methane (CH4) fluxes to the atmosphere (on par with other natural sources such as forest fire and wild animal emissions) and have been implicated in past climate-change events. The Yellowstone hot spot is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth and is known to emit CH4 (as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases), but the ultimate sources of this CH4 flux have not been elucidated. Here we use dual stable isotope analysis (δ2H and δ13C) of CH4 sampled from ten high-temperature geothermal pools in Yellowstone National Park along with other isotopic and gas analyses to evaluate potential sources of methane. The average δ13C and δ2H values of CH4 emitted from hot springs (26.7 (± 2.4) and - 236.9 (± 12.0) ‰, respectively) are inconsistent with microbial methanogenesis but do not allow distinction between thermogenic and abiotic sources. Correlation between δ13CCH4 and δ13C of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) is consistent with DIC as the parent C source for the observed CH4, or with equilibration of CH4 and DIC. Methane formation temperatures estimated by isotopic geothermometry based on δ13CCH4 and δ13CCO2 ranged from 250-350 °C, which is just below previous temperature estimates for the hydrothermal reservoir. Further, the δ2HH2O of the thermal springs and the measured δ2HCH4 values are consistent with equilibration between the source water and the CH4 at the formation temperatures. Though the ultimate origin of the CH4 could be attributed to either abiotic of themorgenic processes with subsequent isotopic equilibration, the C1/C2 + composition of the gases is more consistent with abiotic origins for most of the samples. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that subsurface rock-water interactions are responsible for at least a significant fraction of the CH4 flux from the Yellowstone National Park volcanic system.

Teleseismic studies indicate existence of deep magma chamber below Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iyer, H.M.

1974-01-01

The secrets of Yellowstone National Park's spectacular geysers and other hot water and steam phenomena are being explored by the U.S Geological Survey with the aid of distant earthquakes (teleseisms). For some time geologists have known that the remarkable array of steam and hot water displays, for which the park is internationally famous, is associated with intense volcanic activity that occurred in the reigon during the last 2 million years. The most recent volcanic eruption took place about 600,000 years ago creating a large caldera, or crater, 75 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide. This caldera occupies most of the central part of the present-day park. geologists knew from studies of the surface geology that the volcanic activity which creates the present caldera was caused the present caldera was caused by a large body of magma, a mixture composed of molten rock, hot liquids, and gases, that had forced its way from the deep interior of the Earth into the upper mantle and crust below the Yellowstone area. The dimensions and depth below the surface of this magma body were largely unknown, however, because there was no way to "see" deep below the surface. A tool was needed that would enable earth scientists to look into the curst and upper mantle of the Earth. Such a tool became availabe with the installation by the Geological Survey of a network of seismograph stations in the park. 

Volcano crisis response at Yellowstone volcanic complex - after-action report for exercise held at Salt Lake City, Utah, November 15, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierson, Thomas C.; Driedger, Carolyn L.; Tilling, Robert I.

2013-01-01

A functional tabletop exercise was run on November 14-15, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to test crisis response capabilities, communication protocols, and decision-making by the staff of the multi-agency Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) as they reacted to a hypothetical exercise scenario of accelerating volcanic unrest at the Yellowstone caldera. The exercise simulated a rapid build-up of seismic activity, ground deformation, and hot-spring water-chemistry and temperature anomalies that culminated in a small- to moderate-size phreatomagmatic eruption within Yellowstone National Park. The YVO scientific team's responses to the unfolding events in the scenario and to simulated requests for information by stakeholders and the media were assessed by (a) the exercise organizers; (b) several non-YVO scientists, who observed and queried participants, and took notes throughout the exercise; and (c) the participants themselves, who kept logs of their actions during the exercise and later participated in a group debriefing session and filled out detailed questionnaires. These evaluations were tabulated, interpreted, and summarized for this report, and on the basis of this information, recommendations have been made. Overall, the YVO teams performed their jobs very well. The exercise revealed that YVO scientists were able to successfully provide critical hazards information, issue information statements, and appropriately raise alert levels during a fast-moving crisis. Based on the exercise, it is recommended that several measures be taken to increase YVO effectiveness during a crisis: 1. Improve role clarification within and between YVO science teams. 2. Improve communications tools and protocols for data-sharing and consensus-building among YVO scientists, who are geographically and administratively dispersed among various institutions across the United States. 3. Familiarize YVO staff with Incident Command System (ICS) procedures and protocols, and provide more in

Use of ASTER and MODIS thermal infrared data to quantify heat flow and hydrothermal change at Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaughan, R. Greg; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Jaworowski, Cheryl; Heasler, Henry

2012-01-01

strengths and limitations of current satellite TIR monitoring of geothermal areas, highlighting some specific areas that can be improved. This work provides a framework for future satellite-based thermal monitoring at Yellowstone and other volcanic and geothermal systems

Upper-mantle origin of the Yellowstone hotspot

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, R.L.; Foulger, G.R.; Evans, J.R.

2002-01-01

Fundamental features of the geology and tectonic setting of the northeast-propagating Yellowstone hotspot are not explained by a simple deep-mantle plume hypothesis and, within that framework, must be attributed to coincidence or be explained by auxiliary hypotheses. These features include the persistence of basaltic magmatism along the hotspot track, the origin of the hotspot during a regional middle Miocene tectonic reorganization, a similar and coeval zone of northwestward magmatic propagation, the occurrence of both zones of magmatic propagation along a first-order tectonic boundary, and control of the hotspot track by preexisting structures. Seismic imaging provides no evidence for, and several contraindications of, a vertically extensive plume-like structure beneath Yellowstone or a broad trailing plume head beneath the eastern Snake River Plain. The high helium isotope ratios observed at Yellowstone and other hotspots are commonly assumed to arise from the lower mantle, but upper-mantle processes can explain the observations. The available evidence thus renders an upper-mantle origin for the Yellowstone system the preferred model; there is no evidence that the system extends deeper than ???200 km, and some evidence that it does not. A model whereby the Yellowstone system reflects feedback between upper-mantle convection and regional lithospheric tectonics is able to explain the observations better than a deep-mantle plume hypothesis.

Linking rapid magma reservoir assembly and eruption trigger mechanisms at evolved Yellowstone-type supervolcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wotzlaw, J.F.; Bindeman, I.N.; Watts, Kathryn E.; Schmitt, A.K.; Caricchi, L.; Schaltegger, U.

2014-01-01

The geological record contains evidence of volcanic eruptions that were as much as two orders of magnitude larger than the most voluminous eruption experienced by modern civilizations, the A.D. 1815 Tambora (Indonesia) eruption. Perhaps nowhere on Earth are deposits of such supereruptions more prominent than in the Snake River Plain–Yellowstone Plateau (SRP-YP) volcanic province (northwest United States). While magmatic activity at Yellowstone is still ongoing, the Heise volcanic field in eastern Idaho represents the youngest complete caldera cycle in the SRP-YP, and thus is particularly instructive for current and future volcanic activity at Yellowstone. The Heise caldera cycle culminated 4.5 Ma ago in the eruption of the ∼1800 km3 Kilgore Tuff. Accessory zircons in the Kilgore Tuff display significant intercrystalline and intracrystalline oxygen isotopic heterogeneity, and the vast majority are 18O depleted. This suggests that zircons crystallized from isotopically distinct magma batches that were generated by remelting of subcaldera silicic rocks previously altered by low-δ18O meteoric-hydrothermal fluids. Prior to eruption these magma batches were assembled and homogenized into a single voluminous reservoir. U-Pb geochronology of isotopically diverse zircons using chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry yielded indistinguishable crystallization ages with a weighted mean 206Pb/238U date of 4.4876 ± 0.0023 Ma (MSWD = 1.5; n = 24). These zircon crystallization ages are also indistinguishable from the sanidine 40Ar/39Ar dates, and thus zircons crystallized close to eruption. This requires that shallow crustal melting, assembly of isolated batches into a supervolcanic magma reservoir, homogenization, and eruption occurred extremely rapidly, within the resolution of our geochronology (103–104 yr). The crystal-scale image of the reservoir configuration, with several isolated magma batches, is very similar to the

Dual stable isotopes of CH 4 from Yellowstone hot-springs suggest hydrothermal processes involving magmatic CO 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moran, James J.; Whitmore, Laura M.; Jay, Zackary J.

Volcanism and post-magmatism contribute both significant annual CH 4 fluxes to the atmosphere (on par with other natural sources such as forest fire and wild animal emissions) and have been implicated in past climate-change events. The Yellowstone hot spot is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth and is known to emit methane in addition to other greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) but the ultimate source of this methane flux has not been elucidated. Here we use dual stable isotope analysis (δ 2H and δ 13C) of CH 4(g) sampled from ten high-temperature geothermal pools in Yellowstone National Parkmore » to show that the predominant flux of CH4(g) is abiotic. The average δ 13C and δ 2H values of CH 4(g) emitted from hot springs (-26.7 (±2.4) and -236.9 (±12.0) ‰, respectively) are not consistent with biotic (microbial or thermogenic) methane sources, but are within previously reported ranges for abiotic methane production. Correlation between δ 13C CH4 and δ 13C-dissolved inorganic C (DIC) also suggests that CO 2 is a parent C source for the observed CH 4(g). Moreover, CH 4-CO 2 isotopic geothermometry was used to estimate CH 4(g) formation temperatures ranging from ~ 250 - 350°C, which is just below the temperature estimated for the hydrothermal reservoir and consistent with the hypothesis that subsurface, rock-water interactions are responsible for large methane fluxes from this volcanic system. An understanding of conditions leading to the abiotic production of methane and associated isotopic signatures are central to understanding the evolutionary history of deep carbon sources on Earth.« less

A fluid-driven earthquake swarm on the margin of the Yellowstone caldera

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelly, David R.; Hill, David P.; Massin, Frederick; Farrell, Jamie; Smith, Robert B.; Taira, Taka'aki

2013-01-01

Over the past several decades, the Yellowstone caldera has experienced frequent earthquake swarms and repeated cycles of uplift and subsidence, reflecting dynamic volcanic and tectonic processes. Here, we examine the detailed spatial-temporal evolution of the 2010 Madison Plateau swarm, which occurred near the northwest boundary of the Yellowstone caldera. To fully explore the evolution of the swarm, we integrated procedures for seismic waveform-based earthquake detection with precise double-difference relative relocation. Using cross-correlation of continuous seismic data and waveform templates constructed from cataloged events, we detected and precisely located 8710 earthquakes during the three-week swarm, nearly four times the number of events included in the standard catalog. This high-resolution analysis reveals distinct migration of earthquake activity over the course of the swarm. The swarm initiated abruptly on January 17, 2010 at about 10 km depth and expanded dramatically outward (both shallower and deeper) over time, primarily along a NNW-striking, ~55º ENE-dipping structure. To explain these characteristics, we hypothesize that the swarm was triggered by the rupture of a zone of confined high-pressure aqueous fluids into a pre-existing crustal fault system, prompting release of accumulated stress. The high-pressure fluid injection may have been accommodated by hybrid shear and dilatational failure, as is commonly observed in exhumed hydrothermally affected fault zones. This process has likely occurred repeatedly in Yellowstone as aqueous fluids exsolved from magma migrate into the brittle crust, and it may be a key element in the observed cycles of caldera uplift and subsidence.

Diverse Mafic Influences on the Magmatic System of the 2.08 Ma Huckleberry Ridge Eruption, Yellowstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C. J. N.; Swallow, E. J.; Charlier, B. L. A.; Gamble, J. A.

2016-12-01

The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field (YPVF) is the youngest, currently active focus of the long-lived Yellowstone-Snake River Plain (YSRP) volcanic province. This province is traditionally considered to be bimodal1, with mantle-derived olivine tholeiites providing the thermal and volatile fluxes to generate the voluminous rhyolitic volcanism that forms the initial stages at each caldera focus2. There are also lesser volumes of alkalic compositions, which define a Craters of the Moon (COM) trend1. These eruptives, dominantly trachy-basalts and -andesites but continuous to high-Ba rhyolites, are often found at the margins of the YSRP and are believed to represent small-volume magma batches derived by extreme mid-crustal fractionation of a tholeiitic parent3,4. The 2,500 km3 Huckleberry Ridge Tuff (HRT), the first of three caldera-forming eruptions at the YPVF, consists of minor fall deposits followed by three voluminous ignimbrite members: A, B and C4. The HRT was preceded and followed by the eruption of YSRP olivine tholeiites within and around the inferred caldera4. Previously identified4 aphyric scoria in HRT member B, and a newly identified juvenile mafic component in HRT member A, are however more extreme in composition than the COM magma type with SiO2 of 49.3- 59.0 wt %, Na2O+K2O 4.5-6.6 wt %, Ba to 3500 ppm, Zr to 1850 ppm and P2O5 to 1.8 wt %. This `HRT-COM' trend is parallel to but offset to higher Ba from that defined by younger surficial COM-type lava flows west of the HRT caldera. We here summarise major, trace and isotopic data from these three mafic lineages, which temporally encompass the HRT. We compare them with other data of the COM suite and evaluate interpretations for their source which range from extreme fractional crystallisation to melts from metasomatised mantle. We highlight the close spatial and temporal association of the mafic lineages, despite their distinct chemical signatures, indicating the presence of complex root zones

Obsidian hydration dating of volcanic events

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, I.; Obradovich, J.

1981-01-01

Obsidian hydration dating of volcanic events had been compared with ages of the same events determined by the 14C and KAr methods at several localities. The localities, ranging in age from 1200 to over 1 million yr, include Newberry Craters, Oregon; Coso Hot Springs, California; Salton Sea, California; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; and Mineral Range, Utah. In most cases the agreement is quite good. A number of factors including volcanic glass composition and exposuretemperature history must be known in order to relate hydration thickness to age. The effect of composition can be determined from chemical analysis or the refractive index of the glass. Exposure-temperature history requires a number of considerations enumerated in this paper. ?? 1981.

Seasonal gravity change at Yellowstone caldera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poland, M. P.; de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen, E.

2017-12-01

The driving forces behind Yellowstone's dynamic deformation, vigorous hydrothermal system, and abundant seismicity are usually ascribed to "magmatic fluids," which could refer to magma, water, volatiles, or some combination. Deformation data alone cannot distinguish the relative importance of these fluids. Gravity measurements, however, provide an indication of mass change over time and, when combined with surface displacements, can constrain the density of subsurface fluids. Unfortunately, several decades of gravity surveys at Yellowstone have yielded ambiguous results. We suspect that the difficulty in interpreting Yellowstone gravity data is due to seasonal variations in environmental conditions—especially surface and ground water. Yellowstone gravity surveys are usually carried out at the same time of year (generally late summer) to minimize the impact of seasonality. Nevertheless, surface and subsurface water levels are not likely to be constant from year to year, given annual differences in precipitation. To assess the overall magnitude of seasonal gravity changes, we conducted gravity surveys of benchmarks in and around Yellowstone caldera in May, July, August, and October 2017. Our goal was to characterize seasonal variations due to snow melt/accumulation, changes in river and lake levels, changes in groundwater levels, and changes in hydrothermal activity. We also hope to identify sites that show little variation in gravity over the course of the 2017 surveys, as these locations may be less prone to seasonal changes and more likely to detect small variations due to magmatic processes. Preliminary examination of data collected in May and July 2017 emphasizes the importance of site location relative to sources of water. For example, a site on the banks of the Yellowstone River showed a gravity increase of several hundred microgals associated with a 50 cm increase in the river level. A high-altitude site far from rivers and lakes, in contrast, showed a

Chapter 5. Yellowstone cutthroat trout

Treesearch

Robert E. Gresswell

1995-01-01

The Yellowstone cutthroat trout is more abundant and inhabits a greater geographical range than does any other nonanadronnous subspecies of cutthroat trout (Varley and Gresswell 1988). The Yellowstone cutthroat trout was indigenous to the Snake River upstream from Shoshone Falls, Idaho, and the Yellowstone River above the Tongue River, Montana (Behnke 1992). Although...

Accelerated uplift and magmatic intrusion of the Yellowstone caldera, 2004 to 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chang, Wu-Lung; Smith, Robert B.; Wicks, Charles; Farrell, J.M.; Puskas, C.M.

2007-01-01

The Yellowstone caldera began a rapid episode of ground uplift in mid-2004, revealed by Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements, at rates up to 7 centimeters per year, which is over three times faster than previously observed inflation rates. Source modeling of the deformation data suggests an expanding volcanic sill of ???1200 square kilometers at a 10-kilometer depth beneath the caldera, coincident with the top of a seismically imaged crustal magma chamber. The modeled rate of source volume increase is 0.1 cubic kilometer per year, similar to the amount of magma intrusion required to supply the observed high heat flow of the caldera. This evidence suggests magma recharge as the main mechanism for the accelerated uplift, although pressurization of magmatic fluids cannot be ruled out.

Recent crustal subsidence at Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, D.; Savage, J.C.; Fournier, R.O.

1990-01-01

Following a period of net uplift at an average rate of 15??1 mm/year from 1923 to 1984, the east-central floor of Yellowstone Caldera stopped rising during 1984-1985 and then subsided 25??7 mm during 1985-1986 and an additional 35??7 mm during 1986-1987. The average horizontal strain rates in the northeast part of the caldera for the period from 1984 to 1987 were: {Mathematical expression}1 = 0.10 ?? 0.09 ??strain/year oriented N33?? E??9?? and {Mathematical expression}2 = 0.20 ?? 0.09 ??strain/year oriented N57?? W??9?? (extension reckoned positive). A best-fit elastic model of the 1985-1987 vertical and horizontal displacements in the eastern part of the caldera suggests deflation of a horizontal tabular body located 10??5 km beneath Le Hardys Rapids, i.e., within a deep hydrothermal system or within an underlying body of partly molten rhyolite. Two end-member models each explain most aspects of historical unrest at Yellowstone, including the recent reversal from uplift to subsidence. Both involve crystallization of an amount of rhyolitic magma that is compatible with the thermal energy requirements of Yellowstone's vigorous hydrothermal system. In the first model, injection of basalt near the base of the rhyolitic system is the primary cause of uplift. Higher in the magmatic system, rhyolite crystallizes and releases all of its magmatic volatiles into the shallow hydrothermal system. Uplift stops and subsidence starts whenever the supply rate of basalt is less than the subsidence rate produced by crystallization of rhyolite and associated fluid loss. In the second model, uplift is caused primarily by pressurization of the deep hydrothermal system by magmatic gas and brine that are released during crystallization of rhyolite and them trapped at lithostatic pressure beneath an impermeable self-sealed zone. Subsidence occurs during episodic hydrofracturing and injection of pore fluid from the deep lithostatic-pressure zone into a shallow hydrostatic-pressure zone

Final evaluation report for the greater Yellowstone regional traveler and weather information system (GYRTWIS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-12-30

This final report describes the national evaluation of the Greater Yellowstone Regional Traveler and Weather Information System (GYRTWIS). This evaluation complements the ongoing GYRTWIS evaluation being conducted by WTI/MSU by investigating three ar...

Conservation of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Yellowstone National Park: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Michael B.; Murphy, Brian R.; Zale, Alexander V.

2009-01-01

The Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT; "Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri") has become a species of special concern for Yellowstone National Park (YNP) fisheries biologists. Although this subspecies formerly occupied a greater area than any other inland cutthroat trout, the current distribution of YCT is now limited to several watersheds within the…

Mechanical interaction between volcanic systems in Libya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elshaafi, Abdelsalam; Gudmundsson, Agust

2018-01-01

The spatial distributions of monogenetic volcanoes, primarily volcanic craters, within the four principal volcanic provinces of Libya are examined and presented on a volcano-density map. Six main volcanic clusters have been identified, referred to as volcanic systems. Remarkably, the Al Haruj (AHVP) and Nuqay (NVP) volcanic provinces have double-peak volcano-density distributions, while the Gharyan (GVP) and As Sawda (SVP) volcanic provinces have single-peak volcano-density distributions. We interpret each volcano-density peak as corresponding to a separate volcanic system, so that there is a total of six systems in these four provinces. There was an overlap in volcanic activity in these provinces with at least three simultaneously active. We propose that each of the 6 volcanic systems was/is supplied with magma from a large sill-like reservoir - similar in lateral dimensions to the systems/clusters themselves. Numerical results show zones of high tensile and shear stresses between the reservoirs that coincide roughly with the main swarms of extension (dykes and volcanic fissures) and shear (faults) fractures in the areas. The most recent volcanic eruptions in Libya fall within the modelled high-stress concentration zones, primarily eruptions in the volcano Waw an Namus and the Holocene Al Mashaqaq lava flow. There are no known eruptions in Libya in historical time, but some or all the volcanic systems may have had one or more arrested historical dyke injections. In particular, part of the recurrent seismic events in the Hun Graben in the northwest Libya may be related to dyke propagation and arrest. If some of the inferred magma reservoirs are still fluid, as is likely, they pose earthquake and volcanic hazards to parts of Libya, particularly to the city of Gharyan and Zallah town, as well as to many oil-field operations.

Volcanic processes in the Solar System

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.

1987-01-01

This article stresses that terrestrial volcanism represents only part of the range of volcanism in the solar system. Earth processes of volcanicity are dominated by plate tectonics, which does not seem to operate on other planets, except possibly on Venus. Lunar volcanicity is dominated by lava effusion at enormous rates. Mars is similar, with the addition to huge shield volcanoes developed over fixed hotspots. Io, the moon closest to Jupiter, is the most active body in the Solar System and, for example, much sulphur and silicates are emitted. The eruptions of Io are generated by heating caused by tides induced by Jupiter. Europa nearby seems to emit water from fractures and Ganymede is similar. The satellites of Saturn and Uranus are also marked by volcanic craters, but they are of very low temperature melts, possibly of ammonia and water. The volcanism of the solar system is generally more exotic, the greater the distance from Earth. -A.Scarth

Bathymetry and Geology of the Floor of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, L.A.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Lee, G.K.; Webring, M.W.

2007-01-01

High-resolution, multi-beam sonar mapping of Yellowstone Lake was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in conjunction with the National Park Service from 1999 to 2002. Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-altitude lake in North America, at an altitude of 2,357 m with a surface area of 341 km2. More than 140 rivers and streams flow into Yellowstone Lake. The Yellowstone River, which enters at the southern end of the lake into the Southeast Arm, dominates the inflow of water and sediment (Shanks and others, 2005). The only outlet from the lake is at Fishing Bridge where the Yellowstone River flows northward discharging 375 to 4,600 cubic feet per second. The multi-beam sonar mapping occurred over a four-year period beginning in 1999 with mapping of the northern basin, continued in 2000 in West Thumb basin, in 2001 in the central basin, and in 2002 in the southern part of the lake including the Flat Mountain, South, and Southeast Arms.

Phase II (baseline) report for the Greater Yellowstone Regional Traveler and Weather Information System (GYRTWIS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-09-11

In an effort to make road and weather information more readily available to travelers and maintenance personnel, Montana is implementing the Greater Yellowstone Regional Traveler and Weather Information System (GYRTWIS). GYRTWIS replaces the existing...

Volatile Emissions from Hot Spring Basin, Yellowstone National Park, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, C.; Hurwitz, S.; Bergfeld, D.; Evans, W. C.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Jaworowski, C.; Heasler, H.

2007-12-01

The flux and composition of magmatic volatiles were characterized for Hot Spring Basin (HSB), Yellowstone National Park, in August 2006. Diffuse fluxes of CO2 (228 sites) from thermal soil were elevated, with a population distribution similar to that of other acid-sulfate areas in Yellowstone. Thus the estimated diffuse emission rate at HSB is proportionately larger than other areas due to its large area, and could be as high as 1000 td-1 CO2. The diffuse flux of H2S was only above detection limits at 20 of the 31 sites measured. The estimated diffuse H2S emission rate was ~ 4 td-1. Good correlation exists between the log of CO2 flux and shallow soil temperatures, indicating linked steam and gas upflow in the subsurface. The correlation between CO2 and H2S fluxes is weak, and the CO2 / H2S diffuse flux ratio was higher than in fumarolic ratios of CO2 to H2S. This suggests that various reactions, e.g., native sulfur deposition, act to remove H2S from the original gas stream in the diffuse low- temperature environment. Dissolved sulfate flux through Shallow Creek, which drains part of HSB, was ~ 4 td-1. Comparing dissolved sulfate flux to estimates of primary emission of H2S based on fumarolic gas geochemistry gives first order estimates of the sulfur consumed in surficial or subsurface mineral deposition. Total C and S outputs from HSB are comparable to other active volcanic systems.

Crustal-scale recycling in caldera complexes and rift zones along the Yellowstone hotspot track: O and Hf isotopic evidence in diverse zircons from voluminous rhyolites of the Picabo volcanic field, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drew, Dana L.; Bindeman, Ilya N.; Watts, Kathryn E.; Schmitt, Axel K.; Fu, Bin; McCurry, Michael

2013-01-01

Rhyolites of the Picabo volcanic field (10.4–6.6 Ma) in eastern Idaho are preserved as thick ignimbrites and lavas along the margins of the Snake River Plain (SRP), and within a deep (>3 km) borehole near the central axis of the Yellowstone hotspot track. In this study we present new O and Hf isotope data and U–Pb geochronology for individual zircons, O isotope data for major phenocrysts (quartz, plagioclase, and pyroxene), whole rock Sr and Nd isotope ratios, and whole rock geochemistry for a suite of Picabo rhyolites. We synthesize our new datasets with published Ar–Ar geochronology to establish the eruptive framework of the Picabo volcanic field, and interpret its petrogenetic history in the context of other well-studied caldera complexes in the SRP. Caldera complex evolution at Picabo began with eruption of the 10.44±0.27 Ma (U–Pb) Tuff of Arbon Valley (TAV), a chemically zoned and normal-δ18O (δ18O magma=7.9‰) unit with high, zoned 87Sr/86Sri (0.71488–0.72520), and low-εNd(0) (−18) and εHf(0) (−28). The TAV and an associated post caldera lava flow possess the lowest εNd(0) (−23), indicating ∼40–60% derivation from the Archean upper crust. Normal-δ18O rhyolites were followed by a series of lower-δ18O eruptions with more typical (lower crustal) Sr–Nd–Hf isotope ratios and whole rock chemistry. The voluminous 8.25±0.26 Ma West Pocatello rhyolite has the lowest δ18O value (δ18Omelt=3.3‰), and we correlate it to a 1,000 m thick intracaldera tuff present in the INEL-1 borehole (with published zircon ages 8.04–8.35 Ma, and similarly low-δ18O zircon values). The significant (4–5‰) decrease in magmatic-δ18O values in Picabo rhyolites is accompanied by an increase in zircon δ18O heterogeneity from ∼1‰ variation in the TAV to >5‰ variation in the late-stage low-δ18O rhyolites, a trend similar to what is characteristic of Heise and Yellowstone, and which indicates remelting of variably hydrothermally altered tuffs

Feeding ecology of native and nonnative salmonids during the expansion of a nonnative apex predator in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Syslo, John M.; Guy, Christopher S.; Koel, Todd M.

2016-01-01

The illegal introduction of Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush into Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, preceded the collapse of the native population of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri, producing a four-level trophic cascade. The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout population’s collapse and the coinciding increase in Lake Trout abundance provided a rare opportunity to evaluate the feeding ecology of a native prey species and a nonnative piscivore species after the restructuring of a large lentic ecosystem. We assessed diets, stable isotope signatures, and depth-related CPUE patterns for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout during 2011–2013 to evaluate trophic overlap. To evaluate diet shifts related to density, we also compared 2011–2013 diets to those from studies conducted during previous periods with contrasting Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout CPUEs. We illustrate the complex interactions between predator and prey in a simple assemblage and demonstrate how a nonnative apex predator can alter competitive interactions. The diets of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout were dominated by zooplankton during a period when the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout CPUE was high and were dominated by amphipods when the CPUE was reduced. Lake Trout shifted from a diet that was dominated by Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout during the early stages of the invasion to a diet that was dominated by amphipods after Lake Trout abundance had increased and after Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout prey had declined. The shifts in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout diets resulted in increased trophic similarity of these species through time due to their shared reliance on benthic amphipods. Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout not only face the threat posed by Lake Trout predation but also face the potential threat of competition with Lake Trout if amphipods are limiting. Our results demonstrate the importance of studying the long-term feeding ecology of fishes in

Two-dimensional habitat modeling in the Yellowstone/Upper Missouri River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddle, T. J.; Bovee, K.D.; Bowen, Z.H.

1997-01-01

This study is being conducted to provide the aquatic biology component of a decision support system being developed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In an attempt to capture the habitat needs of Great Plains fish communities we are looking beyond previous habitat modeling methods. Traditional habitat modeling approaches have relied on one-dimensional hydraulic models and lumped compositional habitat metrics to describe aquatic habitat. A broader range of habitat descriptors is available when both composition and configuration of habitats is considered. Habitat metrics that consider both composition and configuration can be adapted from terrestrial biology. These metrics are most conveniently accessed with spatially explicit descriptors of the physical variables driving habitat composition. Two-dimensional hydrodynamic models have advanced to the point that they may provide the spatially explicit description of physical parameters needed to address this problem. This paper reports progress to date on applying two-dimensional hydraulic and habitat models on the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers and uses examples from the Yellowstone River to illustrate the configurational metrics as a new tool for assessing riverine habitats.

Geologic studies of Yellowstone National Park imagery using an electronic image enhancement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smedes, H. W.

1970-01-01

The image enhancement system is described, as well as the kinds of enhancement attained. Results were obtained from various kinds of remote sensing imagery (mainly black and white multiband, color, color infrared, thermal infrared, and side-looking K-band radar) of parts of Yellowstone National Park. Possible additional fields of application of these techniques are considered.

Yellowstone wolves and the forces that structure natural systems.

PubMed

Dobson, Andy P

2014-12-01

Since their introduction in 1995 and 1996, wolves have had effects on Yellowstone that ripple across the entire structure of the food web that defines biodiversity in the Northern Rockies ecosystem. Ecological interpretations of the wolves have generated a significant amount of debate about the relative strength of top-down versus bottom-up forces in determining herbivore and vegetation abundance in Yellowstone. Debates such as this are central to the resolution of broader debates about the role of natural enemies and climate as forces that structure food webs and modify ecosystem function. Ecologists need to significantly raise the profile of these discussions; understanding the forces that structure food webs and determine species abundance and the supply of ecosystem services is one of the central scientific questions for this century; its complexity will require new minds, new mathematics, and significant, consistent funding.

Yellowstone Wolves and the Forces That Structure Natural Systems

PubMed Central

Dobson, Andy P.

2014-01-01

Since their introduction in 1995 and 1996, wolves have had effects on Yellowstone that ripple across the entire structure of the food web that defines biodiversity in the Northern Rockies ecosystem. Ecological interpretations of the wolves have generated a significant amount of debate about the relative strength of top-down versus bottom-up forces in determining herbivore and vegetation abundance in Yellowstone. Debates such as this are central to the resolution of broader debates about the role of natural enemies and climate as forces that structure food webs and modify ecosystem function. Ecologists need to significantly raise the profile of these discussions; understanding the forces that structure food webs and determine species abundance and the supply of ecosystem services is one of the central scientific questions for this century; its complexity will require new minds, new mathematics, and significant, consistent funding. PMID:25535737

Using Websites to Convey Scientific Uncertainties for Volcanic Processes and Potential Hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venezky, D. Y.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Hill, D. P.

2005-12-01

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) and Long Valley Observatory (LVO) websites have greatly increased the public's awareness and access to information about scientific uncertainties for volcanic processes by communicating at multiple levels of understanding and varied levels of detail. Our websites serve a broad audience ranging from visitors unaware of the calderas, to lay volcano enthusiasts, to scientists, federal agencies, and emergency managers. Both Yellowstone and Long Valley are highly visited tourist attractions with histories of caldera-forming eruptions large enough to alter global climate temporarily. Although it is much more likely that future activity would be on a small scale at either volcano, we are constantly posed questions about low-probability, high-impact events such as the caldera-forming eruption depicted in the recent BBC/Discovery movie, "Supervolcano". YVO and LVO website objectives include: providing monitoring data, explaining the likelihood of future events, summarizing research results, helping media provide reliable information, and expanding on information presented by the media. Providing detailed current information is a crucial website component as the public often searches online to augment information gained from often cryptic pronouncements by the media. In May 2005, for example, YVO saw an order of magnitude increase in page requests on the day MSNBC ran the misleading headline, "Yellowstone eruption threat high." The headline referred not to current events but a general rating of Yellowstone as one of 37 "high threat" volcanoes in the USGS National Volcano Early Warning System report. As websites become a more dominant source of information, we continuously revise our communication plans to make the most of this evolving medium. Because the internet gives equal access to all information providers, we find ourselves competing with various "doomsday" websites that sensationalize and distort the current understanding of

Dike emplacement and the birth of the Yellowstone hotspot, western USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glen, J. M.; Ponce, D. A.; Nomade, S.; John, D. A.

2003-04-01

The birth of the Yellowstone hotspot in middle Miocene time was marked by extensive flood basalt volcanism. Prominent aeromagnetic anomalies (referred to collectively as the Northern Nevada rifts), extending hundreds of kilometers across Nevada, are thought to represent dike swarms injected at the time of flood volcanism. Until now, however, dikes from only one of these anomalies (eastern) have been documented, sampled, and dated (40Ar/ 39Ar ages range from 15.4 +/-0.2 to 16.7 +/-0.5Ma; John et al., 2000, ages recalculated using the FCS standard age of 28.02 +/-0.28Ma). We present new paleomagnetic data and an 40Ar/ 39Ar age of 16.6 +/-0.3Ma for a mafic dike suggesting that all the anomalies likely originate from the same mid-Miocene fracturing event. The magnetic anomalies, together with the trends of dike swarms, faults, and fold axes produce a radiating pattern that converges on a point near the Oregon-Idaho boarder. We speculate that this pattern formed by stresses imposed by the impact of the Yellowstone hotspot. Glen and Ponce (2002) propose a simple stress model to account for this fracture pattern that consists of a point source of stress at the base of the crust and a regional stress field aligned with the presumed middle Miocene stress direction. Overlapping point and regional stresses result in stress trajectories that form a radiating pattern near the point source (i.e., hotspot). Far from the influence of the point stress, however, stress trajectories verge towards the NNW-trending regional stress direction (i.e., plate boundary stresses), similar to the pattern of dike swarm traces. Glen and Ponce, 2002, Geology, 30, 7, 647-650 John et al., 2000, Geol. Soc. Nev. Sym. Proc., May 15-18, 2000, 127-154

Field-trip guide to Columbia River flood basalts, associated rhyolites, and diverse post-plume volcanism in eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferns, Mark L.; Streck, Martin J.; McClaughry, Jason D.

2017-08-09

The Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) is the youngest and best preserved continental flood basalt province on Earth, linked in space and time with a compositionally diverse succession of volcanic rocks that partially record the apparent emergence and passage of the Yellowstone plume head through eastern Oregon during the late Cenozoic. This compositionally diverse suite of volcanic rocks are considered part of the La Grande-Owyhee eruptive axis (LOEA), an approximately 300-kilometer-long (185 mile), north-northwest-trending, middle Miocene to Pliocene volcanic belt located along the eastern margin of the Columbia River flood basalt province. Volcanic rocks erupted from and preserved within the LOEA form an important regional stratigraphic link between the (1) flood basalt-dominated Columbia Plateau on the north, (2) bimodal basalt-rhyolite vent complexes of the Owyhee Plateau on the south, (3) bimodal basalt-rhyolite and time-transgressive rhyolitic volcanic fields of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone Plateau, and (4) the High Lava Plains of central Oregon.This field-trip guide describes a 4-day geologic excursion that will explore the stratigraphic and geochemical relationships among mafic rocks of the Columbia River Basalt Group and coeval and compositionally diverse volcanic rocks associated with the early “Yellowstone track” and High Lava Plains in eastern Oregon. Beginning in Portland, the Day 1 log traverses the Columbia River gorge eastward to Baker City, focusing on prominent outcrops that reveal a distal succession of laterally extensive, large-volume tholeiitic flood lavas of the Grande Ronde, Wanapum, and Saddle Mountains Basalt formations of the CRBG. These “great flows” are typical of the well-studied flood basalt-dominated Columbia Plateau, where interbedded silicic and calc-alkaline lavas are conspicuously absent. The latter part of Day 1 will highlight exposures of middle to late Miocene silicic ash-flow tuffs, rhyolite domes, and

Volcanic processes in the solar system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.

1987-01-01

Eruptions of ammonia, water, and sulfur. These have become some of the concerns of planetary volcanologists as they try to understand volcanic processes on other planetary bodies. As exploration of the Solar System has continues, we have been confronted with more and more exotic forms of volcanism and have come to realize that the types of volcanic activity observed on Earth represent only a fraction of the array of volcanic phenomena that are possible. Some volcanic features of other planets have close terrestrial counterparts and appear to have been formed by similar mechanisms and from similar magmas to those on the Earth. but other features are totally different and appear to have been formed from materials that are not normally associated with volcanism on Earth.

The 1988 Fires in Yellowstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dress, Abby

2008-01-01

The 1988 fires at Yellowstone National Park burned 1.4 million acres in the tri-state areas of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho--encompassing the greater Yellowstone area--and burned some 800,000 acres within the park itself (Franke 2000). This article discusses this extraordinary fire event and contains helpful resources for bringing the science of…

Prodigious degassing of a billion years of accumulated radiogenic helium at Yellowstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Evans, William C.; Bergfeld, D.; Hunt, Andrew G.

2014-01-01

Helium is used as a critical tracer throughout the Earth sciences, where its relatively simple isotopic systematics is used to trace degassing from the mantle, to date groundwater and to time the rise of continents1. The hydrothermal system at Yellowstone National Park is famous for its high helium-3/helium-4 isotope ratio, commonly cited as evidence for a deep mantle source for the Yellowstone hotspot2. However, much of the helium emitted from this region is actually radiogenic helium-4 produced within the crust by α-decay of uranium and thorium. Here we show, by combining gas emission rates with chemistry and isotopic analyses, that crustal helium-4 emission rates from Yellowstone exceed (by orders of magnitude) any conceivable rate of generation within the crust. It seems that helium has accumulated for (at least) many hundreds of millions of years in Archaean (more than 2.5 billion years old) cratonic rocks beneath Yellowstone, only to be liberated over the past two million years by intense crustal metamorphism induced by the Yellowstone hotspot. Our results demonstrate the extremes in variability of crustal helium efflux on geologic timescales and imply crustal-scale open-system behaviour of helium in tectonically and magmatically active regions.

Rapid heterogeneous assembly of multiple magma reservoirs prior to Yellowstone supereruptions.

PubMed

Wotzlaw, Jörn-Frederik; Bindeman, Ilya N; Stern, Richard A; D'Abzac, Francois-Xavier; Schaltegger, Urs

2015-09-10

Large-volume caldera-forming eruptions of silicic magmas are an important feature of continental volcanism. The timescales and mechanisms of assembly of the magma reservoirs that feed such eruptions as well as the durations and physical conditions of upper-crustal storage remain highly debated topics in volcanology. Here we explore a comprehensive data set of isotopic (O, Hf) and chemical proxies in precisely U-Pb dated zircon crystals from all caldera-forming eruptions of Yellowstone supervolcano. Analysed zircons record rapid assembly of multiple magma reservoirs by repeated injections of isotopically heterogeneous magma batches and short pre-eruption storage times of 10(3) to 10(4) years. Decoupled oxygen-hafnium isotope systematics suggest a complex source for these magmas involving variable amounts of differentiated mantle-derived melt, Archean crust and hydrothermally altered shallow-crustal rocks. These data demonstrate that complex magma reservoirs with multiple sub-chambers are a common feature of rift- and hotspot related supervolcanoes. The short duration of reservoir assembly documents rapid crustal remelting and two to three orders of magnitude higher magma production rates beneath Yellowstone compared to continental arc volcanoes. The short pre-eruption storage times further suggest that the detection of voluminous reservoirs of eruptible magma beneath active supervolcanoes may only be possible prior to an impending eruption.

Rapid heterogeneous assembly of multiple magma reservoirs prior to Yellowstone supereruptions

PubMed Central

Wotzlaw, Jörn-Frederik; Bindeman, Ilya N.; Stern, Richard A.; D’Abzac, Francois-Xavier; Schaltegger, Urs

2015-01-01

Large-volume caldera-forming eruptions of silicic magmas are an important feature of continental volcanism. The timescales and mechanisms of assembly of the magma reservoirs that feed such eruptions as well as the durations and physical conditions of upper-crustal storage remain highly debated topics in volcanology. Here we explore a comprehensive data set of isotopic (O, Hf) and chemical proxies in precisely U-Pb dated zircon crystals from all caldera-forming eruptions of Yellowstone supervolcano. Analysed zircons record rapid assembly of multiple magma reservoirs by repeated injections of isotopically heterogeneous magma batches and short pre-eruption storage times of 103 to 104 years. Decoupled oxygen-hafnium isotope systematics suggest a complex source for these magmas involving variable amounts of differentiated mantle-derived melt, Archean crust and hydrothermally altered shallow-crustal rocks. These data demonstrate that complex magma reservoirs with multiple sub-chambers are a common feature of rift- and hotspot related supervolcanoes. The short duration of reservoir assembly documents rapid crustal remelting and two to three orders of magnitude higher magma production rates beneath Yellowstone compared to continental arc volcanoes. The short pre-eruption storage times further suggest that the detection of voluminous reservoirs of eruptible magma beneath active supervolcanoes may only be possible prior to an impending eruption. PMID:26356304

Volcanic Alert System (VAS) developed during the (2011-2013) El Hierro (Canary Islands) volcanic process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Ramon; Berrocoso, Manuel; Marrero, Jose Manuel; Fernandez-Ros, Alberto; Prates, Gonçalo; De la Cruz-Reyna, Servando; Garcia, Alicia

2014-05-01

In volcanic areas with long repose periods (as El Hierro), recently installed monitoring networks offer no instrumental record of past eruptions nor experience in handling a volcanic crisis. Both conditions, uncertainty and inexperience, contribute to make the communication of hazard more difficult. In fact, in the initial phases of the unrest at El Hierro, the perception of volcanic risk was somewhat distorted, as even relatively low volcanic hazards caused a high political impact. The need of a Volcanic Alert System became then evident. In general, the Volcanic Alert System is comprised of the monitoring network, the software tools for the analysis of the observables, the management of the Volcanic Activity Level, and the assessment of the threat. The Volcanic Alert System presented here places special emphasis on phenomena associated to moderate eruptions, as well as on volcano-tectonic earthquakes and landslides, which in some cases, as in El Hierro, may be more destructive than an eruption itself. As part of the Volcanic Alert System, we introduce here the Volcanic Activity Level which continuously applies a routine analysis of monitoring data (particularly seismic and deformation data) to detect data trend changes or monitoring network failures. The data trend changes are quantified according to the Failure Forecast Method (FFM). When data changes and/or malfunctions are detected, by an automated watchdog, warnings are automatically issued to the Monitoring Scientific Team. Changes in the data patterns are then translated by the Monitoring Scientific Team into a simple Volcanic Activity Level, that is easy to use and understand by the scientists and technicians in charge for the technical management of the unrest. The main feature of the Volcanic Activity Level is its objectivity, as it does not depend on expert opinions, which are left to the Scientific Committee, and its capabilities for early detection of precursors. As a consequence of the El Hierro

Effects of water-resource development on Yellowstone River streamflow, 1928-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eddy-Miller, Cheryl A.; Chase, Katherine J.

2015-01-01

Major floods in 1996 and 1997 intensified public concern about the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River in Montana. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council, whose members are primarily representatives from the conservation districts bordering the main stem of the Yellowstone River, was formed to promote wise use and conservation of the Yellowstone River’s natural resources. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to understand the cumulative hydrologic effects of water-resource development in the Yellowstone River Basin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Yellowstone River Conservation District Council, and U.S. Geological Survey began cooperatively studying the Yellowstone River in 2010, publishing four reports describing streamflow information for selected sites in the Yellowstone River Basin, 1928–2002. Detailed information about the methods used, as well as summary streamflow statistics, are available in the four reports. The purpose of this fact sheet is to highlight findings from the published reports and describe the effects of water use and structures, primarily dams, on the Yellowstone River streamflow.

Geothermal Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heasler, H. P.; Jaworowski, C.; Susong, D. D.; Lowenstern, J. B.

2007-12-01

When the first exploring parties surveyed the Yellowstone region in the late 19th Century, it was the geologic wonders - geysers, hot springs, mudpots, fumaroles - that captured their imaginations. Because of these treasures, the U.S. Congress set aside and dedicated this land of "natural curiosities" as the world's first "public pleasuring ground". Protection of Yellowstone's unique geothermal features is a key mission of Yellowstone National Park as mandated by U. S. Congressional law. In response to that mandate, the Yellowstone National Park Geology Program developed a peer-reviewed, Geothermal Monitoring Plan in 2003. With partial Congressional funding of the Plan in 2005, implementation of a scientific monitoring effort began. Yellowstone's scientific geothermal monitoring effort includes the acquisition of time-temperature data using electronic data loggers, basic water quality data, chloride flux data, estimates of radiative heat flux using airborne, thermal infrared imagery, geothermal gas monitoring, and the monitoring of groundwater wells. Time- temperature data are acquired for geysers, hot springs, steam vents, wells, rivers, and the ground. Uses of the time-temperature data include public safety, calibrating airborne thermal infrared-imagery, monitoring selected thermal features for potential hydrothermal explosions, and determining the spatial and temporal changes in thermal areas. Since 2003, upgrades of Yellowstone's stream gaging network have improved the spatial and temporal precision of the chloride flux, water quality, and groundwater components of the Geothermal Monitoring Plan. All of these methods serve both for geothermal monitoring and volcano monitoring as part of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. A major component of the Geothermal Monitoring Plan is remote sensing of the Yellowstone volcano and its active hydrothermal areas at various scales. The National Center for Landscape Fire Analysis at the University of Montana and the USDA

Neogene Fallout Tuffs from the Yellowstone Hotspot in the Columbia Plateau Region, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, USA

PubMed Central

Nash, Barbara P.; Perkins, Michael E.

2012-01-01

Sedimentary sequences in the Columbia Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest ranging in age from 16–4 Ma contain fallout tuffs whose origins lie in volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in northwestern Nevada, eastern Oregon and the Snake River Plain in Idaho. Silicic volcanism began in the region contemporaneously with early eruptions of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), and the abundance of widespread fallout tuffs provides the opportunity to establish a tephrostratigrahic framework for the region. Sedimentary basins with volcaniclastic deposits also contain diverse assemblages of fauna and flora that were preserved during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, including Sucker Creek, Mascall, Latah, Virgin Valley and Trout Creek. Correlation of ashfall units establish that the lower Bully Creek Formation in eastern Oregon is contemporaneous with the Virgin Valley Formation, the Sucker Creek Formation, Oregon and Idaho, Trout Creek Formation, Oregon, and the Latah Formation in the Clearwater Embayment in Washington and Idaho. In addition, it can be established that the Trout Creek flora are younger than the Mascall and Latah flora. A tentative correlation of a fallout tuff from the Clarkia fossil beds, Idaho, with a pumice bed in the Bully Creek Formation places the remarkably well preserved Clarkia flora assemblage between the Mascall and Trout Creek flora. Large-volume supereruptions that originated between 11.8 and 10.1 Ma from the Bruneau-Jarbidge and Twin Falls volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in the central Snake River Plain deposited voluminous fallout tuffs in the Ellensberg Formation which forms sedimentary interbeds in the CRBG. These occurrences extend the known distribution of these fallout tuffs 500 km to the northwest of their source in the Snake River Plain. Heretofore, the distal products of these large eruptions had only been recognized to the east of their sources in the High Plains of Nebraska and Kansas. PMID:23071494

Neogene fallout tuffs from the Yellowstone hotspot in the Columbia Plateau region, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, USA.

PubMed

Nash, Barbara P; Perkins, Michael E

2012-01-01

Sedimentary sequences in the Columbia Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest ranging in age from 16-4 Ma contain fallout tuffs whose origins lie in volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in northwestern Nevada, eastern Oregon and the Snake River Plain in Idaho. Silicic volcanism began in the region contemporaneously with early eruptions of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), and the abundance of widespread fallout tuffs provides the opportunity to establish a tephrostratigrahic framework for the region. Sedimentary basins with volcaniclastic deposits also contain diverse assemblages of fauna and flora that were preserved during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, including Sucker Creek, Mascall, Latah, Virgin Valley and Trout Creek. Correlation of ashfall units establish that the lower Bully Creek Formation in eastern Oregon is contemporaneous with the Virgin Valley Formation, the Sucker Creek Formation, Oregon and Idaho, Trout Creek Formation, Oregon, and the Latah Formation in the Clearwater Embayment in Washington and Idaho. In addition, it can be established that the Trout Creek flora are younger than the Mascall and Latah flora. A tentative correlation of a fallout tuff from the Clarkia fossil beds, Idaho, with a pumice bed in the Bully Creek Formation places the remarkably well preserved Clarkia flora assemblage between the Mascall and Trout Creek flora. Large-volume supereruptions that originated between 11.8 and 10.1 Ma from the Bruneau-Jarbidge and Twin Falls volcanic centers of the Yellowstone hotspot in the central Snake River Plain deposited voluminous fallout tuffs in the Ellensberg Formation which forms sedimentary interbeds in the CRBG. These occurrences extend the known distribution of these fallout tuffs 500 km to the northwest of their source in the Snake River Plain. Heretofore, the distal products of these large eruptions had only been recognized to the east of their sources in the High Plains of Nebraska and Kansas.

The Roles of the Yellowstone Hotspot and Crustal Assimilation in Generating Pleistocene-Holocene Basalts on the Eastern Snake River Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mintz, H.; Chadwick, J.

2017-12-01

The southwest motion of the North American plate across the Yellowstone hotspot created a chain of age-progressive rhyolitic calderas over the past 16 myr. in southern Idaho, U.S. The focus of Yellowstone activity now resides in northwest Wyoming, but basaltic volcanism has continued in its wake in southern Idaho on the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP). These younger basaltic lavas are not age progressive and have buried the Yellowstone rhyolites on the ESRP. The ultimate source of the basalts is commonly ascribed to the passage or presence of the hotspot. However, the mechanisms involved, and the relative roles of the hotspot, other mantle sources, and the North American crust in generating the ESRP basalts remain unclear and have been the subject of recent geochemical and isotopic studies. In this study, the role of crustal assimilation is addressed by analyzing the chemical and isotopic characteristics of some of the youngest Pleistocene-Holocene tholeiitic volcanic fields on the ESRP, which were erupted through varying thicknesses of continental crust. Samples were analyzed from the Hell's Half Acre flow (5,200 years old; all dates Kuntz et al., 1986, 1994), Cerro Grande flow (13,380 years), and Black Butte Crater (a.k.a. Shoshone) flow (10,130 years), which were erupted at distances from between about 200 to 300 km from the current location of the hotspot. The crust of the ESRP thins from northeast to southwest, from about 47 km at the Hells Half Acre flow to 40 km at the Black Butte Crater flow, a thickness difference of about 15%. The apparently similar tectonic and magmatic environments of the three sampled flows suggest the crustal thickness variation may be a primary influence on the magnitude of assimilation and therefore the isotopic characteristics of the lavas. The goal of this work is to constrain the relative role of assimilation and to understand the source(s) of the magmas and the Yellowstone hotspot contribution. Major elements, trace elements

Delineating Spatial Patterns in the Yellowstone Hydrothermal System using Geothermometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, J.; Hurwitz, S.; Lowenstern, J. B.

2015-12-01

Yellowstone National Park is unmatched with regard to its quantity of active hydrothermal features. Origins of thermal waters in its geyser basins have been traced to mixing of a deep parent water with meteoric waters in shallow local reservoirs (Fournier, 1989). A mineral-solution equilibrium model was developed to calculate water-rock chemical re-equilibration temperatures in these shallow reservoirs. We use the GeoT program, which uses water composition data as input to calculate saturation indices of selected minerals; the "best-clustering" minerals are then statistically determined to infer reservoir temperatures (Spycher et al., 2013). We develop the method using water composition data from Heart Lake Geyser Basin (HLGB), for which both chemical and isotopic geothermometers predict a reservoir water temperature of 205°C ± 10°C (Lowenstern et al., 2012), and minerals found in drill cores in Yellowstone's geyser basins. We test the model for sensitivity to major element composition, pH, Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC) and selected minerals to optimize model parameters. Calculated temperatures are most accurate at pH values below 9.0, and closely match the equilibrium saturation indices of quartz, stilbite, microcline, and albite. The model is optimized with a TIC concentration that is consistent with the mass of diffuse CO2 flux in HLGB (Lowenstern et al., 2012). We then use water compositions from other thermal basins in Yellowstone in search of spatial variations in reservoir temperatures. We then compare the calculated temperatures with various SiO2 and cation geothermometers.

Volcanic systems of Iceland and their magma source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigmarsson, Olgeir

2017-04-01

Several active hot-spot volcanoes produce magma from mantle sources which composition varies on decadal time scale. This is probably best demonstrated by the recent work of Pietruszka and collaborators on Kilauea, Hawaii. In marked contrast, basalt lavas from volcanic system in Iceland located above the presumed centre of the Iceland mantle plume have uniform isotope composition over the last 10 thousand years. Volcanic systems are composed of a central volcano and a fissure swarm, or a combination of both and they represent a fundamental component of the neovolcanic zones in Iceland. Four such systems, those of Askja, Bárðarbunga, Kverkfjöll and Grímsvötn in central Iceland were chosen for investigation. The last three have central volcanoes covered by the Vatnajökull ice-sheet whereas part of their fissure swarms is ice-free. Tephra produced during subglacial eruptions together with lavas from the fissure swarms of Holocene age have been collected and analysed for Sr, Nd and Th isotope ratios. Those volcanic formations that can be univocally correlated to a given volcanic system display uniform isotope ratio but different from one volcanic system to another. An exception to this regularity is that Askja products have isotope ratios indistinguishable from those of Gímsvötn, but since these volcanic systems lies far apart their lava fields do not overlap. A practical aspect of these findings was demonstrated during the rifting event of Bárðarbunga and fissure eruption forming the Holuhraun lava field. Relatively low, O isotope ratios in these basalts and heterogeneous macrocrystal composition have been ascribed to important metabasaltic crustal contamination with or without crystal mush recycling. In that case a surprisingly efficient magma mixing and melt homogenization must have occurred in the past beneath the volcanic systems. One possibility is that during the rapid deglaciation much mantle melting occurred and melts accumulated at the mantle

Denali Park wolf studies: Implications for Yellowstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mech, L. David; Meier, Thomas J.; Burch, John W.

1991-01-01

The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1987) recommends re-establishment of wolves (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone National Park. Bills proposing wolf re-establishment in the Park have been introduced into the U.S. House and Senate. However, several questions have been raised about the possible effects of wolf re-establishment on other Yellowstone Park fauna, on human use of the Park and on human use of surrounding areas. Thus the proposed wolf re-establishment remains controversial.Information pertinent to some of the above questions is available from a current study of wolf ecology in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, which we began in 1986. Although Denali Park differs from Yellowstone in several ways, it is also similar enough in important respects to provide insight into questions raised about wolf re-establishment in Yellowstone.

Volcanic Perspective on Plutonism based on Patterns in Evolution in Long-Lived Continental Volcanic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grunder, A. L.; Harris, R. N.; Walker, B. A.; Giles, D.; Klemetti, E. W.

2008-12-01

Volcanic rocks represent a biased view of magmatism, but provide critical quenched samples and temporal constraints of magmatic evolution obscured in the plutonic record. We here draw on the records from the Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster (AVC; 10 to 0 Ma) in northern Chile and from the mid-Tertiary volcanic field in east-central Nevada (ECNVF; ~40-32 Ma) to consider how evolutionary patterns of intermediate composition volcanic systems bear on the magmatic reworking of the continental crust by plutons and batholiths. Despite disparate tectonic setting (subduction vs extension) and volumes (70 km crust for the ~300 km 3 AVC versus and ~40 km crust for the ~3000 km 3 ECNVF) both volcanic systems share a history of early compositionally diverse volcanism, followed by a stage of more centralized and voluminous dacitic volcanism, which in turn is followed by waning of volcanism. The compositional change and the rapid increase in magma output rate after about half the lifetime of the system is a characteristic pattern of long- lived continental volcanic systems based on a compilation of volume-composition data. The middle, voluminous stage corresponds to the hottest upper crustal conditions, deduced from Al-in-amphibole geothermobarometry and Ti-in-zircon thermometry of the AVC. The middle stage rocks also have textures indicating hybridization of mixed magmas. Simple thermal models of heat input via intraplating readily allow for generation of partially molten crust above the sill, but they do not emulate the rapid increase of magma after some incubation time. We propose that there is a feedback in which a critical thickness of partially molten crust, consisting in part of magmatic precursors, can be readily convectively stirred and mixed with magma of the underplating sill, rapidly creating a large, hybrid and relatively hot body of magma. Stirring facilitates separation of a liquid-enriched extract. The volume of liquid extracted may be small relative to residual

Post-glacial inflation-deflation cycles, tilting, and faulting in the Yellowstone Caldera based on Yellowstone Lake shorelines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Cannon, Kenneth P.; Meyer, Grant A.; Trebesch, Matthew J.; Watts, Raymond D.

2002-01-01

The Yellowstone caldera, like many other later Quaternary calderas of the world, exhibits dramatic unrest. Between 1923 and 1985, the center of the Yellowstone caldera rose nearly one meter along an axis between its two resurgent domes (Pelton and Smith, 1979, Dzurisin and Yamashita, 1987). From 1985 until 1995-6, it subsided at about two cm/yr (Dzurisin and others, 1990). More recent radar interferometry studies show renewed inflation of the northeastern resurgent dome between 1995 and 1996; this inflation migrated to the southwestern resurgent dome from 1996 to 1997 (Wicks and others, 1998). We extend this record back in time using dated geomorphic evidence of postglacial Yellowstone Lake shorelines around the northern shore, and Yellowstone River levels in the outlet area. We date these shorelines using carbon isotopic and archeological methods. Following Meyer and Locke (1986) and Locke and Meyer (1994), we identify the modern shoreline as S1 (1.9 ? 0.3 m above the lake gage datum), map paleoshoreline terraces S2 to S6, and infer that the prominent shorelines were cut during intracaldera uplift episodes that produced rising water levels. Doming along the caldera axis reduces the gradient of the Yellowstone River from Le Hardys Rapids to the Yellowstone Lake outlet and ultimately causes an increase in lake level. The 1923-1985 doming is part of a longer uplift episode that has reduced the Yellowstone River gradient to a ?pool? with a drop of only 0.25 m over most of this 5 km reach. We also present new evidence that doming has caused submergence of some Holocene lake and river levels. Shoreline S5 is about 14 m above datum and estimated to be ~12.6 ka, because it post-dates a large hydrothermal explosion deposit from the Mary Bay area (MB-II) that occurred ~13 ka. S4 formed about 8 m above datum ~10.7 ka as dated by archeology and 14C, and was accompanied by offset on the Fishing Bridge fault. About 9.7 ka, the Yellowstone River eroded the ?S-meander?, followed

New challenges for grizzly bear management in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Manen, Frank T.; Gunther, Kerry A.

2016-01-01

A key factor contributing to the success of grizzly bear Ursus arctos conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has been the existence of a large protected area, Yellowstone National Park. We provide an overview of recovery efforts, how demographic parameters changed as the population increased, and how the bear management program in Yellowstone National Park has evolved to address new management challenges over time. Finally, using the management experiences in Yellowstone National Park, we present comparisons and perspectives regarding brown bear management in Shiretoko National Park.

Hydrogen and bioenergetics in the Yellowstone geothermal ecosystem

PubMed Central

Spear, John R.; Walker, Jeffrey J.; McCollom, Thomas M.; Pace, Norman R.

2005-01-01

The geochemical energy budgets for high-temperature microbial ecosystems such as occur at Yellowstone National Park have been unclear. To address the relative contributions of different geochemistries to the energy demands of these ecosystems, we draw together three lines of inference. We studied the phylogenetic compositions of high-temperature (>70°C) communities in Yellowstone hot springs with distinct chemistries, conducted parallel chemical analyses, and carried out thermodynamic modeling. Results of extensive molecular analyses, taken with previous results, show that most microbial biomass in these systems, as reflected by rRNA gene abundance, is comprised of organisms of the kinds that derive energy for primary productivity from the oxidation of molecular hydrogen, H2. The apparent dominance by H2-metabolizing organisms indicates that H2 is the main source of energy for primary production in the Yellowstone high-temperature ecosystem. Hydrogen concentrations in the hot springs were measured and found to range up to >300 nM, consistent with this hypothesis. Thermodynamic modeling with environmental concentrations of potential energy sources also is consistent with the proposed microaerophilic, hydrogen-based energy economy for this geothermal ecosystem, even in the presence of high concentrations of sulfide. PMID:15671178

Volcanic eruptions; energy and size

USGS Publications Warehouse

de la Cruz-Reyna, S.

1991-01-01

The Earth is a dynamic planet. Many different processes are continuously developing, creating a delicate balance between the energy stored and generated in its interior and the heat lost into space. The heat in continuously transferred through complex self-regulating convection mechanisms on a planetary scale. The distribution of terrestrial heat flow reveals some of the fine structure of the energy transport mechanisms in the outer layers of the Earth. Of these mechanisms in the outer layers of the Earth. Of these mechanisms, volcanism is indeed the most remarkable, for it allows energy to be transported in rapid bursts to the surface. In order to maintain the subtle balance of the terrestrial heat machine, one may expect that some law or principle restricts the ways in which these volcanic bursts affect the overall energy transfer of the Earth. For instance, we know that the geothermal flux of the planet amounts to 1028 erg/year. On the other hand, a single large event like the Lava Creek Tuff eruption that formed Yellowstone caldera over half a million years ago may release the same amount of energy in a very small area, over a short period of time. 

Field-trip guides to selected volcanoes and volcanic landscapes of the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2017-06-23

The North American Cordillera is home to a greater diversity of volcanic provinces than any comparably sized region in the world. The interplay between changing plate-margin interactions, tectonic complexity, intra-crustal magma differentiation, and mantle melting have resulted in a wealth of volcanic landscapes.  Field trips in this guide book collection (published as USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5022) visit many of these landscapes, including (1) active subduction-related arc volcanoes in the Cascade Range; (2) flood basalts of the Columbia Plateau; (3) bimodal volcanism of the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone volcanic system; (4) some of the world’s largest known ignimbrites from southern Utah, central Colorado, and northern Nevada; (5) extension-related volcanism in the Rio Grande Rift and Basin and Range Province; and (6) the eastern Sierra Nevada featuring Long Valley Caldera and the iconic Bishop Tuff.  Some of the field trips focus on volcanic eruptive and emplacement processes, calling attention to the fact that the western United States provides opportunities to examine a wide range of volcanological phenomena at many scales.The 2017 Scientific Assembly of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) in Portland, Oregon, was the impetus to update field guides for many of the volcanoes in the Cascades Arc, as well as publish new guides for numerous volcanic provinces and features of the North American Cordillera. This collection of guidebooks summarizes decades of advances in understanding of magmatic and tectonic processes of volcanic western North America. These field guides are intended for future generations of scientists and the general public as introductions to these fascinating areas; the hope is that the general public will be enticed toward further exploration and that scientists will pursue further field-based research.

Effects of exotic species on Yellowstone's grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reinhart, Daniel P.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Mattson, D.J.; Gunther, Kerry A.

2001-01-01

Humans have affected grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) by direct mortality, competition for space and resources, and introduction of exotic species. Exotic organisms that have affected grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area include common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), nonnative clovers (Trifolium spp.), domesticated livestock, bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). Some bears consume substantial amounts of dandelion and clover. However, these exotic foods provide little digested energy compared to higher-quality bear foods. Domestic livestock are of greater energetic value, but use of this food by bears often leads to conflicts with humans and subsequent increases in bear mortality. Lake trout, blister rust, and brucellosis diminish grizzly bears foods. Lake trout prey on native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) in Yellowstone Lake; white pine blister rust has the potential to destroy native whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) stands; and management response to bovine brucellosis, a disease found in the Yellowstone bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus), could reduce populations of these 2 species. Exotic species will likely cause more harm than good for Yellowstone grizzly bears. Managers have few options to mitigate or contain the impacts of exotics on Yellowstone's grizzly bears. Moreover, their potential negative impacts have only begun to unfold. Exotic species may lead to the loss of substantial highquality grizzly bear foods, including much of the bison, trout, and pine seeds that Yellowstone grizzly bears currently depend upon.

Expedition: Yellowstone! A Cooperative School Outreach Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Golia, Jack; And Others

Designed to help upper elementary school teachers prepare for a class expedition to Yellowstone National Park, this workbook presents environmental learning activities that are also useful in schools too distant for an actual visit. Either way, the workbook aims to develop student appreciation of Yellowstone, the life in it, and the park's value…

Cosmogenic exposure-age chronologies of Pinedale and Bull Lake glaciations in greater Yellowstone and the Teton Range, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Licciardi, J.M.; Pierce, K.L.

2008-01-01

We have obtained 69 new cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure ages from boulders on moraines deposited by glaciers of the greater Yellowstone glacial system and Teton Range during the middle and late Pleistocene. These new data, combined with 43 previously obtained 3He and 10Be ages from deposits of the northern Yellowstone outlet glacier, establish a high-resolution chronology for the Yellowstone-Teton mountain glacier complexes. Boulders deposited at the southern limit of the penultimate ice advance of the Yellowstone glacial system yield a mean age of 136??13 10Be ka and oldest ages of ???151-157 10Be ka. These ages support a correlation with the Bull Lake of West Yellowstone, with the type Bull Lake of the Wind River Range, and with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. End moraines marking the maximum Pinedale positions of outlet glaciers around the periphery of the Yellowstone glacial system range in age from 18.8??0.9 to 16.5??1.4 10Be ka, and possibly as young as 14.6??0.7 10Be ka, suggesting differences in response times of the various ice-cap source regions. Moreover, all dated Pinedale terminal moraines in the greater Yellowstone glacial system post-date the Pinedale maximum in the Wind River Range by ???4-6 kyr, indicating a significant phase relationship between glacial maxima in these adjacent ranges. Boulders on the outermost set and an inner set of Pinedale end moraines enclosing Jenny Lake on the eastern Teton front yield mean ages of 14.6??0.7 and 13.5??1.1 10Be ka, respectively. The outer Jenny Lake moraines are partially buried by outwash from ice on the Yellowstone Plateau, hence their age indicates a major standstill of an expanded valley glacier in the Teton Range prior to the Younger Dryas, followed closely by deglaciation of the Yellowstone Plateau. These new glacial chronologies are indicative of spatially variable regional climate forcing and temporally complex patterns of glacier responses in this region of the Rocky Mountains during the Pleistocene

Timing and development of the Heise volcanic field, Snake River Plain, Idaho, western USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, L.A.; McIntosh, W.C.

2005-01-01

The Snake River Plain (SRP) developed over the last 16 Ma as a bimodal volcanic province in response to the southwest movement of the North American plate over a fixed melting anomaly. Volcanism along the SRP is dominated by eruptions of explosive high-silica rhyolites and represents some of the largest eruptions known. Basaltic eruptions represent the final stages of volcanism, forming a thin cap above voluminous rhyolitic deposits. Volcanism progressed, generally from west to east, along the plain episodically in successive volcanic fields comprised of nested caldera complexes with major caldera-forming eruptions within a particular field separated by ca. 0.5-1 Ma, similar to, and in continuation with, the present-day Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field. Passage of the North American plate over the melting anomaly at a particular point in time and space was accompanied by uplift, regional tectonism, massive explosive eruptions, and caldera subsidence, and followed by basaltic volcanism and general subsidence. The Heise volcan ic field in the eastern SRP, Idaho, represents an adjacent and slightly older field immediately to the southwest of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field. Five large-volume (>0.5 km3) rhyolitic ignimbrites constitute a time-stratigraphic framework of late Miocene to early Pliocene volcanism for the study region. Field relations and high-precision 40Ar/39Ar age determinations establish that four of these regional ignimbrites were erupted from the Heise volcanic field and form the framework of the Heise Group. These are the Blacktail Creek Tuff (6.62 ?? 0.03 Ma), Walcott Tuff (6.27 ?? 0.04 Ma), Conant Creek Tuff (5.51 ?? 0.13 Ma), and Kilgore Tuff (4.45 ?? 0.05 Ma; all errors reported at ?? 2??). The fifth widespread ignimbrite in the regions is the Arbon Valley Tuff Member of the Starlight Formation (10.21 ?? 0.03 Ma), which erupted from a caldera source outside of the Heise volcanic field. These results establish the Conant Creek Tuff as a

Using geochemistry in the greater Yellowstone area

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

The greater Yellowstone area lies within adjoining parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho (see figure) and includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, parts of six national forests, plus State lands, national wildlife refuges, Bureau of Land Management lands, and private lands. This area is known worldwide for its scenic beauty, wildlife, and geologic and geothermal features.

Volcanic alert system (VAS) developed during the 2011-2014 El Hierro (Canary Islands) volcanic process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, Alicia; Berrocoso, Manuel; Marrero, José M.; Fernández-Ros, Alberto; Prates, Gonçalo; De la Cruz-Reyna, Servando; Ortiz, Ramón

2014-06-01

The 2011 volcanic unrest at El Hierro Island illustrated the need for a Volcanic Alert System (VAS) specifically designed for the management of volcanic crises developing after long repose periods. The VAS comprises the monitoring network, the software tools for analysis of the monitoring parameters, the Volcanic Activity Level (VAL) management, and the assessment of hazard. The VAS presented here focuses on phenomena related to moderate eruptions, and on potentially destructive volcano-tectonic earthquakes and landslides. We introduce a set of new data analysis tools, aimed to detect data trend changes, as well as spurious signals related to instrumental failure. When data-trend changes and/or malfunctions are detected, a watchdog is triggered, issuing a watch-out warning (WOW) to the Monitoring Scientific Team (MST). The changes in data patterns are then translated by the MST into a VAL that is easy to use and understand by scientists, technicians, and decision-makers. Although the VAS was designed specifically for the unrest episodes at El Hierro, the methodologies may prove useful at other volcanic systems.

The Volcanism Ontology (VO): a model of the volcanic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myer, J.; Babaie, H. A.

2017-12-01

We have modeled a part of the complex material and process entities and properties of the volcanic system in the Volcanism Ontology (VO) applying several top-level ontologies such as Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), SWEET, and Ontology of Physics for Biology (OPB) within a single framework. The continuant concepts in BFO describe features with instances that persist as wholes through time and have qualities (attributes) that may change (e.g., state, composition, and location). In VO, the continuants include lava, volcanic rock, and volcano. The occurrent concepts in BFO include processes, their temporal boundaries, and the spatio-temporal regions within which they occur. In VO, these include eruption (process), the onset of pyroclastic flow (temporal boundary), and the space and time span of the crystallization of lava in a lava tube (spatio-temporal region). These processes can be of physical (e.g., debris flow, crystallization, injection), atmospheric (e.g., vapor emission, ash particles blocking solar radiation), hydrological (e.g., diffusion of water vapor, hot spring), thermal (e.g., cooling of lava) and other types. The properties (predicates) relate continuants to other continuants, occurrents to continuants, and occurrents to occurrents. The ontology also models other concepts such as laboratory and field procedures by volcanologists, sampling by sensors, and the type of instruments applied in monitoring volcanic activity. When deployed on the web, VO will be used to explicitly and formally annotate data and information collected by volcanologists based on domain knowledge. This will enable the integration of global volcanic data and improve the interoperability of software that deal with such data.

The question of recharge to the deep thermal reservoir underlying the geysers and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park: Chapter H in Integrated geoscience studies in Integrated geoscience studies in the Greater Yellowstone Area—Volcanic, tectonic, and hydrothermal processes in the Yellowstone geoecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rye, Robert O.; Truesdell, Alfred Hemingway; Morgan, Lisa A.

2007-01-01

The extraordinary number, size, and unspoiled beauty of the geysers and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park (the Park) make them a national treasure. The hydrology of these special features and their relation to cold waters of the Yellowstone area are poorly known. In the absence of deep drill holes, such information is available only indirectly from isotope studies. The δD-δ18O values of precipitation and cold surface-water and ground-water samples are close to the global meteoric water line (Craig, 1961). δD values of monthly samples of rain and snow collected from 1978 to 1981 at two stations in the Park show strong seasonal variations, with average values for winter months close to those for cold waters near the collection sites. δD values of more than 300 samples from cold springs, cold streams, and rivers collected during the fall from 1967 to 1992 show consistent north-south and east-west patterns throughout and outside of the Park, although values at a given site vary by as much as 8 ‰ from year to year. These data, along with hot-spring data (Truesdell and others, 1977; Pearson and Truesdell, 1978), show that ascending Yellowstone thermal waters are modified isotopically and chemically by a variety of boiling and mixing processes in shallow reservoirs. Near geyser basins, shallow recharge waters from nearby rhyolite plateaus dilute the ascending deep thermal waters, particularly at basin margins, and mix and boil in reservoirs that commonly are interconnected. Deep recharge appears to derive from a major deep thermal-reservoir fluid that supplies steam and hot water to all geyser basins on the west side of the Park and perhaps in the entire Yellowstone caldera. This water (T ≥350°C; δD = –149±1 ‰) is isotopically lighter than all but the farthest north, highest altitude cold springs and streams and a sinter-producing warm spring (δD = –153 ‰) north of the Park. Derivation of this deep fluid solely from present-day recharge is

The Pearlette family ash beds in the Great Plains: Finding their identities and their roots in the Yellowstone country

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilcox, R.E.; Naeser, C.W.

1992-01-01

For many years the numerous deposits of so-called 'Pearlette volcanic ash' in the Great Plains region of the United States were considered to be the remnants of the same volcanic event, and were used as a time-stratigraphic marker of probable Middle Pleistocene age. Although a few early workers had suggested that more than one air-fall event might be represented among the Pearlette occurrences, it was not until the latter half of the present century, after identification of volcanic ash beds by detailed chemical and mineralogical methods had been developed, that it could be established that the 'Pearlette family' of volcanic ashes included three ash beds of subtly differing characteristics. Development of isotopic methods of age determination has established that the ages of the three are significantly different (2.09, 1.29, and 0.60 Ma). The area of distribution of the Pearlette family ash beds was found to include not only the Great Plains, but also to extend across the Rocky Mountain and the Basin and Range provinces to the Pacific Ocean. The search for the sources of these three similar appearing ash beds, facilitated greatly by information gained from concurrent mapping projects underway in areas of major Late Cenozoic volcanic activity in western United States, ultimately led to the sites of the caldera-forming eruptions in the Yellowstone National Park region. ?? 1992.

Exterior sound level measurements of snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-01

Sounds associated with oversnow vehicles, such as snowmobiles and snowcoaches, are an important management concern at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Centers Environmental Measurement a...

Insights into the Quaternary tectonics of the Yellowstone hotspot from a terrace record along the Hoback and Snake rivers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bufe, A.; Pederson, J. L.; Tuzlak, D.

2016-12-01

One of Earth's largest active supervolcanos and one of the most dynamically deforming areas in North America is located above the Yellowstone mantle plume. A pulse of dynamically supported uplift and extension of the upper crust has been moving northeastward as the North American plate migrated across the hotspot. This pules of uplift is complicated by subsidence of the Snake River Plain in the wake of the plume, due to a combination of crustal loading by intrusive and extrusive magmas, and by densification of igneous and volcanic rocks. Understanding the geodynamics as well as the seismic hazard of this region relies on studying the distribution and timing of active uplift, subsidence, and faulting across timescales. Here, we present preliminary results from a study of river terraces along the Hoback and upper Snake rivers that flow from the flanks of the Yellowstone plateau into the subsiding Snake River Plain. Combining terrace surveys with optically stimulated luminescence ages, we calculate incision rates of 0.1 - 0.3 mm/y along the deeply incised canyons of the Hoback and Snake rivers upstream of Alpine, WY. Rather than steadily decreasing away from the Yellowstone plume-head, the pattern of incision rates seems to be mostly affected by the distribution of normal faults - including the Alpine section of the Grand Valley Fault that has been reported to be inactive throughout the Quaternary. Downstream of Alpine and approaching the Snake River Plain, late Quaternary fill-terraces show much slower incision rates which might be consistent with a broad flexure of the region toward the subsiding Snake River Plain. Future studies of the Snake and Hoback rivers and additional streams around the Yellowstone hotspot will further illuminate the pattern of late Quaternary uplift in the region.

Myxobolus cerebralis in native cutthroat trout of the Yellowstone Lake ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koel, T.M.; Mahony, D.L.; Kinnan, K.L.; Rasmussen, C.; Hudson, C.J.; Murcia, S.; Kerans, B.L.

2006-01-01

The exotic parasite Myxobolus cerebralis was first detected in native adult Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvierii from Yellowstone Lake in 1998, seriously threatening the ecological integrity of this pristine, naturally functioning ecosystem. We immediately began to assess the prevalence and spatial extent of M. cerebralis infection in Yellowstone cutthroat trout within Yellowstone Lake and to determine the infection risk of age-0 Yellowstone cutthroat trout, the relative abundance and actinospore production of lubificid worms, and the basic environmental characteristics of tributaries. During 1999-2001, juvenile and adult Yellowstone cutthroat trout were infected throughout Yellowstone Lake; the highest prevalence (15.3-16.4%) occurred in the northern and central regions. Exposure studies in 13 streams indicated that Pelican and Clear creeks and the Yellowstone River were positive for M. cerebralis; the highest prevalence (100%) and severity was found in Pelican Creek during mid-July. Sexually mature individuals of the oligochaete Tubifex tubifex were most abundant in early summer, were genetically homogenous, and were members of a lineage known to produce moderate to high levels of M. cerebralis triactinomyxons. Only 20 of the 3,037 sampled tubificids produced actinospores after 7 d in culture, and none of the actinospores were M. cerebralis. However, one non-actinospore-producing T. tubifex from Pelican Creek tested positive for M. cerebralis by polymerase chain reaction. Stream temperatures at Pelican Creek, a fourth-order, low-gradient stream, were over 20??C during the first exposure period, suggesting that T. tubifex were capable of producing triactinomyxons at elevated temperatures in the wild. Although the infection of otherwise healthy adult Yellowstone cutthroat trout within Yellowstone Lake suggests some resistance, our sentinel cage exposures indicated that this subspecies may be more susceptible to whirling disease than previous

Distributions of small nongame fishes in the lower Yellowstone River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncan, Michael B.; Bramblett, Robert G.; Zale, Alexander V.

2016-01-01

The Yellowstone River is the longest unimpounded river in the conterminous United States. It has a relatively natural flow regime, which helps maintain diverse habitats and fish assemblages uncommon in large rivers elsewhere. The lower Yellowstone River was thought to support a diverse nongame fish assemblage including several species of special concern. However, comprehensive data on the small nongame fish assemblage of the lower Yellowstone River is lacking. Therefore, we sampled the Yellowstone River downstream of its confluence with the Clark’s Fork using fyke nets and otter trawls to assess distributions and abundances of small nongame fishes. We captured 42 species (24 native and 18 nonnative) in the lower Yellowstone River with fyke nets. Native species constituted over 99% of the catch. Emerald shiners Notropis atherinoides, western silvery minnows Hybognathus argyritis, flathead chubs Platygobio gracilis, sand shiners Notropis stramineus, and longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae composed nearly 94% of fyke net catch and were caught in every segment of the study area. We captured 24 species by otter trawling downstream of the Tongue River. Sturgeon chubs Macrhybopsis gelida, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, flathead chubs, stonecats Noturus flavus, and sicklefin chubs Macrhybopsis meeki composed 89% of the otter trawl catch. The upstream distributional limit of sturgeon chubs in the Yellowstone River was the Tongue River; few sicklefin chubs were captured above Intake Diversion Dam. This study not only provides biologists with baseline data for future monitoring efforts on the Yellowstone River but serves as a benchmark for management and conservation efforts in large rivers elsewhere as the Yellowstone River represents one of the best references for a naturally functioning Great Plains river.

75 FR 53979 - Bison Brucellosis Remote Vaccination, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-02

... CONTACT: The Bison Ecology and Management Office, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone... comments to the Bison Ecology and Management Office, Center for Resources, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone...

Long-term aspen exclosures in the Yellowstone ecosystem

Treesearch

Charles E. Kay

2001-01-01

Aspen has been declining in the Yellowstone Ecosystem for more than 80 years. Some authors have suggested that aspen is a marginal plant community in Yellowstone and that recent climatic variation has adversely affected aspen, while others contend that excessive browsing by native ungulates is primarily responsible for aspen's widespread decline. To test these...

Thermomechanical Modeling of the Formation of a Multilevel, Crustal-Scale Magmatic System by the Yellowstone Plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colón, D. P.; Bindeman, I. N.; Gerya, T. V.

2018-05-01

Geophysical imaging of the Yellowstone supervolcano shows a broad zone of partial melt interrupted by an amagmatic gap at depths of 15-20 km. We reproduce this structure through a series of regional-scale magmatic-thermomechanical forward models which assume that magmatic dikes stall at rheologic discontinuities in the crust. We find that basaltic magmas accumulate at the Moho and at the brittle-ductile transition, which naturally forms at depths of 5-10 km. This leads to the development of a 10- to 15-km thick midcrustal sill complex with a top at a depth of approximately 10 km, consistent with geophysical observations of the pre-Yellowstone hot spot track. We show a linear relationship between melting rates in the mantle and rhyolite eruption rates along the hot spot track. Finally, melt production rates from our models suggest that the Yellowstone plume is 175°C hotter than the surrounding mantle and that the thickness of the overlying lithosphere is 80 km.

Yellowstone bison fetal development and phenology of parturition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gogan, P.J.P.; Podruzny, K.M.; Olexa, E.M.; Pac, H.I.; Frey, K.L.

2005-01-01

Knowledge of Yellowstone bison (Bison bison) parturition patterns allows managers to refine risk assessments and manage to reduce the potential for transmission of brucellosis between bison and cattle. We used historical (1941) and contemporary (1989–2002) weights and morphometric measurements of Yellowstone bison fetuses to describe fetal growth and to predict timing and synchrony of parturition. Our method was supported by agreement between our predicted parturition pattern and observed birth dates for bison that were taken in to captivity while pregnant. The distribution of parturition dates in Yellowstone bison is generally right-skewed with a majority of births in April and May and few births in the following months. Predicted timing of parturition was consistently earlier for bison of Yellowstone's northern herd than central herd. The predicted median parturition date for northern herd bison in the historical period was 3 to 12 days earlier than for 2 years in the contemporary period, respectively. Median predicted birth dates and birthing synchrony differed within herds and years in the contemporary period. For a single year of paired data, the predicted median birth date for northern herd bison was 14 days earlier than for central herd bison. This difference is coincident with an earlier onset of spring plant growth on the northern range. Our findings permit refinement of the timing of separation between Yellowstone bison and cattle intended to reduce the probability of transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle.

Spatial and temporal geochemical trends in the hydrothermal system of Yellowstone National Park: Inferences from river solute fluxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hurwitz, S.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Heasler, H.

2007-01-01

We present and analyze a chemical dataset that includes the concentrations and fluxes of HCO3-, SO42-, Cl-, and F- in the major rivers draining Yellowstone National Park (YNP) for the 2002-2004 water years (1 October 2001 - 30 September 2004). The total (molar) flux in all rivers decreases in the following order, HCO3- > Cl- > SO42- > F-, but each river is characterized by a distinct chemical composition, implying large-scale spatial heterogeneity in the inputs of the various solutes. The data also display non-uniform temporal trends; whereas solute concentrations and fluxes are nearly constant during base-flow conditions, concentrations decrease, solute fluxes increase, and HCO3-/Cl-, and SO42-/Cl- increase during the late-spring high-flow period. HCO3-/SO42- decreases with increasing discharge in the Madison and Falls Rivers, but increases with discharge in the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers. The non-linear relations between solute concentrations and river discharge and the change in anion ratios associated with spring runoff are explained by mixing between two components: (1) a component that is discharged during base-flow conditions and (2) a component associated with snow-melt runoff characterized by higher HCO3-/Cl- and SO42-/Cl-. The fraction of the second component is greater in the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers, which host lakes in their drainage basins and where a large fraction of the solute flux follows thaw of ice cover in the spring months. Although the total river HCO3- flux is larger than the flux of other solutes (HCO3-/Cl- ??? 3), the CO2 equivalent flux is only ??? 1% of the estimated emission of magmatic CO2 soil emissions from Yellowstone. No anomalous solute flux in response to perturbations in the hydrothermal system was observed, possibly because gage locations are too distant from areas of disturbance, or because of the relatively low sampling frequency. In order to detect changes in river hydrothermal solute fluxes, sampling at higher

76 FR 77131 - Special Regulations; Areas of the National Park System, Yellowstone National Park

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-12

... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Iobst, Deputy Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, (307) 344-2002... material way the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or...

Volcanic Ash Data Assimilation System for Atmospheric Transport Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, K.; Shimbori, T.; Sato, E.; Tokumoto, T.; Hayashi, Y.; Hashimoto, A.

2017-12-01

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has two operations for volcanic ash forecasts, which are Volcanic Ash Fall Forecast (VAFF) and Volcanic Ash Advisory (VAA). In these operations, the forecasts are calculated by atmospheric transport models including the advection process, the turbulent diffusion process, the gravitational fall process and the deposition process (wet/dry). The initial distribution of volcanic ash in the models is the most important but uncertain factor. In operations, the model of Suzuki (1983) with many empirical assumptions is adopted to the initial distribution. This adversely affects the reconstruction of actual eruption plumes.We are developing a volcanic ash data assimilation system using weather radars and meteorological satellite observation, in order to improve the initial distribution of the atmospheric transport models. Our data assimilation system is based on the three-dimensional variational data assimilation method (3D-Var). Analysis variables are ash concentration and size distribution parameters which are mutually independent. The radar observation is expected to provide three-dimensional parameters such as ash concentration and parameters of ash particle size distribution. On the other hand, the satellite observation is anticipated to provide two-dimensional parameters of ash clouds such as mass loading, top height and particle effective radius. In this study, we estimate the thickness of ash clouds using vertical wind shear of JMA numerical weather prediction, and apply for the volcanic ash data assimilation system.

Drainage and Landscape Evolution in the Bighorn Basin Accompanying Advection of the Yellowstone Hotspot Swell Through North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, E. F.; Meigs, A.

2012-12-01

Mantle plumes have been recognized to express themselves on the surface as long wavelength and low amplitude topographic swells. These swells are measured as positive geoid anomalies and include shorter wavelength topographic features such as volcanic edifices and pre-exisitng topography. Advection of the topographic swell is expected as the lithosphere passes over the plume uplift source. The hot spot swell occurs in the landscape as transient signal that is expressed with waxing and waning topography. Waxing topography occurs at the leading edge of the swell and is expressed as an increase in rock uplift that is preserved by rivers and landscapes. Advection of topography predicts a shift in a basin from deposition to incision, an increase in convexity of a transverse river's long profile and a lateral river migration in the direction of advection. The Yellowstone region has a strong positive geoid anomaly and the volcanic signal, which have been interpreted as the longer and shorter wavelength topographic expressions of the hot spot. These expressions of the hot spot developed in a part of North America with a compounded deformation and topographic history. Previous studies of the Yellowstone topographic swell have concentrated on the waning or trailing signal preserved in the Snake River Plain. Our project revisits the classic geomorphology study area in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and Montana, which is in leading edge of the swell. Present models identify the swell as having a 400 km in diameter and that it is centered on the Yellowstone caldera. If we assume advection to occur in concert with the caldera eruptive track, the Yellowstone swell has migrated to the northeast at a rate of 3 cm yr-1 and began acting on the Bighorn Basin's landscape between 3 and 2 Ma. The Bighorn Basin has an established history of a basin-wide switch from deposition to incision during the late Pliocene, yet the age control on the erosional evolution of the region is relative. This

The Earth System Science Pathfinder VOLCAM Volcanic Hazard Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krueger, Arlin J.

1999-01-01

The VOLCAM mission is planned for research on volcanic eruptions and as a demonstration of a satellite system for measuring the location and density of volcanic eruption clouds for use in mitigating hazards to aircraft by the operational air traffic control systems. A requirement for 15 minute time resolution is met by flight as payloads of opportunity on geostationary satellites. Volcanic sulfur dioxide and ash are detected using techniques that have been developed from polar orbiting TOMS (UV) and AVHRR (IR) data. Seven band UV and three band IR filter wheel cameras are designed for continuous observation of the full disk of the earth with moderate (10 - 20 km) ground resolution. This resolution can be achieved with small, low cost instruments but is adequate for discrimination of ash and sulfur dioxide in the volcanic clouds from meteorological clouds and ozone. The false alarm rate is small through use of sulfur dioxide as a unique tracer of volcanic clouds. The UV band wavelengths are optimized to detect very small sulfur dioxide amounts that are present in pre-eruptive outgassing of volcanoes. The system is also capable of tracking dust and smoke clouds, and will be used to infer winds at tropopause level from the correlation of total ozone with potential vorticity.

Ambient Noise Surface Wave Tomography of the volcanic systems of eastern Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, R. G.; Priestley, K. F.; White, R. S.

2015-12-01

The Vatnajökull region of central-east Iceland lies above the head of the Iceland mantle plume where the crust is thickest due to enhanced melt supply. As a result the region contains a high density of volcanic rift systems, with six large subglacial central volcanoes. Due to the ice cover, the geological structure of the area and the location of past eruptions are poorly known. Imaging of the crustal velocity heterogeneities beneath the ice sheet aims to reveal much in terms of the structure of these volcanic plumbing systems. Mapping of significant velocity changes through time may also be indicative of movement of melt around the central volcanoes; one of which (Bárðarbunga) experienced a major rifting event in August 2014 (Sigmundsson et al. Nature 2015, Green et al. Nature Geosci. 2015). We present results from tomographic imaging of the volcanic systems in the region, using continuous data from a local broadband seismic network in central-east Iceland which provides excellent ray path coverage of the volcanic systems. This is supplemented by data from the HOTSPOT and ICEMELT experiments and the permanent monitoring stations of the Icelandic Meteorological Office. We process the continuous data following Benson et al. 2007 and automatic frequency-time analysis (FTAN) routines are used to extract more than 9000 dispersion measurements. We then generate Rayleigh wave group velocity maps which we present here. We find low velocity regions beneath the Vatnajökull icecap which are bounded by the surface expression of the volcanic rift systems. The lower velocities also extend north-west to the volcanic system under the Hofsjökull ice cap, and northwards towards Askja and the volcanic systems of the northern volcanic zone. We also produce locations and focal mechanisms of earthquakes caused by magmatic and hydrothermal activity to correlate structure with the activity of the volcanic systems.

Abstract volume for the 2016 biennial meeting of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowenstern, Jacob B.

2016-10-20

IntroductionEvery two years, scientists, natural resource managers, outreach specialists, and a variety of other interested parties get together for the biennial meeting of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). Each time, the theme varies. In past years, we have focused the meeting around topics including monitoring plans, emergency response, geodesy, and outreach. This year, we spent the first half-day devoted to recent research results, plans for upcoming studies, and geothermal monitoring. On the second day, our focus switched to eruption precursors, particularly as they apply to large caldera systems.Very few large explosive eruptions from caldera systems have taken place in recorded history. Therefore, there are few empirical data with which to characterize the nature of volcanic unrest that might precede eruptions with volcano explosivity index (VEI) of six or greater. For this reason, we set up a series of talks that explore what we know and don’t know about large eruptions. We performed an informal expert elicitation (a frequently used method to characterize expert opinion) with a small number of our colleagues, which served as the basis for a productive discussion session.This short volume of abstracts and extended abstracts provides a summary of the presentations made at the YVO meeting held in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, on May 10–11, 2016.

Exterior sound level measurements of over-snow vehicles at Yellowstone National Park.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-09-30

Sounds associated with oversnow vehicles, such as snowmobiles and snowcoaches, are an : important management concern at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The John A. : Volpe National Transportation Systems Centers Environmental Measureme...

Drilling a ';super-volcano': volcanology of the proximal rhyolitic volcanic succession in the HOTSPOT deep drill hole, Idaho, Yellowstone hot-spot track

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knott, T.; Branney, M. J.; Christiansen, E. H.; Reichow, M. K.; McCurry, M. O.; Shervais, J. W.

2013-12-01

Project HOTSPOT seeks to understand the bimodal volcanism in the Yellowstone-Snake River large igneous province, including the magma generation and eruption history. The 1.9 km-deep Kimberly well in southern Idaho, USA, reveals a proximal mid-Miocene rhyolitic and basaltic volcanic succession marginal to the postulated Twin Falls eruptive centre. Three rhyolitic eruption-units (each we interpret to record a single eruption, based on core descriptions) are separated by basaltic lavas, palaeosols and volcaniclastic sediments, and are being dated by 40Ar-39Ar on plagioclases. Whole-rock and mineral chemical data, from each unit, has been compiled to facilitate correlation with well-studied eruption-units at more distal outcrops, where we have detailed chemical, palaeomagnetic and radiometric characterisation. Results will contribute to frequency and volume calculations for some of the most catastrophic super-eruptions in Earth history. As the volcanism is of Snake River (SR)-type and lacks typical pumice fall deposits and low-moderate grade ignimbrites, interpreting the physical origin of the units can be difficult; many SR-type rheomorphic ignimbrites are flow-banded and resemble lavas, and the distinction between these and true lavas involves interpretation of critical evidence from lower contacts (e.g., distinguishing basal lava autobreccias from peperitic contacts, which can occur at the bases of SR-type lavas and ignimbrites). The lower most eruption-unit, ';Kimberly Rhyolite 1,' is >1323 m thick (base not seen) and suggests ponding in the margin of a caldera. Few vitroclastic textures are preserved, but a rheomorphic ignimbrite origin is inferred by folded fabrics and scattered obsidian chips (2-5 mm in size) within a thick lithoidal zone, which passes sharply upwards into a 39.6 m thick vitrophyre with an autobrecciated top and it is overlain by 18 m (caldera?) lake sediments. However, lithic mesobreccia, that characterise caldera fills elsewhere, are not seen

Geochemistry of High Temperature Vent Fluids in Yellowstone Lake: Dissolved Carbon and Sulfur Concentrations and Isotopic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cino, C.; Seyfried, W. E., Jr.; Tan, C.; Fu, Q.

2017-12-01

Yellowstone National Park is a dynamic environment home to an array of geysers, hot springs, and hydrothermal vents fueled by the underlying continental magmatic intrusion. Yellowstone Lake vent fluids accounts for approximately 10% of the total geothermal flux for all of Yellowstone National Park. Though studying this remote hydrothermal system poses severe challenges, it provides an excellent natural laboratory to research hydrothermal fluids that undergo higher pressure and temperature conditions in an environment largely shielded from atmospheric oxygen. The location of these vents also provides chemistry that is characteristic of fluids deeper in the Yellowstone hydrothermal system. In August 2016, hydrothermal fluids were collected from the Stevenson Island vents in collaboration with the Hydrothermal Dynamics of Yellowstone Lake (HD-YLAKE) project using novel sampling techniques and monitoring instrumentation. The newly built ROV Yogi was deployed to reach the vents in-situ with temperatures in excess of 151oC at 100-120 m depth, equipped with a 12-cylinder isobaric sampler to collect the hydrothermal fluids. Results from geochemical analyses indicate the fluids are rich in gases such as CO2, CH4, and H2S, with sample concentrations of approximately 12 mM, 161 μm, and 2.1 mM respectively. However, lake water mixing with the hydrothermal endmember fluid likely diluted these concentrations in the collected samples. Isotopic analyses indicate CO2 has a δ13C of -6 indicating magmatic origins, however the CH4 resulted in a δ13C of -65 which is in the biological range. This biogenic signature is likely due to the pyrolysis of immature organic matter in the lake bottom sediment, since the high temperatures measured for the fluids would not allow the presence of methanogens. H2S concentrations have not been previously measured for the hydrothermal fluids in Yellowstone Lake, and our vent fluid samples indicate significantly higher H2S concentrations than reported

Toward an integrated Volcanic Ash Observing System in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Deborah; Lisk, Ian

2014-05-01

Volcanic ash from the Icelandic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in April and May of 2010 resulted in the decision by many northern European countries to impose significant restrictions on the use of their airspace. The eruption, extent and persistence of the ash revealed how reliant society now is on a safe and efficient air transport system and the fragility of that system when affected by the impact of complex natural hazards. As part of an EC framework programme, the 2011-2013 WEZARD (WEather HaZARD for aeronautics) consortium conducted a cross-industry volcanic ash capability and gap analyses, with the EUMETNET (network of 29 National Meteorological Services) led Work Package 3 focussing on a review of observational and monitoring capabilities, atmospheric dispersion modelling and data exchange. The review has revealed a patchwork of independent observing capabilities for volcanic ash, with some countries investing and others not at all, and most existing networks focus on space-based products. Existing capabilities do not provide the necessary detail on the geographical and vertical extent of volcanic ash and associated levels of contamination, which decision makers in the aviation industry require in order to decide where it is safe to fly. A resultant high priority was identified by WEZARD Work Package 3 for an enhanced observational network of complementary monitoring systems needed to initialise, validate and verify volcanic ash dispersion model output and forecasts. Thus a key recommendation is to invest in a major pre-operational demonstrator "European volcanic ash observing network", focussing on distal monitoring, and aiming to a) fill R&D gaps identified in instrumentation and algorithms and b) integrate data, where possible in near-real-time, from a range of ground-based, airborne and space-based techniques. Here we present a key WEZARD recommendation toward an integrated volcanic ash observing system in Europe, in context with other related projects

Volcanic Gas Emissions Mapping Using a Mass Spectrometer System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Timothy P.; Diaz, J. Andres

2008-01-01

The visualization of hazardous gaseous emissions at volcanoes using in-situ mass spectrometry (MS) is a key step towards a better comprehension of the geophysical phenomena surrounding eruptive activity. In-Situ gas data consisting of helium, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other gas species, were acquired with an MS system. MS and global position system (GPS) data were plotted on ground imagery, topography, and remote sensing data collected by a host of instruments during the second Costa Rica Airborne Research and Technology Applications (CARTA) mission This combination of gas and imaging data allowed 3-dimensional (3-D) visualization of the volcanic plume end the mapping of gas concentration at several volcanic structures and urban areas This combined set of data has demonstrated a better tool to assess hazardous conditions by visualizing and modeling of possible scenarios of volcanic activity. The MS system is used for in-situ measurement of three-dimensional gas concentrations at different volcanic locations with three different transportation platforms, aircraft, auto, and hand carried. The demonstration for urban contamination mapping is also presented as another possible use for the MS system.

Gas and isotope chemistry of thermal features in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergfeld, D.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Hunt, Andrew G.; Shanks, W.C. Pat; Evans, William

2011-01-01

This report presents 130 gas analyses and 31 related water analyses on samples collected from thermal features at Yellowstone between 2003 and 2009. An overview of previous studies of gas emissions at Yellowstone is also given. The analytical results from the present study include bulk chemistry of gases and waters and isotope values for water and steam (delta18O, dealtaD), carbon dioxide (delta13C only), methane (delta13C only), helium, neon, and argon. We include appendixes containing photos of sample sites, geographic information system (GIS) files including shape and kml formats, and analytical results in spreadsheets. In addition, we provide a lengthy discussion of previous work on gas chemistry at Yellowstone and a general discussion of the implications of our results. We demonstrate that gases collected from different thermal areas often have distinct chemical signatures, and that differences across the thermal areas are not a simple function of surface temperatures or the type of feature. Instead, gas chemistry and isotopic composition are linked to subsurface lithologies and varying contributions from magmatic, crustal, and meteoric sources.

Disparity of Chlorine to Fluorine Concentration Ratios Between Thermal Waters and Rocks of Yellowstone National Park, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConville, E. G.; Szymanski, M. E.; Hurwitz, S.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Hayden, L. A.

2016-12-01

Low chlorine to fluorine concentration ratios (Cl/F) of 0.5 by weight are observed in Yellowstone rhyolites within glass inclusions and erupted rhyolitic glass. In contrast, Yellowstone thermal waters have Cl/F of >10 and Cl/F of waters at Norris Geyser Basin can exceed 100. Similar Cl/F have been observed in other volcanic hydrothermal systems (e.g., Lassen, Long Valley Caldera). The goal of this study is to identify fluorine-bearing minerals that could remove a substantial amount of F from the hydrothermal fluids within the Yellowstone caldera and in the Norris Geyser Basin near the northern margin of the caldera. We used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study thin sections from core samples obtained during research drilling by the USGS in the 1960s. The Y-2 well (Lower Geyser Basin) penetrated mostly Plateau Rhyolites ( 0.15 Ma) and Y-7 and Y-8 wells (Upper Geyser Basin) penetrated glacial sandstones and conglomerates, underlain by the Biscuit Basin flow ( 0.5 Ma). The thin sections from Y-12 in the Norris Geyser Basin are all from the Lava Creek Tuff. Fluorine-bearing minerals are found in all drill cores. Fluorite is present in Y-2 at a depth of 153 m, in Y-7 at 65m, and in Y-12 at 276 m. Fluoroapatite first appears in the Biscuit Basin flow at 60 m in Y-7 and 59 m in Y-8. Rare earth fluorocarbonates, such as bastnaesite (Ce,La,Y)CO3F and/or parisite Ca(Ce,La)2(CO3)3F2, are predominantly found in Y-12 at depths >276 m. Our estimated abundances of these fluorine-bearing minerals are at least 2 orders of magnitude less than required to substantially affect the Cl/F ratio in thermal waters. Fluorine-bearing minerals may be more abundant at greater depth. Another possible explanation is that the fluorite is too fine-grained to be identified by SEM. Finally, the high Cl/F in thermal waters could be explained by the ascent of Cl-rich fluid from a cooling magma body or from older crustal rocks that underlie the caldera.

'Snake River (SR)-type' volcanism at the Yellowstone hotspot track: Distinctive products from unusual, high-temperature silicic super-eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Branney, M.J.; Bonnichsen, B.; Andrews, G.D.M.; Ellis, B.; Barry, T.L.; McCurry, M.

2008-01-01

A new category of large-scale volcanism, here termed Snake River (SR)-type volcanism, is defined with reference to a distinctive volcanic facies association displayed by Miocene rocks in the central Snake River Plain area of southern Idaho and northern Nevada, USA. The facies association contrasts with those typical of silicic volcanism elsewhere and records unusual, voluminous and particularly environmentally devastating styles of eruption that remain poorly understood. It includes: (1) large-volume, lithic-poor rhyolitic ignimbrites with scarce pumice lapilli; (2) extensive, parallel-laminated, medium to coarse-grained ashfall deposits with large cuspate shards, crystals and a paucity of pumice lapilli; many are fused to black vitrophyre; (3) unusually extensive, large-volume rhyolite lavas; (4) unusually intense welding, rheomorphism, and widespread development of lava-like facies in the ignimbrites; (5) extensive, fines-rich ash deposits with abundant ash aggregates (pellets and accretionary lapilli); (6) the ashfall layers and ignimbrites contain abundant clasts of dense obsidian and vitrophyre; (7) a bimodal association between the rhyolitic rocks and numerous, coalescing low-profile basalt lava shields; and (8) widespread evidence of emplacement in lacustrine-alluvial environments, as revealed by intercalated lake sediments, ignimbrite peperites, rhyolitic and basaltic hyaloclastites, basalt pillow-lava deltas, rhyolitic and basaltic phreatomagmatic tuffs, alluvial sands and palaeosols. Many rhyolitic eruptions were high mass-flux, large volume and explosive (VEI 6-8), and involved H2O-poor, low-??18O, metaluminous rhyolite magmas with unusually low viscosities, partly due to high magmatic temperatures (900-1,050??C). SR-type volcanism contrasts with silicic volcanism at many other volcanic fields, where the fall deposits are typically Plinian with pumice lapilli, the ignimbrites are low to medium grade (non-welded to eutaxitic) with abundant pumice lapilli

Pregnancy rates in central Yellowstone bison

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gogan, Peter J.; Russell, Robin E.; Olexa, Edward M.; Podruzny, Kevin M.

2013-01-01

Plains bison (Bison b. bison) centered on Yellowstone National Park are chronically infected with brucellosis (Brucella abortus) and culled along the park boundaries to reduce the probability of disease transmission to domestic livestock. We evaluated the relationship between pregnancy rates and age, dressed carcass weight, and serological status for brucellosis among bison culled from the central Yellowstone subpopulation during the winters of 1996–1997, 2001–2002, and 2002–2003. A model with only dressed carcass weight was the best predictor of pregnancy status for all ages with the odds of pregnancy increasing by 1.03 (95% CI = 1.02–1.04) for every 1-kg increase in weight. We found no effect of age or the serological status for brucellosis on pregnancy rates across age classes; however, we did find a positive association between age and pregnancy rates for bison ≥2 years old. Bison ≥2 years old had an overall pregnancy rate of 65% with markedly different rates in alternate ages for animals between 3 and 7 years old. Pregnancy rates were 0.50 (95% CI = 0.31–0.69) for brucellosis positive and 0.57 (95% CI = 0.34–0.78) for brucellosis negative 2- and 3-year-olds and 0.74 (95% CI = 0.60–0.85) in brucellosis positive and 0.69 (95% CI = 0.49–0.85) in brucellosis negative bison ≥4 years old. Only 1 of 21 bison <2 years old was pregnant. Our findings are important to accurately predict the effects of brucellosis on Yellowstone bison population dynamics. We review our results relative to other studies of Yellowstone bison that concluded serological status for brucellosis influences pregnancy rates.

Mapping vegetation in Yellowstone National Park using spectral feature analysis of AVIRIS data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kokaly, Raymond F.; Despain, Don G.; Clark, Roger N.; Livo, K. Eric

2003-01-01

Knowledge of the distribution of vegetation on the landscape can be used to investigate ecosystem functioning. The sizes and movements of animal populations can be linked to resources provided by different plant species. This paper demonstrates the application of imaging spectroscopy to the study of vegetation in Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone) using spectral feature analysis of data from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). AVIRIS data, acquired on August 7, 1996, were calibrated to surface reflectance using a radiative transfer model and field reflectance measurements of a ground calibration site. A spectral library of canopy reflectance signatures was created by averaging pixels of the calibrated AVIRIS data over areas of known forest and nonforest vegetation cover types in Yellowstone. Using continuum removal and least squares fitting algorithms in the US Geological Survey's Tetracorder expert system, the distributions of these vegetation types were determined by comparing the absorption features of vegetation in the spectral library with the spectra from the AVIRIS data. The 0.68 μm chlorophyll absorption feature and leaf water absorption features, centered near 0.98 and 1.20 μm, were analyzed. Nonforest cover types of sagebrush, grasslands, willows, sedges, and other wetland vegetation were mapped in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone. Conifer cover types of lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, Douglas fir, and mixed Engelmann spruce/subalpine fir forests were spectrally discriminated and their distributions mapped in the AVIRIS images. In the Mount Washburn area of Yellowstone, a comparison of the AVIRIS map of forest cover types to a map derived from air photos resulted in an overall agreement of 74.1% (kappa statistic=0.62).

Hot Spot at Yellowstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dress, Abby

2005-01-01

Within this huge national park (over two million acres spread across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) are steaming geysers, hot springs, bubbling mudpots, and fumaroles, or steam vents. Drives on the main roads of Yellowstone take tourists through the major hot attractions, which also include Norris Geyser Basin, Upper and Lower Geyser Basin, West…

Subsidence of a volcanic basin by flexure and lower crustal flow: The eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McQuarrie, Nadine; Rodgers, David W.

1998-04-01

The Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is a linear volcanic basin interpreted by many workers to reflect late Cenozoic migration of North America over the Yellowstone hotspot. Thermal subsidence of this volcanic province with respect to Yellowstone has been documented by several workers, but no one has characterized subsidence with respect to the adjacent Basin and Range Province. This paper documents crustal flexure along the northwest edge of the ESRP, uses flexure to model the dimensions of a dense load beneath the basin, and presents evidence in support of density-driven subsidence and lower crustal flow away from the basin. Crustal flexure adjacent to the ESRP is reflected by the attitudes of Mesozoic fold hinges and Neogene volcanic rocks. Fold hinges formed with a subhorizontal plunge and a trend perpendicular to the ESRP but now show a southward plunge near the ESRP of as much as 20°-25°. We present a contour map of equal fold plunges proximal to the ESRP that shows flexure is roughly parallel to and extends 10-20 km north of the average edge of the ESRP. Flexural profiles indicate the minimum amount of ESRP subsidence, with respect to the Basin and Range; subsidence ranges from 4.5 to 8.5 km. The structural contour map and published seismic and gravity data were used to develop and constrain flexural subsidence models. These models indicate the flexed crust is very weak (flexural parameter of 4-10 km), interpreted to be a result of the high heat flow of the ESRP. Assuming subsidence was induced by emplacement of a dense crustal layer beneath the ESRP, a midcrustal "sill" identified in previous seismic surveys is too wide and probably too thin to produce the measured flexure. New dimensions include a thickness of 17-25 km and a half width of 40-50 km, which place the edge of the sill beneath the edge of the ESRP. The dimensions of the ESRP sill are based on isostatic compensation in the lower crust because compensation in the asthenosphere requires an

A Relocatable Environmental Prediction System for Volcanic Ash Forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, J.; Geiszler, D.

2009-12-01

Timeliness is an essential component for any system generating volcanic ash forecasts for aviation. Timeliness implies that the steps required for estimating the concentration of volcanic ash in the atmosphere are streamlined into a process that can accurately identify the volcano’s source function, utilize atmospheric conditions to predict the movement of the volcanic ash plume, and ultimately produce a volcanic ash forecast product in a useable format for aviation interests. During the past decade, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a suite of software integrated with the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®) that is designed with a similar automated purpose in support of the Navy’s operational (24/7) schedule and diverse mission requirements worldwide. The COAMPS-OS® (On-demand System) provides web-based interfaces to COAMPS that allows Navy users to rapidly (in a few minutes) set up and start a new forecast in response to short-fused requests. A unique capability in COAMPS unlike many regional numerical weather prediction models is the option to initialize a volcanic ash plume and use the model’s full three-dimensional atmospheric grid (e.g. winds and precipitation) to predict the movement and concentration of the plume. This paper will describe the efforts to automate volcanic ash forecasts using COAMPS-OS including the specification of the source function, initialization and configuration of COAMPS, and generation of output products for aviation. This research is in response to requirements and funding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the FAA. COAMPS® and COAMPS-OS® are registered trademarks of the Naval Research Laboratory.

Mushy Magma beneath Yellowstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, R.; Helmberger, D. V.; Sun, D.; Jackson, J. M.; Zhu, L.

2009-12-01

A recent prospective on the Yellowstone Caldera discounts its explosive potential based on inferences from tomographic studies on regional earthquake data which suggests a high degree of crystallization of the underlying magma body. In this study, we analyzed P-wave receiver functions recorded by broadband stations above the caldera from 100 teleseismic earthquakes between January and November 2008. After applying a number of waveform modeling tools, we obtained much lower seismic velocities than previous estimates, 2.3 km/sec (Vp) and 1.1 km/sec (Vs), with a thickness of 3.6 km in the upper crust. This shallow low velocity zone is severe enough to cause difficulties with seismic tool applications. In particular, seismologists expect teleseismic P-waves to arrive with motions up and away or down and back. Many of the observations recorded by the Yellowstone Intermountain Seismic Array, however, violate this assumption. We show that many of the first P-wave arrivals observed at seismic stations on the edge of the caldera do not travel through the magma body but have taken longer but faster paths around the edge or wrap-around phases. Three stations near the trailing edge have reversal radial-component motions, while stations near the leading edge do not. Adding our constraints on geometry, we conclude that this relatively shallow magma body has a volume of over 4,300 km3. We estimate the magma body by assuming a fluid-saturated porous material consisting of granite and a mixture of rhyolite melt and supercritical water and CO2 at temperatures of 800 oC and pressure at 5 km (0.1 GPa).Theoretical calculations of seismic wave speed suggests that the magma body beneath the Yellowstone Caldera has a porosity of 32% filled with 92% rhyolite melt and 8% water-CO2 by volume.

Wolverine in Greater Yellowstone

Treesearch

Kerry Murphy; Jason Wilmot; Jeff Copeland; Dan Tyers; John Squires

2011-01-01

The wolverine is one of the least studied carnivores in North America, particularly in the contiguous United States where it occurs at the southern extent of its range. This project documented the distribution of wolverines in the eastern portion of Yellowstone National Park and adjoining areas of national forest and their population characteristics, habitat...

75 FR 30295 - Modification of Class E Airspace; West Yellowstone, MT

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-01

... Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) at West Yellowstone Airport. This will... also includes minor adjustments in the legal description of the airspace. DATES: Effective date, 0901... executing new RNAV (GPS) SIAP's at the airport. This rule also makes minor changes to the legal description...

Conservation of the Yellowstone grizzly bear

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, David J.; Reid, Matthew M.

1991-01-01

We review literature relevant to the conservation of Yellowstone's grizzly bear population and appraise the bear's long-term viability. We conclude that the population is isolated and vulnerable to epidemic perturbation and that the carrying capacity of the habitat is likely to shift downward under conditions of climate change. Viability analyses based on the assumption that future habitats will closely resemble those existing at present have limited applicability; more information is needed on the autecology of important bear foods and on the implications of landscape-scale changes for bear population dynamics. Optimism over prospects of long-term persistence for Yellowstone's grizzly bears does not seem to be warranted and management of this population should be conservative and not unduly swayed on short-term positive trends.

Volatile emissions and gas geochemistry of Hot Spring Basin, Yellowstone National Park, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Werner, C.; Hurwitz, S.; Evans, William C.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Bergfeld, D.; Heasler, H.; Jaworowski, C.; Hunt, A.

2008-01-01

Yellowstone system.

Monitoring changes in Greater Yellowstone Lake water quality following the 1988 wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lathrop, Richard G., Jr.; Vande Castle, John D.; Brass, James A.

1994-01-01

The fires that burned the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) during the summer of 1988 were the largest ever recorded for the region. Wildfire can have profound indirect effects on associated aquatic ecosystems by increased nutrient loading, sediment, erosion, and runoff. Satellite remote sensing and water quality sampling were used to compare pre- versus post-fire conditions in the GYA's large oliotrophic (high transparency, low productivity) lakes. Inputs of suspended sediment to Jackson Lake appear to have increased. Yellowstone Lake has not shown any discernable shift in water quality. The insights gained separately from the Landsat Thematic and NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) remote sensing systems, along with conventional in-situ sampling, can be combined into a useful water quality monitoring tool.

Myrmecophagy by Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, D.J.

2001-01-01

I used data collected during a study of radio-marked grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the Yellowstone region from 1977 to 1992 to investigate myrmecophagy by this population. Although generally not an important source of energy for the bears (averaging 8 mm long) nested in logs over small ants (6 mm long) nested under stones. Optimal conditions for consumption of ants occurred on the warmest sites with ample substrate suitable for ant nests. For ants in mounds, this occurred at low elevations at non-forested sites. For ants in logs, this occurred at low elevations or on southerly aspects where there was abundant, large-diameter, well-decomposed woody debris under an open forest canopy. Grizzly bears selected moderately decomposed logs 4a??5 dm in diameter at midpoint. Ants will likely become a more important food for Yellowstone's grizzly bears as currently important foods decline, owing to disease and warming of the regional climate.

Changes in magma storage conditions following caldera collapse at Okataina Volcanic Center, New Zealand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rubin, Allison; Cooper, Kari M.; Leever, Marissa

Large silicic volcanic centers produce both small rhyolitic eruptions and catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions. Although changes in trace element and isotopic compositions within eruptions following caldera collapse have been observed at rhyolitic volcanic centers such as Yellowstone and Long Valley, much still remains unknown about the ways in which magma reservoirs are affected by caldera collapse. We present 238U– 230Th age, trace element, and Hf isotopic data from individual zircon crystals from four eruptions from the Okataina Volcanic Center, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, in order to assess changes in trace element and isotopic composition of the reservoir following the 45-kamore » caldera-forming Rotoiti eruption. Our data indicate that (1) mixing of magmas derived from crustal melts and mantle melts takes place within the shallow reservoir; (2) while the basic processes of melt generation likely did not change significantly between pre- and post-caldera rhyolites, post-caldera zircons show increased trace element and isotopic heterogeneity that suggests a decrease in the degree of interconnectedness of the liquid within the reservoir following collapse; and (3) post-caldera eruptions from different vents indicate different storage times of the amalgamated melt prior to eruption. Furthermore, these data further suggest that the timescales needed to generate large volumes of eruptible melt may depend on the timescales needed to increase interconnectedness and achieve widespread homogenization throughout the reservoir.« less

Changes in magma storage conditions following caldera collapse at Okataina Volcanic Center, New Zealand

DOE PAGES

Rubin, Allison; Cooper, Kari M.; Leever, Marissa; ...

2015-12-15

Large silicic volcanic centers produce both small rhyolitic eruptions and catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions. Although changes in trace element and isotopic compositions within eruptions following caldera collapse have been observed at rhyolitic volcanic centers such as Yellowstone and Long Valley, much still remains unknown about the ways in which magma reservoirs are affected by caldera collapse. We present 238U– 230Th age, trace element, and Hf isotopic data from individual zircon crystals from four eruptions from the Okataina Volcanic Center, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, in order to assess changes in trace element and isotopic composition of the reservoir following the 45-kamore » caldera-forming Rotoiti eruption. Our data indicate that (1) mixing of magmas derived from crustal melts and mantle melts takes place within the shallow reservoir; (2) while the basic processes of melt generation likely did not change significantly between pre- and post-caldera rhyolites, post-caldera zircons show increased trace element and isotopic heterogeneity that suggests a decrease in the degree of interconnectedness of the liquid within the reservoir following collapse; and (3) post-caldera eruptions from different vents indicate different storage times of the amalgamated melt prior to eruption. Furthermore, these data further suggest that the timescales needed to generate large volumes of eruptible melt may depend on the timescales needed to increase interconnectedness and achieve widespread homogenization throughout the reservoir.« less

Plumbing the depths of Yellowstone's hydrothermal system from helicopter magnetic and electromagnetic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, C.; Bedrosian, P.; Holbrook, W. S.; Auken, E.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Hurwitz, S.; Sims, K. W. W.; Carr, B.; Dickey, K.

2017-12-01

Although Yellowstone's iconic hydrothermal systems and lava flows are well mapped at the surface, their groundwater flow systems and thickness are almost completely unknown. In order to track the geophysical signatures of geysers, hot springs, mud pots, steam vents, hydrothermal explosion craters and lava flows at depths to hundreds of meters, we collected helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic (HEM) data. The data cover significant portions of the caldera including a majority of the known thermal areas. HEM data constrain electrical resistivity which is sensitive to groundwater salinity and temperature, phase distribution (liquid-vapor), and clay formed during chemical alteration of rocks. The magnetic data are sensitive to variations in the magnetization of lava flows, faults and hydrothermal alteration. The combination of electromagnetic and magnetic data is ideal for mapping zones of cold fresh water, hot saline water, steam, clay, and altered and unaltered rock. Preliminary inversion of the HEM data indicates very low resistivity directly beneath the northern part of Yellowstone Lake, intersecting with the lake bottom in close correspondence with mapped vents, fractures and hydrothermal explosion craters and are also associated with magnetic lows. Coincident resistivity and magnetic lows unassociated with mapped alteration occur, for example, along the southeast edge of the Mallard Lake dome and along the northeastern edge of Sour Creek Dome, suggesting the presence of buried alteration. Low resistivities unassociated with magnetic lows may relate to hot and/or saline groundwater or thin (<50 m) layers of early lake sediments to which the magnetic data are insensitive. Resistivity and magnetic lows follow interpreted caldera boundaries in places, yet deviate in others. In the Norris-Mammoth Corridor, NNE-SSW trending linear resistivity and magnetic lows align with mapped faults. This pattern of coincident resistivity and magnetic lows may reflect fractures

Oxygen isotope evolution of the Lake Owyhee volcanic field, Oregon, and implications for low-δ18O magmas of the Snake River Plain - Yellowstone hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blum, T.; Kitajima, K.; Nakashima, D.; Valley, J. W.

2013-12-01

The Snake River Plain - Yellowstone (SRP-Y) hotspot trend is one of the largest known low-δ18O magmatic provinces, yet the timing and distribution of hydrothermal alteration relative to hotspot magmatism remains incompletely understood. Existing models for SRP-Y low-δ18O magma genesis differ regarding the timing of protolith alteration (e.g. Eocene vs. present), depth at which alteration occurs (e.g. 15 km vs. <5 km), and physical controls on the extent of alteration (e.g. caldera collapse, crustal scale fluid flow, etc.). We expand the existing oxygen isotope data set for zircon in the Lake Owyhee volcanic field (LOVF) of east central Oregon to further identify magmatic oxygen isotope trends within the field. These data offer insight into the timing of alteration and the extent of the greater SRP-Y low-δ18O province, as well as the conditions that generate large low-δ18O provinces. 16-14 Ma silicic volcanism in the LOVF is linked to the pre-14 Ma SRP-Y hotspot, with volcanism partially overlapping extension in the north-south trending Oregon-Idaho Graben (OIG). Ion microprobe analyses of zircons from 16 LOVF silicic lavas and tuffs reveal homogeneous zircons on both the single grain and hand sample scales: individual samples have 2 S.D. for δ18O ranging from 0.27 to 0.96‰ (SMOW), and sample averages ranging from 1.8 to 6.0‰, excluding texturally chaotic and/or porous zircons which have δ18O values as low as 0.0‰. All low-δ18O LOVF magmas, including the caldera-forming Tuff of Leslie Gulch and Tuff of Spring Creek, are confined to the OIG, although not all zircons from within the OIG have low δ18O values. The presence and sequence of low-δ18O magmas in the LOVF and adjacent central Snake River Plain (CSRP) cannot be explained by existing caldera subsidence or pre-hotspot source models. These data, however, combined with volumetrically limited low-δ18O material in the adjacent Idaho Batholith and Basin and Range, are consistent with low-δ18O magmas

Stratigraphic record of the Yellowstone hotspot track, Neogene Sixmile Creek Formation grabens, southwest Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sears, James W.; Hendrix, Marc S.; Thomas, Robert C.; Fritz, William J.

2009-11-01

The Sixmile Creek Formation fills deep grabens in southwest Montana and preserves a stratigraphic record of the evolution of the Yellowstone hotspot track from ~ 17 Ma to ~ 2 Ma. The Ruby, Beaverhead, Big Hole, Deer Lodge, Medicine Lodge-Grasshopper, Three Forks, Canyon Ferry, Jefferson, Melrose, Wise River, and Paradise grabens were active during outbreak of the hotspot. They appear to be parts of a radial system of extensional structures that may have formed on a broad dome that was centered on the hotspot outbreak area in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon. Early in the evolution of the grabens, massive debris flows surged down Paleogene paleovalleys from uplifted and tilted horst blocks and accumulated in the grabens. The grabens captured runoff from the hotspot dome with thick deposits of river gravel that appear to have been derived, in part, from east-central Idaho. As the hotspot track propagated along the eastern Snake River Plain, silicic ash fell into the graben drainage basins and was reworked into thick fluvial beds along graben axes. The grabens were cross-cut by northwest-trending late Neogene grabens that propagated on the flanks of silicic volcanic centers along the hotspot track. The late Neogene grabens diverted the Middle Miocene drainage patterns in southwest Montana.

Yellowstone and the biology of time: Photographs across a century

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meagher, Mary; Houston, Douglas B.

1999-01-01

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and one of the largest national parks in the world. In this remarkable book, scientists Mary Meagher and Douglas B. Houston present 100 sets of photographs that compare the Yellowstone of old with the park of today.Most of the photo sets include three pictures-not the usual two-with many of the original views dating back to the 1870s and 1880s. From the same photo points used by early photographers, Meagher and Houston rephotographed the scenes in the 1970s, and then, following the great fires of 1988, again in the 1990s. The result is an illuminating record of Yellowstone’s dynamic ecosystem and its changes over time.Through close analysis of the photos and reference to the vast amount of available data, Meagher and Houston describe changes in vegetation, growth of wildlife populations, the effect of beaver occupancy on wetland areas, and geothermal and elevational shifts. At the same time they point out the extent to which many sites have not changed-despite important switches in park policy and an increase in human activity.Yellowstone National Park has long been the focus of major ecological debates. Should managers allow wildfires to burn? Should the elk and bison populations be controlled? Are too many people visiting the park? Yellowstone And The Biology Of Time offers a wealth of information to help us answer these questions. A visual treasure, this book will be of value to scientists from various disciplines as well as to the many people who care about Yellowstone and other protected wilderness areas around the world.

Rapid response of a hydrologic system to volcanic activity: Masaya volcano, Nicaragua

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, S.C.P.; Connor, C.B.; Sanford, W.E.

2008-01-01

Hydrologic systems change in response to volcanic activity, and in turn may be sensitive indicators of volcanic activity. Here we investigate the coupled nature of magmatic and hydrologic systems using continuous multichannel time series of soil temperature collected on the flanks of Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. The soil temperatures were measured in a low-temperature fumarole field located 3.5 km down the flanks of the volcano. Analysis of these time series reveals that they respond extremely rapidly, on a time scale of minutes, to changes in volcanic activity also manifested at the summit vent. These rapid temperature changes are caused by increased flow of water vapor through flank fumaroles during volcanism. The soil temperature response, ~5 °C, is repetitive and complex, with as many as 13 pulses during a single volcanic episode. Analysis of the frequency spectrum of these temperature time series shows that these anomalies are characterized by broad frequency content during volcanic activity. They are thus easily distinguished from seasonal trends, diurnal variations, or individual rainfall events, which triggered rapid transient increases in temperature during 5% of events. We suggest that the mechanism responsible for the distinctive temperature signals is rapid change in pore pressure in response to magmatism, a response that can be enhanced by meteoric water infiltration. Monitoring of distal fumaroles can therefore provide insight into coupled volcanic-hydrologic-meteorologic systems, and has potential as an inexpensive monitoring tool.

A multidisciplinary approach to quantify the permeability of the Whakaari/White Island volcanic hydrothermal system (Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heap, Michael J.; Kennedy, Ben M.; Farquharson, Jamie I.; Ashworth, James; Mayer, Klaus; Letham-Brake, Mark; Reuschlé, Thierry; Gilg, H. Albert; Scheu, Bettina; Lavallée, Yan; Siratovich, Paul; Cole, Jim; Jolly, Arthur D.; Baud, Patrick; Dingwell, Donald B.

2017-02-01

Our multidisciplinary study aims to better understand the permeability of active volcanic hydrothermal systems, a vital prerequisite for modelling and understanding their behaviour and evolution. Whakaari/White Island volcano (an active stratovolcano at the north-eastern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand) hosts a highly reactive hydrothermal system and represents an ideal natural laboratory to undertake such a study. We first gained an appreciation of the different lithologies at Whakaari and (where possible) their lateral and vertical extent through reconnaissance by land, sea, and air. The main crater, filled with tephra deposits, is shielded by a volcanic amphitheatre comprising interbedded lavas, lava breccias, and tuffs. We deployed field techniques to measure the permeability and density/porosity of (1) > 100 hand-sized sample blocks and (2) layered unlithified deposits in eight purpose-dug trenches. Our field measurements were then groundtruthed using traditional laboratory techniques on almost 150 samples. Our measurements highlight that the porosity of the materials at Whakaari varies from ∼ 0.01 to ∼ 0.7 and permeability varies by eight orders of magnitude (from ∼ 10-19 to ∼ 10-11 m2). The wide range in physical and hydraulic properties is the result of the numerous lithologies and their varied microstructures and alteration intensities, as exposed by a combination of macroscopic and microscopic (scanning electron microscopy) observations, quantitative mineralogical studies (X-ray powder diffraction), and mercury porosimetry. An understanding of the spatial distribution of lithology and alteration style/intensity is therefore important to decipher fluid flow within the Whakaari volcanic hydrothermal system. We align our field observations and porosity/permeability measurements to construct a schematic cross section of Whakaari that highlights the salient findings of our study. Taken together, the alteration typical of a volcanic

Controls on Magmatic and Hydrothermal Processes at Yellowstone Supervolcano: The Wideband Magnetotelluric Component of an Integrated MT/Seismic Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, A.; Bennington, N. L.; Bowles-martinez, E.; Imamura, N.; Cronin, R. A.; Miller, D. J.; Hart, L.; Gurrola, R. M.; Neal, B. A.; Scholz, K.; Fry, B.; Carbonari, R.

2017-12-01

Previous seismic and magnetotelluric (MT) studies beneath Yellowstone (YS) have provided insight into the origin and migration of magmatic fluids within the volcanic system. However, important questions remain concerning the generation of magmatism at YS, the migration and storage of these magmatic fluids, as well as their relationships to hydrothermal expressions. Analysis of regional-scale EarthScope MT data collected previously suggests a relative absence of continuity in crustal partial melt accumulations directly beneath YS. This is in contrast to some seismic interpretations, although such long-period MT data have limited resolving power in the upper-to-mid crustal section. A wideband MT experiment was designed as a component of an integrated MT/seismic project to examine: the origin and location of magmatic fluids at upper mantle/lower crustal depths, the preferred path of migration for these magmatic fluids into the mid- to upper-crust, the resulting distribution of the magma reservoir, the composition of the magma reservoir, and implications for future volcanism at YS. A high-resolution wideband MT survey was carried out in the YS region in the summer of 2017, with more than forty-five wideband stations installed within and immediately surrounding the YS National Park boundary. These data provided nearly six decades of bandwidth ( 10-3 Hz -to- 103 Hz). Extraordinary permitting restrictions prevented us from using conventional installation methods at many of our sites, and an innovative "no-dig" subaerial method of wideband MT was developed and used successfully. Using these new data along with existing MT datasets, we are inverting for the 3D resistivity structure at upper crustal through upper mantle scales at YS. Complementary to this MT work, a joint inversion for the 3D crustal velocity structure is being carried out using both ambient noise and earthquake travel time data. Taken together, these data should better constrain the crustal velocity

Coefficients of productivity for Yellowstone's grizzly bear habitat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, David John; Barber, Kim; Maw, Ralene; Renkin, Roy

2004-01-01

This report describes methods for calculating coefficients used to depict habitat productivity for grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Calculations based on these coefficients are used in the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Cumulative Effects Model to map the distribution of habitat productivity and account for the impacts of human facilities. The coefficients of habitat productivity incorporate detailed information that was collected over a 20-year period (1977-96) on the foraging behavior of Yellowstone's bears and include records of what bears were feeding on, when and where they fed, the extent of that feeding activity, and relative measures of the quantity consumed. The coefficients also incorporate information, collected primarily from 1986 to 1992, on the nutrient content of foods that were consumed, their digestibility, characteristic bite sizes, and the energy required to extract and handle each food. Coefficients were calculated for different time periods and different habitat types, specific to different parts of the Yellowstone ecosystem. Stratifications included four seasons of bear activity (spring, estrus, early hyperphagia, late hyperphagia), years when ungulate carrion and whitebark pine seed crops were abundant versus not, areas adjacent to (< 100 m) or far away from forest/nonforest edges, and areas inside or outside of ungulate winter ranges. Densities of bear activity in each region, habitat type, and time period were incorporated into calculations, controlling for the effects of proximity to human facilities. The coefficients described in this report and associated estimates of grizzly bear habitat productivity are unique among many efforts to model the conditions of bear habitat because calculations include information on energetics derived from the observed behavior of radio-marked bears.

Demography of the Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pease, C.M.; Mattson, D.J.

1999-01-01

We undertook a demographic analysis of the Yellowstone grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) to identify critical environmental factors controlling grizzly bear vital rates, and thereby to help evaluate the effectiveness of past management and to identify future conservation issues. We concluded that, within the limits of uncertainty implied by the available data and our methods of data analysis, the size of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population changed little from 1975 to 1995. We found that grizzly bear mortality rates are about double in years when the whitebark pine crop fails than in mast years, and that the population probably declines when the crop fails and increases in mast years. Our model suggests that natural variation in whitebark pine crop size over the last two decades explains more of the perceived fluctuations in Yellowstone grizzly population size than do other variables. Our analysis used demographic data from 202 radio-telemetered bears followed between 1975 and 1992 and accounted for whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) crop failures during 1993-1995. We used a maximum likelihood method to estimate demographic parameters and used the Akaike Information Criteria to judge the significance of various independent variables. We identified no independent variables correlated with grizzly bear fecundity. In order of importance, we found that grizzly bear mortality rates are correlated with season, whitebark pine crop size (mast vs. nonmast year), sex, management-trapping status (never management-trapped vs. management-trapped once or more), and age. The mortality rate of bears that were management-trapped at least once was almost double that of bears that were never management-trapped, implying a source/sink (i.e., never management-trapped/management-trapped) structure. The rate at which bears move between the source and sink, estimated as the management-trapping rate (h), is critical to estimating the finite rate of increase, I>I?. We quantified h by

Lower-mantle plume beneath the Yellowstone hotspot revealed by core waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Peter L.; Grand, Stephen P.

2018-04-01

The Yellowstone hotspot, located in North America, is an intraplate source of magmatism the cause of which is hotly debated. Some argue that a deep mantle plume sourced at the base of the mantle supplies the heat beneath Yellowstone, whereas others claim shallower subduction or lithospheric-related processes can explain the anomalous magmatism. Here we present a shear wave tomography model for the deep mantle beneath the western United States that was made using the travel times of core waves recorded by the dense USArray seismic network. The model reveals a single narrow, cylindrically shaped slow anomaly, approximately 350 km in diameter that we interpret as a whole-mantle plume. The anomaly is tilted to the northeast and extends from the core-mantle boundary to the surficial position of the Yellowstone hotspot. The structure gradually decreases in strength from the deepest mantle towards the surface and if it is purely a thermal anomaly this implies an initial excess temperature of 650 to 850 °C. Our results strongly support a deep origin for the Yellowstone hotspot, and also provide evidence for the existence of thin thermal mantle plumes that are currently beyond the resolution of global tomography models.

76 FR 31009 - BNSF Railway Company-Trackage Rights Exemption-Yellowstone Valley Railroad, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35503] BNSF Railway Company--Trackage Rights Exemption--Yellowstone Valley Railroad, Inc. Yellowstone Valley Railroad, Inc... local and overhead trackage rights to BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) over a rail line that it leases from...

Low-δD hydration rinds in Yellowstone perlites record rapid syneruptive hydration during glacial and interglacial conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bindeman, Ilya N.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.

2016-11-01

Hydration of silicic volcanic glass forms perlite, a dusky, porous form of altered glass characterized by abundant "onion-skin" fractures. The timing and temperature of perlite formation are enigmatic and could plausibly occur during eruption, during post-eruptive cooling, or much later at ambient temperatures. To learn more about the origin of natural perlite, and to fingerprint the hydration waters, we investigated perlitic glass from several synglacial and interglacial rhyolitic lavas and tuffs from the Yellowstone volcanic system. Perlitic cores are surrounded by a series of conchoidal cracks that separate 30- to 100-µm-thick slivers, likely formed in response to hydration-induced stress. H2O and D/H profiles confirm that most D/H exchange happens together with rapid H2O addition but some smoother D/H variations may suggest separate minor exchange by deuterium atom interdiffusion following hydration. The hydrated rinds (2-3 wt% H2O) transition rapidly (within 30 µm, or by 1 wt% H2O per 10 µm) to unhydrated glass cores. This is consistent with quenched "hydration fronts" where H2O diffusion coefficients are strongly dependent on H2O concentrations. The chemical, δ18O, and δD systematics of bulk glass records last equilibrium between 110 and 60 °C without chemical exchange but with some δ18O exchange. Similarly, the δ18O of water extracted from glass by rapid heating suggests that water was added to the glass during cooling at <200 °C. Our observations support fast hydration at temperatures as low as 60 °C; prolonged exposure to high temperature of 175°-225° during water addition is less likely as the glass would lose alkalies and should alter to clays within days. A compilation of low-temperature hydration diffusion coefficients suggests 2 orders of magnitude higher rates of diffusion at 60-110 °C temperatures, compared with values expected from extrapolation of high-temperature (>400 °C) experimental data. The thick hydration rinds in perlites

Consumption of pondweed rhizomes by Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, D.J.; Podruzny, S.R.; Haroldson, M.A.

2005-01-01

Pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.) are common foods of waterfowl throughout the Northern Hemisphere. However, consumption of pondweeds by bears has been noted only once, in Russia. We documented consumption of pondweed rhizomes by grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Yellowstone region, 1977-96, during investigations of telemetry locations obtained from 175 radiomarked bears. We documented pondweed excavations at 25 sites and detected pondweed rhizomes in 18 feces. We observed grizzly bears excavating and consuming pondweed on 2 occasions. All excavations occurred in wetlands that were inundated during and after snowmelt, but dry by late August or early September of most years. These wetlands were typified by the presence of inflated sedge (Carex vesicaria) and occurred almost exclusively on plateaus of Pliocene-Pleistocene detrital sediments or volcanic rhyolite flows. Bears excavated wetlands with pondweeds when they were free of standing water, most commonly during October and occasionally during spring prior to the onset of terminal snowmelt. Most excavations were about 4.5 cm deep, 40 cubic decimeter (dm3) in total volume, and targeted the thickened pondweed rhizomes. Starch content of rhizomes collected near grizzly bear excavations averaged 28% (12% SD; n = 6). These results add to the documented diversity of grizzly bear food habits and, because pondweed is distributed circumboreally, also raise the possibility that consumption of pondweed by grizzly bears has been overlooked in other regions.

Glacial and Quaternary geology of the northern Yellowstone area, Montana and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pierce, Kenneth L.; Licciardi, Joseph M.; Krause, Teresa R.; Whitlock, Cathy

2014-01-01

This field guide focuses on the glacial geology and paleoecology beginning in the Paradise Valley and progressing southward into northern Yellowstone National Park. During the last (Pinedale) glaciation, the northern Yellowstone outlet glacier flowed out of Yellowstone Park and down the Yellowstone River Valley into the Paradise Valley. The field trip will traverse the following Pinedale glacial sequence: (1) deposition of the Eightmile terminal moraines and outwash 16.5 ± 1.4 10Be ka in the Paradise Valley; (2) glacial recession of ~8 km and deposition of the Chico moraines and outwash 16.1 ± 1.7 10Be ka; (3) glacial recession of 45 km to near the northern Yellowstone boundary and moraine deposition during the Deckard Flats readjustment 14.2 ± 1.2 10Be ka; and (4) glacial recession of ~37 km and deposition of the Junction Butte moraines 15.2 ± 1.3 10Be ka (this age is a little too old based on the stratigraphic sequence). Yellowstone's northern range of sagebrush-grasslands and bison, elk, wolf, and bear inhabitants is founded on glacial moraines, sub-glacial till, and outwash deposited during the last glaciation. Floods released from glacially dammed lakes and a landslide-dammed lake punctuate this record. The glacial geologic reconstruction was evaluated by calculation of basal shear stress, and yielded the following values for flow pattern in plan view: strongly converging—1.21 ± 0.12 bars (n = 15); nearly uniform—1.04 ± 0.16 bars (n = 11); and strongly diverging—0.84 ± 0.14 bars (n = 16). Reconstructed mass balance yielded accumulation and ablation each of ~3 km3/yr, with glacial movement near the equilibrium line altitude dominated by basal sliding. Pollen and charcoal records from three lakes in northern Yellowstone provide information on the postglacial vegetation and fire history. Following glacial retreat, sparsely vegetated landscapes were colonized first by spruce parkland and then by closed subalpine forests. Regional fire activity

Rethinking Volcanic Plumbing Systems: The Prevalence of Offset Magma Reservoirs at Holocene Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerner, A. H.; Karlstrom, L.; Hurwitz, S.; Anderson, K. R.; Ebmeier, S. K.

2016-12-01

Mechanical models of volcanic overpressure and interpretations of volcanic deposits are generally rooted in the classic paradigm of a magma reservoir being located directly beneath the main topographic high and central conduit of a volcano. We test this framework against recent decades of research on volcanic deformation, seismic tomography, earthquake hypocenter locations, and magnetotellurics, which have provided unprecedented geophysical views of volcanic plumbing systems. In a literature survey of Holocene strato- and shield volcanoes in arc, backarc, continental rift, and intraplate settings, we find that shallow to mid-crustal (< 20 km) magma reservoirs are equally likely to be laterally offset from principle volcanic edifices (n = 20) as they are to be centrally located beneath volcanic topographic highs (n = 19). We classify offset reservoirs as having imaged or modeled centroids that are at least 2 km laterally offset from the central volcanic edifice. The scale and geometry of offset magma reservoirs range widely, with a number of systems having discrete reservoirs laterally offset up to 15 km from the main volcanic edifice, at depths of 2 to 15 km. Other systems appear to have inclined magmatic reservoirs and/or fluid transport zones that continuously extend from beneath the main edifice to lateral distances up to 20 km, at depths of 3 to 18 km. Additionally, over a third of the studied systems have small, centrally located shallow magma or fluid reservoirs at depths of 1 to 5 km. Overall, we find that offset magma reservoirs are more common than is classically perceived, and offset reservoirs are more prevalent in intermediate to evolved stratovolcanoes (19 of 28) than in basaltic shield volcanoes (2 of 7). The reason for the formation of long-lived edifices that are offset from their source magma reservoir(s) is an open question; correlation to regional principal stresses or local tectonics, edifice size, lithology, and morphology, and climate may

Does Students' Source of Knowledge Affect Their Understanding of Volcanic Systems?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parham, Thomas L.; Cervato, Cinzia; Gallus, William; Larsen, Michael; Hobbs, Jon; Greenbowe, Thomas

2011-01-01

A recent survey of undergraduates at five schools across the United States indicates that many undergraduates feel that they have learned more about volcanic systems from Hollywood films and the popular media than they learned in the course of their precollegiate formal education. Scores on the Volcanic Concept Survey, an instrument designed to…

Genesis of Middle Miocene Yellowstone hotspot-related bonanza epithermal Au-Ag deposits, Northern Great Basin, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saunders, J. A.; Unger, D. L.; Kamenov, G. D.; Fayek, M.; Hames, W. E.; Utterback, W. C.

2008-09-01

Epithermal deposits with bonanza Au-Ag veins in the northern Great Basin (NGB) are spatially and temporally associated with Middle Miocene bimodal volcanism that was related to a mantle plume that has now migrated to the Yellowstone National Park area. The Au-Ag deposits formed between 16.5 and 14 Ma, but exhibit different mineralogical compositions, the latter due to the nature of the country rocks hosting the deposits. Where host rocks were primarily of meta-sedimentary or granitic origin, adularia-rich gold mineralization formed. Where glassy rhyolitic country rocks host veins, colloidal silica textures and precious metal-colloid aggregation textures resulted. Where basalts are the country rocks, clay-rich mineralization (with silica minerals, adularia, and carbonate) developed. Oxygen isotope data from quartz (originally amorphous silica and gels) from super-high-grade banded ores from the Sleeper deposit show that ore-forming solutions had δ 18O values up to 10‰ heavier than mid-Miocene meteoric water. The geochemical signature of the ores (including their Se-rich nature) is interpreted here to reflect a mantle source for the “epithermal suite” elements (Au, Ag, Se, Te, As, Sb, Hg) and that signature is preserved to shallow crustal levels because of the similar volatility and aqueous geochemical behavior of the “epithermal suite” elements. A mantle source for the gold in the deposits is further supported by the Pb isotopic signature of the gold ores. Apparently the host rocks control the mineralization style and gangue mineralogy of ores. However, all deposits are considered to have derived precious metals and metalloids from mafic magmas related to the initial emergence of the Yellowstone hotspot. Basalt-derived volatiles and metal(loid)s are inferred to have been absorbed by meteoric-water-dominated geothermal systems heated by shallow rhyolitic magma chambers. Episodic discharge of volatiles and metal(loid)s from deep basaltic magmas mixed with

Modeling Seasonal Thermal Radiance Cycles for Change Detection at Volcanic / Geothermal Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaughan, R.; Beuttel, B. S.

2013-12-01

Remote sensing observations of thermal features associated with (and often preceding) volcanic activity have been used for decades to detect and monitor volcanism. However, anomalous thermal precursors to volcanic eruptions are usually only recognized retrospectively. One of the reasons for this is that precursor thermal activity is often too subtle in magnitude (spatially, temporally, or in absolute temperature) to be unambiguously detected in time to issue warnings or forecasts. Part of the reason for this is the trade-off between high spatial and high temporal resolution associated with satellite imaging systems. Thus, the goal of this work has been to develop some techniques for using high-temporal-resolution, coarse-spatial-resolution imagery to try to detect subtle thermal anomalies. To identify anomalies, background thermal activity must first be characterized. Every active, or potentially active, volcano has a unique thermal history that provides information about normal background thermal activity due to seasonal or diurnal variations. Understanding these normal variations allows recognition of anomalous activity that may be due to volcanic / hydrothermal processes - ultimately with a lead time that may be sufficient to issue eruption warnings or forecasts. Archived MODIS data, acquired ~daily from 2000 to 2012, were used to investigate seasonal thermal cycles at three volcanic areas with different types of thermal features: Mount St. Helens, which had a dacite dome-building eruption from 2004-2008; Mount Ruapehu, which has a 500-m diameter active summit crater lake; and Yellowstone, which is a large active geothermal system that has hundreds of hot springs and fumarole fields spread out over a very large area. The focus has been on using MODIS 1-km sensor radiance data in the MIR and TIR wavelength regions that are sensitive to thermal emission from features that range in temperature from hundreds of °C, down to tens of °C (below the boiling temperature

Siliceous Shrubs in Yellowstone's Hot Springs: Implications for Exobiological Investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guidry, S. A.; Chafetz, H. S.

2003-01-01

Potential relict hot springs have been identified on Mars and, using the Earth as an analog, Martian hot springs are postulated to be an optimal locality for recognizing preserved evidence of extraterrestrial life. Distinctive organic and inorganic biomarkers are necessary to recognize preserved evidence of life in terrestrial and extraterrestrial hot spring accumulations. Hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A., contain a wealth of information about primitive microbial life and associated biosignatures that may be useful for future exobiological investigations. Numerous siliceous hot springs in Yellowstone contain abundant, centimeter-scale, spinose precipitates of opaline silica (opal-A). Although areally extensive in siliceous hot spring discharge channel facies, these spinose forms have largely escaped attention. These precipitates referred to as shrubs, consist of porous aggregates of spinose opaline silica that superficially resemble miniature woody plants, i.e., the term shrubs. Shrubs in carbonate precipitating systems have received considerable attention, and represent naturally occurring biotically induced precipitates. As such, shrubs have great potential as hot spring environmental indicators and, more importantly, proxies for pre-existing microbial life.

On the origin of brucellosis in bison of Yellowstone National Park: a review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meagher, Mary; Meyer, Margaret E.

1994-01-01

Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus occurs in the free-ranging bison (Bison bison) of Yellowstone and Wood Buffalo National Parks and in elk (Cervus elaphus) of the Greater Yellowstone Area. As a result of nationwide bovine brucellosis eradication programs, states and provinces proximate to the national parks are considered free of bovine brucellosis. Thus, increased attention has been focused on the wildlife within these areas as potential reservoirs for transmission to cattle. Because the national parks are mandated as natural areas, the question has been raised as to whether Brucella abortus is endogenous or exogenous to bison, particularly for Yellowstone National Park. We synthesized diverse lines of inquiry, including the evolutionary history of both bison and Brucella, wild animals as Brucella hosts, biochemical and genetic information, behavioral characteristics of host and organism, and area history to develop an evaluation of the question for the National Park Service. All lines of inquiry indicated that the organism was introduced to North America with cattle, and that the introduction into the Yellowstone bison probably was directly from cattle shortly before 1917. Fistulous withers of horses was a less likely possibility. Elk on winter feedgrounds south of Yellowstone National Park apparently acquired the disease directly from cattle. Bison presently using Grand Teton National Park probably acquired brucellosis from feedground elk.

Mantle updrafts and mechanisms of oceanic volcanism.

PubMed

Anderson, Don L; Natland, James H

2014-10-14

Convection in an isolated planet is characterized by narrow downwellings and broad updrafts--consequences of Archimedes' principle, the cooling required by the second law of thermodynamics, and the effect of compression on material properties. A mature cooling planet with a conductive low-viscosity core develops a thick insulating surface boundary layer with a thermal maximum, a subadiabatic interior, and a cooling highly conductive but thin boundary layer above the core. Parts of the surface layer sink into the interior, displacing older, colder material, which is entrained by spreading ridges. Magma characteristics of intraplate volcanoes are derived from within the upper boundary layer. Upper mantle features revealed by seismic tomography and that are apparently related to surface volcanoes are intrinsically broad and are not due to unresolved narrow jets. Their morphology, aspect ratio, inferred ascent rate, and temperature show that they are passively responding to downward fluxes, as appropriate for a cooling planet that is losing more heat through its surface than is being provided from its core or from radioactive heating. Response to doward flux is the inverse of the heat-pipe/mantle-plume mode of planetary cooling. Shear-driven melt extraction from the surface boundary layer explains volcanic provinces such as Yellowstone, Hawaii, and Samoa. Passive upwellings from deeper in the upper mantle feed ridges and near-ridge hotspots, and others interact with the sheared and metasomatized surface layer. Normal plate tectonic processes are responsible both for plate boundary and intraplate swells and volcanism.

Mantle updrafts and mechanisms of oceanic volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Don L.; Natland, James H.

2014-10-01

Convection in an isolated planet is characterized by narrow downwellings and broad updrafts-consequences of Archimedes' principle, the cooling required by the second law of thermodynamics, and the effect of compression on material properties. A mature cooling planet with a conductive low-viscosity core develops a thick insulating surface boundary layer with a thermal maximum, a subadiabatic interior, and a cooling highly conductive but thin boundary layer above the core. Parts of the surface layer sink into the interior, displacing older, colder material, which is entrained by spreading ridges. Magma characteristics of intraplate volcanoes are derived from within the upper boundary layer. Upper mantle features revealed by seismic tomography and that are apparently related to surface volcanoes are intrinsically broad and are not due to unresolved narrow jets. Their morphology, aspect ratio, inferred ascent rate, and temperature show that they are passively responding to downward fluxes, as appropriate for a cooling planet that is losing more heat through its surface than is being provided from its core or from radioactive heating. Response to doward flux is the inverse of the heat-pipe/mantle-plume mode of planetary cooling. Shear-driven melt extraction from the surface boundary layer explains volcanic provinces such as Yellowstone, Hawaii, and Samoa. Passive upwellings from deeper in the upper mantle feed ridges and near-ridge hotspots, and others interact with the sheared and metasomatized surface layer. Normal plate tectonic processes are responsible both for plate boundary and intraplate swells and volcanism.

Mantle updrafts and mechanisms of oceanic volcanism

PubMed Central

Anderson, Don L.; Natland, James H.

2014-01-01

Convection in an isolated planet is characterized by narrow downwellings and broad updrafts—consequences of Archimedes’ principle, the cooling required by the second law of thermodynamics, and the effect of compression on material properties. A mature cooling planet with a conductive low-viscosity core develops a thick insulating surface boundary layer with a thermal maximum, a subadiabatic interior, and a cooling highly conductive but thin boundary layer above the core. Parts of the surface layer sink into the interior, displacing older, colder material, which is entrained by spreading ridges. Magma characteristics of intraplate volcanoes are derived from within the upper boundary layer. Upper mantle features revealed by seismic tomography and that are apparently related to surface volcanoes are intrinsically broad and are not due to unresolved narrow jets. Their morphology, aspect ratio, inferred ascent rate, and temperature show that they are passively responding to downward fluxes, as appropriate for a cooling planet that is losing more heat through its surface than is being provided from its core or from radioactive heating. Response to doward flux is the inverse of the heat-pipe/mantle-plume mode of planetary cooling. Shear-driven melt extraction from the surface boundary layer explains volcanic provinces such as Yellowstone, Hawaii, and Samoa. Passive upwellings from deeper in the upper mantle feed ridges and near-ridge hotspots, and others interact with the sheared and metasomatized surface layer. Normal plate tectonic processes are responsible both for plate boundary and intraplate swells and volcanism. PMID:25201992

Biology, status, and management of the yellowstone cutthroat trout

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gresswell, R.E.

2011-01-01

Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri were historically distributed in the Yellowstone River drainage (Montana and Wyoming) and the Snake River drainage (Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and probably Washington). Individual populations evolved distinct life history characteristics in response to the diverse environments in which they were isolated after the last glaciation. Anthropogenic activities have resulted in a substantial decline (42% of the historical range is currently occupied; 28% is occupied by core [genetically unaltered] populations), but the number of extant populations, especially in headwater streams, has precluded listing of this taxon under the Endangered Species Act. Primary threats to persistence of Yellowstone cutthroat trout include (1) invasive species, resulting in hybridization, predation, disease, and interspecific competition; (2) habitat degradation from human activities such as agricultural practices, water diversions, grazing, dam construction, mineral extraction, grazing, timber harvest, and road construction; and (3) climate change, including an escalating risk of drought, wildfire, winter flooding, and rising temperatures. Extirpation of individual populations or assemblages has led to increasing isolation and fragmentation of remaining groups, which in turn raises susceptibility to the demographic influences of disturbance (both human and stochastic) and genetic factors. Primary conservation strategies include (1) preventing risks associated with invasive species by isolating populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and (2) connecting occupied habitats (where possible) to preserve metapopulation function and the expression of multiple life histories. Because persistence of isolated populations may be greater in the short term, current management is focused on isolating individual populations and restoring habitats; however, this approach implies that humans will act as dispersal agents if a population is

Nutritional condition of Northern Yellowstone Elk

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cook, R.C.; Cook, J.G.; Mech, L.D.

2004-01-01

Ultrasonography and body condition scoring was used to estimate nutritional condition of northern Yellowstone elk in late winter. Probability of pregnancy was related to body fat, and lactating cows had 50% less fat than non-lactating cows. For mild to normal winters, most of the elk were in good condition.

Experimental Investigations of Boron, Lithium, and Halogens During High-Temperature Water-Rock Interaction: Insights into the Yellowstone Hydrothermal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullen, J. T.; Hurwitz, S.; Thordsen, J. J.; Barnes, J.

2017-12-01

B, Li, and halogens (Cl, F, Br) are used extensively in studies of thermal waters to infer fluid equilibrium conditions with the host reservoir lithology, and quantify the possible fraction of a magmatic component in thermal waters. Apart from fluorine, the limited number of minerals that incorporate these elements support the notion that they preferentially partition into an aqueous fluid during high temperature water-rock interaction. Although limited experimental work is largely consistent with these observations, a rigorous experimental investigation is required to quantify the mobility of these elements under conditions emulating a silicic hydrothermal system. Here we present the results from water-rhyolite interaction batch experiments conducted over a range of temperatures between 150 °C and 350 °C and 250 bar. Powdered obsidian from Yellowstone was reacted with MiliQ water and sampled intermittently throughout the duration of the 90 day experiment. The experimental data show that at temperatures ≤ 200 °C, B, Cl, Br, and Li are not readily leached from the rhyolite, whereas aqueous F- concentration increases by a factor of 3.5 when the temperature was increased from 150 °C to 200 °C. Between 200 °C and 250 °C, B concentration increased by more than an order of magnitude and Cl- concentration increased by a factor of 5. F- concentration increased by a factor of 3. Between 250 °C and 300 °C the opposite trend was observed, in which F- concentration decreased by 60%, Br- concentration increased by a factor of 5, and Cl- and B concentrations increased by more than an order of magnitude. The progressive decrease of aqueous F- at T ≥ 300 °C is likely controlled by precipitation into a fluorine bearing secondary mineral(s). Our experimental results demonstrate that leaching of B, Li, Cl, F, and Br from rhyolite is highly temperature-dependent between 150 °C and 350 °C. These results can provide context to infer the sources of solutes discharged at

Experimental Investigations of Boron, Lithium, and Halogens During High-Temperature Water-Rock Interaction: Insights into the Yellowstone Hydrothermal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullen, J. T.; Hurwitz, S.; Thordsen, J. J.; Barnes, J.

2016-12-01

B, Li, and halogens (Cl, F, Br) are used extensively in studies of thermal waters to infer fluid equilibrium conditions with the host reservoir lithology, and quantify the possible fraction of a magmatic component in thermal waters. Apart from fluorine, the limited number of minerals that incorporate these elements support the notion that they preferentially partition into an aqueous fluid during high temperature water-rock interaction. Although limited experimental work is largely consistent with these observations, a rigorous experimental investigation is required to quantify the mobility of these elements under conditions emulating a silicic hydrothermal system. Here we present the results from water-rhyolite interaction batch experiments conducted over a range of temperatures between 150 °C and 350 °C and 250 bar. Powdered obsidian from Yellowstone was reacted with MiliQ water and sampled intermittently throughout the duration of the 90 day experiment. The experimental data show that at temperatures ≤ 200 °C, B, Cl, Br, and Li are not readily leached from the rhyolite, whereas aqueous F- concentration increases by a factor of 3.5 when the temperature was increased from 150 °C to 200 °C. Between 200 °C and 250 °C, B concentration increased by more than an order of magnitude and Cl- concentration increased by a factor of 5. F- concentration increased by a factor of 3. Between 250 °C and 300 °C the opposite trend was observed, in which F- concentration decreased by 60%, Br- concentration increased by a factor of 5, and Cl- and B concentrations increased by more than an order of magnitude. The progressive decrease of aqueous F- at T ≥ 300 °C is likely controlled by precipitation into a fluorine bearing secondary mineral(s). Our experimental results demonstrate that leaching of B, Li, Cl, F, and Br from rhyolite is highly temperature-dependent between 150 °C and 350 °C. These results can provide context to infer the sources of solutes discharged at

Optimal wildlife management in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem: A spatiotemporal model of disease risk

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

South of Yellowstone National Park there are twenty-three sites where elk herds are provided supplementary feeding during the winter and spring months. Supplementary feeding of elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) has been practiced since the early twentieth century, but the practice has b...

Yellowstone Park

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-15

Thirteen years after devastating forest fires burned over 1.6 million acres in Yellowstone National Park, the scars are still evident. In this simulated natural color ASTER image, burned areas appear gray, in contrast to the dark green of unburned forests. The image covers an area of 60 x 63 km. This image was acquired on July 2, 2001 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03875

The phenology of space: Spatial aspects of bison density dependence in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taper, M.L.; Meagher, M.; Jerde, C.L.

2000-01-01

The Yellowstone bison represent the only bison population in the United States that survived in the wild the near-extermination of the late 1800's. This paper capitalizes on a unique opportunity provided by the record of the bison population of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). This population has been intensely monitored for almost four decades. The analysis of long-term spatio-temporal data from 1970-1997 supports the following conclusions. 1) Even though the Yellowstone bison herd exhibits an extended period of what appears to be linear growth, this pattern can be explained with classical density dependent dynamics if one realizes that perhaps the primary response of the herd to increased density is range expansion. 2) Several spatial aspects of social behavior in the YNP bison may be behavioral adaptations by the bison to environmental changes. These behavioral strategies may buffer, temporarily at least, bison population dynamics from the immediate repercussions of possible environmental stress and habitat deterioration. 3) Bison ecological carrying capacity for YNP is on the order of 2800 to 3200 animals. 4) There do appear to be indications of changes in the bison dynamics that are associated with increasing use of sections of the interior road system in winter. 5) The possibility of habitat degradation is indicated.

Chronology and References of Volcanic Eruptions and Selected Unrest in the United States, 1980-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diefenbach, Angela K.; Guffanti, Marianne; Ewert, John W.

2009-01-01

The United States ranks as one of the top countries in the world in the number of young, active volcanoes within its borders. The United States, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is home to approximately 170 geologically active (age <10,000 years) volcanoes. As our review of the record shows, 30 of these volcanoes have erupted since 1980, many repeatedly. In addition to producing eruptions, many U.S. volcanoes exhibit periods of anomalous activity, unrest, that do not culminate in eruptions. Monitoring volcanic activity in the United States is the responsibility of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) and is accomplished with academic, Federal, and State partners. The VHP supports five Volcano Observatories - the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO), Long Valley Observatory (LVO), and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). With the exception of HVO, which was established in 1912, the U.S. Volcano Observatories have been established in the past 27 years in response to specific volcanic eruptions or sustained levels of unrest. As understanding of volcanic activity and hazards has grown over the years, so have the extent and types of monitoring networks and techniques available to detect early signs of anomalous volcanic behavior. This increased capability is providing us with a more accurate gauge of volcanic activity in the United States. The purpose of this report is to (1) document the range of volcanic activity that U.S. Volcano Observatories have dealt with, beginning with the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, (2) describe some overall characteristics of the activity, and (3) serve as a quick reference to pertinent published literature on the eruptions and unrest documented in this report.

Low-δD hydration rinds in Yellowstone perlites record rapid syneruptive hydration during glacial and interglacial conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bindeman, Ilya N.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.

2016-01-01

Hydration of silicic volcanic glass forms perlite, a dusky, porous form of altered glass characterized by abundant “onion-skin” fractures. The timing and temperature of perlite formation are enigmatic and could plausibly occur during eruption, during post-eruptive cooling, or much later at ambient temperatures. To learn more about the origin of natural perlite, and to fingerprint the hydration waters, we investigated perlitic glass from several synglacial and interglacial rhyolitic lavas and tuffs from the Yellowstone volcanic system. Perlitic cores are surrounded by a series of conchoidal cracks that separate 30- to 100-µm-thick slivers, likely formed in response to hydration-induced stress. H2O and D/H profiles confirm that most D/H exchange happens together with rapid H2O addition but some smoother D/H variations may suggest separate minor exchange by deuterium atom interdiffusion following hydration. The hydrated rinds (2–3 wt% H2O) transition rapidly (within 30 µm, or by 1 wt% H2O per 10 µm) to unhydrated glass cores. This is consistent with quenched “hydration fronts” where H2O diffusion coefficients are strongly dependent on H2O concentrations. The chemical, δ18O, and δD systematics of bulk glass records last equilibrium between ~110 and 60 °C without chemical exchange but with some δ18O exchange. Similarly, the δ18O of water extracted from glass by rapid heating suggests that water was added to the glass during cooling at <200 °C. Our observations support fast hydration at temperatures as low as 60 °C; prolonged exposure to high temperature of 175°–225° during water addition is less likely as the glass would lose alkalies and should alter to clays within days. A compilation of low-temperature hydration diffusion coefficients suggests ~2 orders of magnitude higher rates of diffusion at 60–110 °C temperatures, compared with values expected from extrapolation of high-temperature (>400 °C) experimental data. The thick

Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden and the founding of the Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1973-01-01

Following the Civil War, the United States intensified the exploration of her western frontiers to gain a measure of the vast lands and natural resources in the region now occupied by our Rocky Mountain States. As part of this effort, the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories was formed and staffed under the leadership of geologist Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden. Originally organized under the U.S. Public Land Office in 1861, the Hayden Survey (as it was most often identified) was placed under the Secretary of the Interior in 1869 and later, under the newly created U.S. Geological Survey. Its records, maps, and photographs were then transferred to the latter agency. In commemorating the centennial of Yellowstone National Park, the U.S. Geological Survey drew upon those items deposited by Hayden to describe the early exploration of the Yellowstone area and to recount events that led to the establishment of Yellowstone as the Nation's first national park.

Twenty Years After the 1988 Yellowstone Fires: Lessons About Disturbance and Ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Romme, W.H.; Boyce, M.S.; Gresswell, R.; Merrill, E.H.; Minshall, G.W.; Whitlock, C.; Turner, M.G.

2011-01-01

The 1988 Yellowstone fires were among the first in what has proven to be an upsurge in large severe fires in the western USA during the past 20 years. At the time of the fires, little was known about the impacts of such a large severe disturbance because scientists had had few previous opportunities to study such an event. Ecologists predicted short- and long-term effects of the 1988 fires on vegetation, biogeochemistry, primary productivity, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems based on scientific understanding of the time. Twenty-plus years of subsequent study allow these early predictions to be evaluated. Most of the original predictions were at least partially supported, but some predictions were refuted, others nuanced, and a few postfire phenomena were entirely unexpected. Post-1988 Yellowstone studies catalyzed advances in ecology focused on the importance of spatial and temporal heterogeneity, contingent influences, and multiple interacting drivers. Post-1988 research in Yellowstone also has changed public perceptions of fire as an ecological process and attitudes towards fire management. Looking ahead to projected climate change and more frequent large fires, the well-documented ecological responses to the 1988 Yellowstone fires provide a foundation for detecting and evaluating potential changes in fire regimes of temperate mountainous regions. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Movements of a male Canada lynx crossing the greater Yellowstone Area, including highways

Treesearch

John R. Squires; Robert Oakleaf

2005-01-01

From 1999-2001, a male Canada lynx engaged in yearly exploratory movements across the greater Yellowstone area including the Teton Wilderness Area and Yellowstone National Park. For three consecutive summers, the lynx traversed a similar path in a northwesterly direction from the animal’s home range in the Wyoming Range near Big Piney, Wyoming, to as far as...

Landsat 7 - First Cloud-free Image of Yellowstone National Park

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This image of Yellowstone Lake, in the center of Yellowstone National Park, was taken by Landsat 7 on July 13, 1999. Bands 5 (1.65um),4 (.825um), and 2 (.565um) were used for red, green, and blue, respectively. Water appears blue/black, snow light blue, mature forest red/green, young forest pink, and grass and fields appear light green. Southwest of the lake is young forest that is growing in the wake of the widespread fires of 1988. For more information, see: Landsat 7 Fact Sheet Landsat 7 in Mission Control Image by Rich Irish, NASA GSFC

Amphibian decline in Yellowstone National Park

Treesearch

Debra A. Patla; Charles R. Peterson; Paul Stephen Corn

2009-01-01

We conduct long-term amphibian monitoring in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) (1) and read McMenamin et al.'s article (2) with interest. This study documents decline in the extent of seasonal wetlands in the Lamar Valley of YNP during extended drought, but the conclusion, widely reported in the media, of "severe declines in 4 once-common amphibian species,...

Lake Generated Microseisms at Yellowstone Lake as a Record of Ice Phenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohd Mokhdhari, A. A.; Koper, K. D.; Burlacu, R.

2017-12-01

It has recently been shown that wave action in lakes produces microseisms, which generate noise peaks in the period range of 0.8-1.2 s as recorded by nearby seismic stations. Such noise peaks have been observed at seven seismic stations (H17A, LKWY, B208, B944, YTP, YLA, and YLT) located within 2 km of the Yellowstone Lake shoreline. Initial work using 2016 data shows that the variations in the microseism signals at Yellowstone Lake correspond with the freezing and thawing of lake ice: the seismic noise occurs more frequently in the spring, summer, and fall, and less commonly in the winter. If this can be confirmed, then lake-generated microseisms could provide a consistent measure of the freezing and melting dates of high-latitude lakes in remote areas. The seismic data would then be useful in assessing the effects of climate change on the ice phenology of those lakes. In this work, we analyze continuous seismic data recorded by the seven seismic stations around Yellowstone Lake for the years of 1995 to 2016. We generate probability distribution functions of power spectral density for each station to observe the broad elevation of energy near a period of 1 s. The time dependence of this 1-s seismic noise energy is analyzed by extracting the power spectral density at 1 s from every processed hour. The seismic observations are compared to direct measurements of the dates of ice-out and freeze-up as reported by rangers at Yellowstone National Park. We examine how accurate the seismic data are in recording the freezing and melting of Yellowstone Lake, and how the accuracy changes as a function of the number of stations used. We also examine how sensitive the results are to the particular range of periods that are analyzed.

The Eruption Forecasting Information System: Volcanic Eruption Forecasting Using Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogburn, S. E.; Harpel, C. J.; Pesicek, J. D.; Wellik, J.

2016-12-01

Forecasting eruptions, including the onset size, duration, location, and impacts, is vital for hazard assessment and risk mitigation. The Eruption Forecasting Information System (EFIS) project is a new initiative of the US Geological Survey-USAID Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) and will advance VDAP's ability to forecast the outcome of volcanic unrest. The project supports probability estimation for eruption forecasting by creating databases useful for pattern recognition, identifying monitoring data thresholds beyond which eruptive probabilities increase, and for answering common forecasting questions. A major component of the project is a global relational database, which contains multiple modules designed to aid in the construction of probabilistic event trees and to answer common questions that arise during volcanic crises. The primary module contains chronologies of volcanic unrest. This module allows us to query eruption chronologies, monitoring data, descriptive information, operational data, and eruptive phases alongside other global databases, such as WOVOdat and the Global Volcanism Program. The EFIS database is in the early stages of development and population; thus, this contribution also is a request for feedback from the community. Preliminary data are already benefitting several research areas. For example, VDAP provided a forecast of the likely remaining eruption duration for Sinabung volcano, Indonesia, using global data taken from similar volcanoes in the DomeHaz database module, in combination with local monitoring time-series data. In addition, EFIS seismologists used a beta-statistic test and empirically-derived thresholds to identify distal volcano-tectonic earthquake anomalies preceding Alaska volcanic eruptions during 1990-2015 to retrospectively evaluate Alaska Volcano Observatory eruption precursors. This has identified important considerations for selecting analog volcanoes for global data analysis, such as differences between

Infectious diseases of wolves in Yellowstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Almberg, Emily S.; Cross, Paul C.; Hudson, Peter J.; Dobson, Andrew P.; Smith, Douglas W.; Stahler, Daniel R.

2016-01-01

The summer of 2005 began with such promise for wolves in Yellowstone.  The population had been at an all-time high the last few years, and the wolves appeared to be in good condition.  Several packs had been particularly busy during the breeding season, and early summer pup counts suggested another healthy crop of new wolves rising through the ranks.

Mega-rings Surrounding Timber Mountain Nested Calderas, Geophysical Anomalies: Rethinking Structure and Volcanism Near Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tynan, M. C.; Smith, K. D.; Savino, J. M.; Vogt, T. J.

2004-12-01

Observed regional mega-rings define a zone ˜80-100 km in diameter centered on Timber Mountain (TM). The mega-rings encompass known smaller rhyolitic nested Miocene calderas ( ˜11-15 my, < 10 km circular to elliptical small "rings") and later stage basaltic features (< 11 my, small flows, cones, dikes) in the Southwest Nevada Volcanic Field. Miocene rhyolitic calderas cluster within the central area and on the outer margin of the interpreted larger mega-ring complex. The mega-ring interpretation is consistent with observations of regional physiography, tomographic images, seismicity patterns, and structural relationships. Mega-rings consist of arcuate faulted blocks with deformation (some remain active structures) patterns showing a genetic relationship to the TM volcanic system; they appear to be spatially associated and temporally correlated with Miocene volcanism and two geophysically identified crustal/upper mantle features. A 50+ km diameter pipe-like high velocity anomaly extends from crustal depth to over 200 km beneath TM (evidence for 400km depth to NE). The pipe is located between two ˜100 km sub-parallel N/S linear trends of small-magnitude earthquake activity, one extending through the central NV Test Site, and a second located near Beatty, NV. Neither the kinematics nor relational mechanism of 100km seismically active N/S linear zones, pipe, and mega-rings are understood. Interpreted mega-rings are: 1) Similar in size to larger terrestrial volcanic complexes (e.g., Yellowstone, Indonesia's Toba system); 2) Located in the region of structural transition from the Mohave block to the south, N/S Basin and Range features to the north, Walker Lane to the NW, and the Las Vegas Valley shear zone to the SE; 3) Associated with the two seismically active zones (similar to other caldera fault-bounded sags), the mantle high velocity feature, and possibly a regional bouguer gravity anomaly; 4) Nearly coincident with area hydrologic basins and sub-basins; 5

Airborne lidar detection and mapping of invasive lake trout in Yellowstone Lake.

PubMed

Roddewig, Michael R; Churnside, James H; Hauer, F Richard; Williams, Jacob; Bigelow, Patricia E; Koel, Todd M; Shaw, Joseph A

2018-05-20

The use of airborne lidar to survey fisheries has not yet been extensively applied in freshwater environments. In this study, we investigated the applicability of this technology to identify invasive lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, USA. Results of experimental trials conducted in 2004 and in 2015-16 provided lidar data that identified groups of fish coherent with current knowledge and models of lake trout spawning sites, and one identified site was later confirmed to have lake trout.

36 CFR 7.13 - Yellowstone National Park.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... license. Non-commercially guided group means a group of no more than five snowmobiles, including a non... traveling together in Yellowstone National Park on any given day or a non-commercially guided group, which... ascertain which snowmobiles in the park are part of a non-commercially guided group. (vi) Non-commercial...

Use of Low-Cost Acquisition Systems with an Embedded Linux Device for Volcanic Monitoring

PubMed Central

Moure, David; Torres, Pedro; Casas, Benito; Toma, Daniel; Blanco, María José; Del Río, Joaquín; Manuel, Antoni

2015-01-01

This paper describes the development of a low-cost multiparameter acquisition system for volcanic monitoring that is applicable to gravimetry and geodesy, as well as to the visual monitoring of volcanic activity. The acquisition system was developed using a System on a Chip (SoC) Broadcom BCM2835 Linux operating system (based on DebianTM) that allows for the construction of a complete monitoring system offering multiple possibilities for storage, data-processing, configuration, and the real-time monitoring of volcanic activity. This multiparametric acquisition system was developed with a software environment, as well as with different hardware modules designed for each parameter to be monitored. The device presented here has been used and validated under different scenarios for monitoring ocean tides, ground deformation, and gravity, as well as for monitoring with images the island of Tenerife and ground deformation on the island of El Hierro. PMID:26295394

Use of Low-Cost Acquisition Systems with an Embedded Linux Device for Volcanic Monitoring.

PubMed

Moure, David; Torres, Pedro; Casas, Benito; Toma, Daniel; Blanco, María José; Del Río, Joaquín; Manuel, Antoni

2015-08-19

This paper describes the development of a low-cost multiparameter acquisition system for volcanic monitoring that is applicable to gravimetry and geodesy, as well as to the visual monitoring of volcanic activity. The acquisition system was developed using a System on a Chip (SoC) Broadcom BCM2835 Linux operating system (based on DebianTM) that allows for the construction of a complete monitoring system offering multiple possibilities for storage, data-processing, configuration, and the real-time monitoring of volcanic activity. This multiparametric acquisition system was developed with a software environment, as well as with different hardware modules designed for each parameter to be monitored. The device presented here has been used and validated under different scenarios for monitoring ocean tides, ground deformation, and gravity, as well as for monitoring with images the island of Tenerife and ground deformation on the island of El Hierro.

Low δ18O zircons from the Bruneau-Jarbidge eruptive center: a key to crustal anatexis along the track of the Yellowstone hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cathey, H. E.; Nash, B. P.; Seligman, A. N.; Valley, J. W.; Kita, N.; Allen, C. M.; Campbell, I. H.; Vazquez, J. A.; Wooden, J. L.

2011-12-01

The Bruneau-Jarbidge eruptive center (BJEC) in the central Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA consists of the Cougar Point Tuff (CPT), a series of ten, high-temperature (900-1000°C) voluminous ignimbrites produced over the explosive phase of volcanism (12.8 - 10.5 Ma) and more than a dozen equally high-temperature rhyolite lava flows produced during the effusive phase (10.5 - 8 Ma). Spot analyses by ion microprobe of oxygen isotope ratios in 210 zircons demonstrate that all of the eruptive units of the BJEC are characterized by zircon δ18O values ≤ 2.5%, thus documenting the largest low δ18O silicic volcanic province known on Earth (>104 km3). There is no evidence for voluminous normal δ18O magmatism at the BJEC that precedes generation of low δ18O magmas as there is at other volcanic centers that generate low δ18O magmas such as Heise and Yellowstone. At these younger volcanic centers of the hotspot track, such low δ18O magmas represent ~45 % and ~20% respectively of total eruptive volumes. Zircons in all BJEC tuffs and lavas studied (23 units) document strong 18O depletion (median CPT δ18OZrc = 1.0 %, post-CPT lavas = 1.5%) with the third member of the CPT recording an excursion to minimum δ18O values (δ18OZrc= -1.8 %) in a supereruption > 2% lower than other voluminous low δ18O rhyolites known worldwide (δ18OWR ≤0.9 vs. 3.4%). Subsequent units of the CPT and lavas record a progressive recovery in δ18OZrc to ~2.5% over a ~ 4 m.y. interval (12 to 8 Ma). We present detailed evidence of unit-to-unit systematic patterns in O isotopic zoning in zircons (i.e. direction and magnitude of Δcore-rim), spectrum of δ18O in individual units, and zircon inheritance patterns established by re-analysis of spots for U-Th-Pb isotopes by LA-ICPMS and SHRIMP. In conjunction with mineral thermometry and magma compositions, these patterns are difficult to reconcile with the well-established model for "cannibalistic" low δ18O magma genesis at Heise and Yellowstone. We

Sexual predators, energy development, and conservation in greater Yellowstone.

PubMed

Berger, Joel; Beckmann, Jon P

2010-06-01

In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies-recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)-differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in-migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.

Flood estimates for ungaged streams in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Omang, R.J.; Parrett, Charles; Hull, J.A.

1983-01-01

Estimates of 100-year discharges were made at 59 sites in Glacier National Park and 21 sites in Yellowstone National Park to assist the National Park Services in quantifying stream inflow and outflow in the Parks. The estimates were made using regression equations previously developed for Montana. The resulting 100-year discharges are listed in tables; the discharges ranged from 260 to 53,200 cu ft/s in Glacier National Park and from 110 to 27,900 cu ft/s in Yellowstone National Park. (USGS)

Exploring the Potential Impacts of Historic Volcanic Eruptions on the Contemporary Global Food System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puma, Michael J.; Chon, S.; Wada, Y.

2015-01-01

A better understanding of volcanic impacts on crops is urgently needed, as volcanic eruptions and the associated climate anomalies can cause unanticipated shocks to food production. Such shocks are a major concern given the fragility of the global food system.

Geomicrobiology of sublacustrine thermal vents in Yellowstone Lake: geochemical controls on microbial community structure and function

PubMed Central

Inskeep, William P.; Jay, Zackary J.; Macur, Richard E.; Clingenpeel, Scott; Tenney, Aaron; Lovalvo, David; Beam, Jacob P.; Kozubal, Mark A.; Shanks, W. C.; Morgan, Lisa A.; Kan, Jinjun; Gorby, Yuri; Yooseph, Shibu; Nealson, Kenneth

2015-01-01

Yellowstone Lake (Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA) is a large high-altitude (2200 m), fresh-water lake, which straddles an extensive caldera and is the center of significant geothermal activity. The primary goal of this interdisciplinary study was to evaluate the microbial populations inhabiting thermal vent communities in Yellowstone Lake using 16S rRNA gene and random metagenome sequencing, and to determine how geochemical attributes of vent waters influence the distribution of specific microorganisms and their metabolic potential. Thermal vent waters and associated microbial biomass were sampled during two field seasons (2007–2008) using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Sublacustrine thermal vent waters (circa 50–90°C) contained elevated concentrations of numerous constituents associated with geothermal activity including dissolved hydrogen, sulfide, methane and carbon dioxide. Microorganisms associated with sulfur-rich filamentous “streamer” communities of Inflated Plain and West Thumb (pH range 5–6) were dominated by bacteria from the Aquificales, but also contained thermophilic archaea from the Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Novel groups of methanogens and members of the Korarchaeota were observed in vents from West Thumb and Elliot's Crater (pH 5–6). Conversely, metagenome sequence from Mary Bay vent sediments did not yield large assemblies, and contained diverse thermophilic and nonthermophilic bacterial relatives. Analysis of functional genes associated with the major vent populations indicated a direct linkage to high concentrations of carbon dioxide, reduced sulfur (sulfide and/or elemental S), hydrogen and methane in the deep thermal ecosystems. Our observations show that sublacustrine thermal vents in Yellowstone Lake support novel thermophilic communities, which contain microorganisms with functional attributes not found to date in terrestrial geothermal systems of YNP. PMID:26579074

Volcanic stratigraphy: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martí, Joan; Groppelli, Gianluca; Brum da Silveira, Antonio

2018-05-01

Volcanic stratigraphy is a fundamental component of geological mapping in volcanic areas as it yields the basic criteria and essential data for identifying the spatial and temporal relationships between volcanic products and intra/inter-eruptive processes (earth-surface, tectonic and climatic), which in turn provides greater understanding of the geological evolution of a region. Establishing precise stratigraphic relationships in volcanic successions is not only essential for understanding the past behaviour of volcanoes and for predicting how they might behave in the future, but is also critical for establishing guidelines for exploring economic and energy resources associated with volcanic systems or for reconstructing the evolution of sedimentary basins in which volcanism has played a significant role. Like classical stratigraphy, volcanic stratigraphy should also be defined using a systematic methodology that can provide an organised and comprehensive description of the temporal and spatial evolution of volcanic terrain. This review explores different methods employed in studies of volcanic stratigraphy, examines four case studies that use differing stratigraphic approaches, and recommends methods for using systematic volcanic stratigraphy based on the application of the concepts of traditional stratigraphy but adapted to the needs of volcanological environment.

U.S. Geological Survey's Alert Notification System for Volcanic Activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, Cynthia A.; Guffanti, Marianne C.

2006-01-01

The United States and its territories have about 170 volcanoes that have been active during the past 10,000 years, and most could erupt again in the future. In the past 500 years, 80 U.S. volcanoes have erupted one or more times. About 50 of these recently active volcanoes are monitored, although not all to the same degree. Through its five volcano observatories, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issues information and warnings to the public about volcanic activity. For clarity of warnings during volcanic crises, the USGS has now standardized the alert-notification system used at its observatories.

Complex conductivity of volcanic rocks and the geophysical mapping of alteration in volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghorbani, A.; Revil, A.; Coperey, A.; Soueid Ahmed, A.; Roque, S.; Heap, M. J.; Grandis, H.; Viveiros, F.

2018-05-01

Induced polarization measurements can be used to image alteration at the scale of volcanic edifices to a depth of few kilometers. Such a goal cannot be achieved with electrical conductivity alone, because too many textural and environmental parameters influence the electrical conductivity of volcanic rocks. We investigate the spectral induced polarization measurements (complex conductivity) in the frequency band 10 mHz-45 kHz of 85 core samples from five volcanoes: Merapi and Papandayan in Indonesia (32 samples), Furnas in Portugal (5 samples), Yellowstone in the USA (26 samples), and Whakaari (White Island) in New Zealand (22 samples). This collection of samples covers not only different rock compositions (basaltic andesite, andesite, trachyte and rhyolite), but also various degrees of alteration. The specific surface area is found to be correlated to the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the samples measured by the cobalthexamine method, both serving as rough proxies of the hydrothermal alteration experienced by these materials. The in-phase (real) conductivity of the samples is the sum of a bulk contribution associated with conduction in the pore network and a surface conductivity that increases with alteration. The quadrature conductivity and the normalized chargeability are two parameters related to the polarization of the electrical double layer coating the minerals of the volcanic rocks. Both parameters increase with the degree of alteration. The surface conductivity, the quadrature conductivity, and the normalized chargeability (defined as the difference between the in-phase conductivity at high and low frequencies) are linearly correlated to the CEC normalized by the bulk tortuosity of the pore space. The effects of temperature and pyrite-content are also investigated and can be understood in terms of a physics-based model. Finally, we performed a numerical study of the use of induced polarization to image the normalized chargeability of a volcanic edifice

76 FR 37888 - Yellowstone Valley Railroad, L.L.C.-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Dawson and Richland...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Board decisions and notices are... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 991X] Yellowstone Valley Railroad, L.L.C.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Dawson and Richland Counties, Mont. Yellowstone...

Climatic change and wetland desiccation cause amphibian decline in Yellowstone National Park.

PubMed

McMenamin, Sarah K; Hadly, Elizabeth A; Wright, Christopher K

2008-11-04

Amphibians are a bellwether for environmental degradation, even in natural ecosystems such as Yellowstone National Park in the western United States, where species have been actively protected longer than anywhere else on Earth. We document that recent climatic warming and resultant wetland desiccation are causing severe declines in 4 once-common amphibian species native to Yellowstone. Climate monitoring over 6 decades, remote sensing, and repeated surveys of 49 ponds indicate that decreasing annual precipitation and increasing temperatures during the warmest months of the year have significantly altered the landscape and the local biological communities. Drought is now more common and more severe than at any time in the past century. Compared with 16 years ago, the number of permanently dry ponds in northern Yellowstone has increased 4-fold. Of the ponds that remain, the proportion supporting amphibians has declined significantly, as has the number of species found in each location. Our results indicate that climatic warming already has disrupted one of the best-protected ecosystems on our planet and that current assessments of species' vulnerability do not adequately consider such impacts.

Climatic change and wetland desiccation cause amphibian decline in Yellowstone National Park

PubMed Central

McMenamin, Sarah K.; Hadly, Elizabeth A.; Wright, Christopher K.

2008-01-01

Amphibians are a bellwether for environmental degradation, even in natural ecosystems such as Yellowstone National Park in the western United States, where species have been actively protected longer than anywhere else on Earth. We document that recent climatic warming and resultant wetland desiccation are causing severe declines in 4 once-common amphibian species native to Yellowstone. Climate monitoring over 6 decades, remote sensing, and repeated surveys of 49 ponds indicate that decreasing annual precipitation and increasing temperatures during the warmest months of the year have significantly altered the landscape and the local biological communities. Drought is now more common and more severe than at any time in the past century. Compared with 16 years ago, the number of permanently dry ponds in northern Yellowstone has increased 4-fold. Of the ponds that remain, the proportion supporting amphibians has declined significantly, as has the number of species found in each location. Our results indicate that climatic warming already has disrupted one of the best-protected ecosystems on our planet and that current assessments of species' vulnerability do not adequately consider such impacts. PMID:18955700

Transmission of Brucellosis from Elk to Cattle and Bison, Greater Yellowstone Area, USA, 2002–2012

PubMed Central

Nol, Pauline; Quance, Christine; Gertonson, Arnold; Belfrage, John; Harris, Lauren; Straka, Kelly; Robbe-Austerman, Suelee

2013-01-01

Bovine brucellosis has been nearly eliminated from livestock in the United States. Bison and elk in the Greater Yellowstone Area remain reservoirs for the disease. During 1990–2002, no known cases occurred in Greater Yellowstone Area livestock. Since then, 17 transmission events from wildlife to livestock have been investigated. PMID:24274092

Gray Wolves as Climate Change Buffers in Yellowstone

PubMed Central

Getz, Wayne M

2005-01-01

Understanding the mechanisms by which climate and predation patterns by top predators co-vary to affect community structure accrues added importance as humans exert growing influence over both climate and regional predator assemblages. In Yellowstone National Park, winter conditions and reintroduced gray wolves (Canis lupus) together determine the availability of winter carrion on which numerous scavenger species depend for survival and reproduction. As climate changes in Yellowstone, therefore, scavenger species may experience a dramatic reshuffling of food resources. As such, we analyzed 55 y of weather data from Yellowstone in order to determine trends in winter conditions. We found that winters are getting shorter, as measured by the number of days with snow on the ground, due to decreased snowfall and increased number of days with temperatures above freezing. To investigate synergistic effects of human and climatic alterations of species interactions, we used an empirically derived model to show that in the absence of wolves, early snow thaw leads to a substantial reduction in late-winter carrion, causing potential food bottlenecks for scavengers. In addition, by narrowing the window of time over which carrion is available and thereby creating a resource pulse, climate change likely favors scavengers that can quickly track food sources over great distances. Wolves, however, largely mitigate late-winter reduction in carrion due to earlier snow thaws. By buffering the effects of climate change on carrion availability, wolves allow scavengers to adapt to a changing environment over a longer time scale more commensurate with natural processes. This study illustrates the importance of restoring and maintaining intact food chains in the face of large-scale environmental perturbations such as climate change. PMID:15757363

Gray wolves as climate change buffers in Yellowstone.

PubMed

Wilmers, Christopher C; Getz, Wayne M

2005-04-01

Understanding the mechanisms by which climate and predation patterns by top predators co-vary to affect community structure accrues added importance as humans exert growing influence over both climate and regional predator assemblages. In Yellowstone National Park, winter conditions and reintroduced gray wolves (Canis lupus) together determine the availability of winter carrion on which numerous scavenger species depend for survival and reproduction. As climate changes in Yellowstone, therefore, scavenger species may experience a dramatic reshuffling of food resources. As such, we analyzed 55 y of weather data from Yellowstone in order to determine trends in winter conditions. We found that winters are getting shorter, as measured by the number of days with snow on the ground, due to decreased snowfall and increased number of days with temperatures above freezing. To investigate synergistic effects of human and climatic alterations of species interactions, we used an empirically derived model to show that in the absence of wolves, early snow thaw leads to a substantial reduction in late-winter carrion, causing potential food bottlenecks for scavengers. In addition, by narrowing the window of time over which carrion is available and thereby creating a resource pulse, climate change likely favors scavengers that can quickly track food sources over great distances. Wolves, however, largely mitigate late-winter reduction in carrion due to earlier snow thaws. By buffering the effects of climate change on carrion availability, wolves allow scavengers to adapt to a changing environment over a longer time scale more commensurate with natural processes. This study illustrates the importance of restoring and maintaining intact food chains in the face of large-scale environmental perturbations such as climate change.

Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers, Montana, 1928-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Katherine J.

2013-01-01

Major floods in 1996 and 1997 on the Yellowstone River in Montana intensified public debate over the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a cumulative-effects study on the main stem of the Yellowstone River. The cumulative-effects study is intended to provide a basis for future management decisions in the watershed. Streamflow statistics, such as flow-frequency and flow-duration data calculated for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions, are a necessary component of the cumulative effects study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calculated streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for the Yellowstone, Tongue, and Powder Rivers for the 1928–2002 study period. Unregulated streamflow represents flow conditions that might have occurred during the 1928–2002 study period if there had been no water-resources development in the Yellowstone River Basin. Regulated streamflow represents estimates of flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if the level of water-resources development existing in 2002 was in place during the entire study period. Peak-flow frequency estimates for regulated and unregulated streamflow were developed using methods described in Bulletin 17B. High-flow frequency and low-flow frequency data were developed for regulated and unregulated streamflows from the annual series of highest and lowest (respectively) mean flows for specified n-day consecutive periods within the calendar year. Flow-duration data, and monthly and annual streamflow characteristics, also were calculated for the unregulated and regulated streamflows.

Automated detection and cataloging of global explosive volcanism using the International Monitoring System infrasound network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoza, Robin S.; Green, David N.; Le Pichon, Alexis; Shearer, Peter M.; Fee, David; Mialle, Pierrick; Ceranna, Lars

2017-04-01

We experiment with a new method to search systematically through multiyear data from the International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound network to identify explosive volcanic eruption signals originating anywhere on Earth. Detecting, quantifying, and cataloging the global occurrence of explosive volcanism helps toward several goals in Earth sciences and has direct applications in volcanic hazard mitigation. We combine infrasound signal association across multiple stations with source location using a brute-force, grid-search, cross-bearings approach. The algorithm corrects for a background prior rate of coherent unwanted infrasound signals (clutter) in a global grid, without needing to screen array processing detection lists from individual stations prior to association. We develop the algorithm using case studies of explosive eruptions: 2008 Kasatochi, Alaska; 2009 Sarychev Peak, Kurile Islands; and 2010 Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland. We apply the method to global IMS infrasound data from 2005-2010 to construct a preliminary acoustic catalog that emphasizes sustained explosive volcanic activity (long-duration signals or sequences of impulsive transients lasting hours to days). This work represents a step toward the goal of integrating IMS infrasound data products into global volcanic eruption early warning and notification systems. Additionally, a better understanding of volcanic signal detection and location with the IMS helps improve operational event detection, discrimination, and association capabilities.

Time-dependent permeability evolution in compacting volcanic fracture systems and implications for gas overpressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farquharson, Jamie I.; Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Heap, Michael J.; Baud, Patrick

2017-06-01

Volcanic eruptions are driven by the ascent of volatile-laden magma. The capacity of a volcano system to outgas these volatiles-its permeability-controls the explosive potential, and fractures at volcanic conduit margins play a crucial role in tempering eruption explosivity by acting as outgassing pathways. However, these fractures are often filled with hot volcanic debris that welds and compacts over time, meaning that these permeable pathways have a finite lifetime. While numerous studies emphasize that permeability evolution is important for regulating pressure in shallow volcanic systems, how and when this occurs remains an outstanding question in volcanology. In this contribution, we show that different pressure evolution regimes can be expected across a range of silicic systems as a function of the width and distribution of fractures in the system, the timescales over which they can outgas (a function of depth and temperature), and the permeability of the host material. We define outgassing, diffusive relaxation, and pressure increase regimes, which are distinguished by comparing the characteristic timescales over which they operate. Moreover, we define a critical permeability threshold, which determines (in concert with characteristic timescales of diffusive mass exchange between the pore and melt phases) whether systems fracture and outgas efficiently, or if a volcano will be prone to pressure increases, incomplete healing, and explosive failure.

The Grizzly Lake complex (Yellowstone Volcano, USA): Mixing between basalt and rhyolite unraveled by microanalysis and X-ray microtomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgavi, Daniele; Arzilli, Fabio; Pritchard, Chad; Perugini, Diego; Mancini, Lucia; Larson, Peter; Dingwell, Donald B.

2016-09-01

Magma mixing is a widespread petrogenetic process. It has long been suspected to operate in concert with fractional crystallization and assimilation to produce chemical and temperature gradients in magmas. In particular, the injection of mafic magmas into felsic magma chambers is widely regarded as a key driver in the sudden triggering of what often become highly explosive volcanic eruptions. Understanding the mechanistic event chain leading to such hazardous events is a scientific goal of high priority. Here we investigate a mingling event via the evidence preserved in mingled lavas using a combination of X-ray computed microtomographic and electron microprobe analyses, to unravel the complex textures and attendant chemical heterogeneities of the mixed basaltic and rhyolitic eruption of Grizzly Lake in the Norris-Mammoth corridor of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field (YVF). We observe evidence that both magmatic viscous inter-fingering of magmas and disequilibrium crystallization/dissolution processes occur. Furthermore, these processes constrain the timescale of interaction between the two magmatic components prior to their eruption. X-ray microtomography images show variegated textural features, involving vesicle and crystal distributions, filament morphology, the distribution of enclaves, and further textural features otherwise obscured in conventional 2D observations and analyses. Although our central effort was applied to the determination of mixing end members, analysis of the hybrid portion has led to the discovery that mixing in the Grizzly Lake system was also characterized by the disintegration and dissolution of mafic crystals in the rhyolitic magma. The presence of mineral phases in both end member, for example, forsteritic olivine, sanidine, and quartz and their transport throughout the magmatic mass, by a combination of both mixing dynamics and flow imposed by ascent of the magmatic mass and its eruption, might have acted as a "geometric

GIS database and discussion for the distribution, composition, and age of Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Pacific Northwest Volcanic Aquifer System study area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherrod, David R.; Keith, Mackenzie K.

2018-03-30

A substantial part of the U.S. Pacific Northwest is underlain by Cenozoic volcanic and continental sedimentary rocks and, where widespread, these strata form important aquifers. The legacy geologic mapping presented with this report contains new thematic categorization added to state digital compilations published by the U.S. Geological Survey for Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Washington (Ludington and others, 2005). Our additional coding is designed to allow rapid characterization, mainly for hydrogeologic purposes, of similar rocks and deposits within a boundary expanded slightly beyond that of the Pacific Northwest Volcanic Aquifer System study area. To be useful for hydrogeologic analysis and to be more statistically manageable, statewide compilations from Ludington and others (2005) were mosaicked into a regional map and then reinterpreted into four main categories on the basis of (1) age, (2) composition, (3) hydrogeologic grouping, and (4) lithologic pattern. The coding scheme emphasizes Cenozoic volcanic or volcanic-related rocks and deposits, and of primary interest are the codings for composition and age.

The genealogy and genetic viability of reintroduced Yellowstone grey wolves.

PubMed

Vonholdt, Bridgett M; Stahler, Daniel R; Smith, Douglas W; Earl, Dent A; Pollinger, John P; Wayne, Robert K

2008-01-01

The recovery of the grey wolf in Yellowstone National Park is an outstanding example of a successful reintroduction. A general question concerning reintroduction is the degree to which genetic variation has been preserved and the specific behavioural mechanisms that enhance the preservation of genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding. We have analysed 200 Yellowstone wolves, including all 31 founders, for variation in 26 microsatellite loci over the 10-year reintroduction period (1995-2004). The population maintained high levels of variation (1995 H(0) = 0.69; 2004 H(0) = 0.73) with low levels of inbreeding (1995 F(IS) = -0.063; 2004 F(IS) = -0.051) and throughout, the population expanded rapidly (N(1995) = 21; N(2004) = 169). Pedigree-based effective population size ratios did not vary appreciably over the duration of population expansion (1995 N(e)/N(g) = 0.29; 2000 N(e)/N(g) = 0.26; 2004 N(e)/N(g) = 0.33). We estimated kinship and found only two of 30 natural breeding pairs showed evidence of being related (average r = -0.026, SE = 0.03). We reconstructed the genealogy of 200 wolves based on genetic and field data and discovered that they avoid inbreeding through a wide variety of behavioural mechanisms including absolute avoidance of breeding with related pack members, male-biased dispersal to packs where they breed with nonrelatives, and female-biased subordinate breeding. We documented a greater diversity of such population assembly patterns in Yellowstone than previously observed in any other natural wolf population. Inbreeding avoidance is nearly absolute despite the high probability of within-pack inbreeding opportunities and extensive interpack kinship ties between adjacent packs. Simulations showed that the Yellowstone population has levels of genetic variation similar to that of a population managed for high variation and low inbreeding, and greater than that expected for random breeding within packs or across the entire breeding pool. Although short

A Study on Management Standards and Manual of Water supply system for the response of Mt. Baekdu Volcanic Eruption in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, G.; Jee, Y.; Kim, J.

2013-12-01

Korea is regarded as a safety area from the volcanic disaster, however, the countermeasures for Mt. Baekdu volcanic eruption has been discussed because the possibility of the volcanic eruption had been heightened and various experimental results show risk of Mt. Baekdu volcanic eruption. The purpose of study is to establish management standards and manual for water supply system through the analysis of the volcanic ash effect to the water supply systems. In this study, similar case study for the water supply system to the volcanic ash damage had been investigated. Present status of water supply system and response manual for water supply systems also had been investigated. And then problems of present response manual using had been estimated. As the result, damage according to Mt. Baekdu volcanic eruption on the water supply system could be forecasted. And the direction of management standard and response manual has been established. Acknowledgments This research was supported by a grant [NEMA-BAEKDUSAN-2012-2-2] from the Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Research Center sponsored by National Emergency Management Agency of Korea.

Arsenic and antimony in geothermal waters of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stauffer, R.E.; Thompson, J.M.

1984-01-01

A total of 268 thermal spring samples were analyzed for total soluble As using reduced molybdenum-blue; 27 of these samples were also analyzed for total Sb using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. At Yellowstone the Cl As atomic ratio is nearly constant among neutral-alkaline springs with Cl > 100 mg L-1, and within restricted geographic areas, indicating no differential effects of adiabatic vs. conductive cooling on arsenic. The Cl As ratio increases with silica and decreases with decreasing Cl ??CO3; the latter relationship is best exemplified for springs along the extensively sampled SE-NW trend within the Lone Star-Upper-Midway Basin region. The relationship between Cl As and Cl ??CO3 at Yellowstone suggests a possible rock leaching rather than magmatic origin for much of the Park's total As flux. Condensed vapor springs are low in both As and Cl. Very high Cl As ratios ( > 1000) are associated exclusively with highly diluted (Cl < 100 mg L-1) mixed springs in the Norris and Shoshone Basins and in the Upper White Creek and Firehole Lake areas of Lower Basin. The high ratios are associated with acidity and/or oxygen and iron; they indicate precipitation of As following massive dilution of the Asbearing high-Cl parent water. Yellowstone Sb ranged from 0.009 at Mammoth to 0.166 mg L-1 at Joseph's Coat Spring. Within basins, the Cl Sb ratio increases as the Cl ??CO3 ratio decreases, in marked contrast to As. Mixed springs also have elevated Cl Sb ratios. White (1967) and Weissberg (1969) previously reported stibnite (Sb2S3), but not orpiment (As2S3), precipitating in the near surface zone of alkaline geothermal systems. ?? 1984.

A networks-based discrete dynamic systems approach to volcanic seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suteanu, Mirela

2013-04-01

The detection and relevant description of pattern change concerning earthquake events is an important, but challenging task. In this paper, earthquake events related to volcanic activity are considered manifestations of a dynamic system evolving over time. The system dynamics is seen as a succession of events with point-like appearance both in time and in space. Each event is characterized by a position in three-dimensional space, a moment of occurrence, and an event size (magnitude). A weighted directed network is constructed to capture the effects of earthquakes on subsequent events. Each seismic event represents a node. Relations among events represent edges. Edge directions are given by the temporal succession of the events. Edges are also characterized by weights reflecting the strengths of the relation between the nodes. Weights are calculated as a function of (i) the time interval separating the two events, (ii) the spatial distance between the events, (iii) the magnitude of the earliest event among the two. Different ways of addressing weight components are explored, and their implications for the properties of the produced networks are analyzed. The resulting networks are then characterized in terms of degree- and weight distributions. Subsequently, the distribution of system transitions is determined for all the edges connecting related events in the network. Two- and three-dimensional diagrams are constructed to reflect transition distributions for each set of events. Networks are thus generated for successive temporal windows of different size, and the evolution of (a) network properties and (b) system transition distributions are followed over time and compared to the timeline of documented geologic processes. Applications concerning volcanic seismicity on the Big Island of Hawaii show that this approach is capable of revealing novel aspects of change occurring in the volcanic system on different scales in time and in space.

Provisional maps of thermal areas in Yellowstone National Park, based on satellite thermal infrared imaging and field observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaughan, R. Greg; Heasler, Henry; Jaworowski, Cheryl; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.

2014-01-01

Maps that define the current distribution of geothermally heated ground are useful toward setting a baseline for thermal activity to better detect and understand future anomalous hydrothermal and (or) volcanic activity. Monitoring changes in the dynamic thermal areas also supports decisions regarding the development of Yellowstone National Park infrastructure, preservation and protection of park resources, and ensuring visitor safety. Because of the challenges associated with field-based monitoring of a large, complex geothermal system that is spread out over a large and remote area, satellite-based thermal infrared images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) were used to map the location and spatial extent of active thermal areas, to generate thermal anomaly maps, and to quantify the radiative component of the total geothermal heat flux. ASTER thermal infrared data acquired during winter nights were used to minimize the contribution of solar heating of the surface. The ASTER thermal infrared mapping results were compared to maps of thermal areas based on field investigations and high-resolution aerial photos. Field validation of the ASTER thermal mapping is an ongoing task. The purpose of this report is to make available ASTER-based maps of Yellowstone’s thermal areas. We include an appendix containing the names and characteristics of Yellowstone’s thermal areas, georeferenced TIFF files containing ASTER thermal imagery, and several spatial data sets in Esri shapefile format.

Streamflow statistics for unregulated and regulated conditions for selected locations on the Upper Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers, Montana and Wyoming, 1928-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chase, Katherine J.

2014-01-01

Major floods in 1996 and 1997 intensified public debate about the effects of human activities on the Yellowstone River. In 1999, the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council was formed to address conservation issues on the river. The Yellowstone River Conservation District Council partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a cumulative effects study on the main stem of the Yellowstone River. The cumulative effects study is intended to provide a basis for future management decisions within the watershed. Streamflow statistics, such as flow-frequency data calculated for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions, are a necessary component of the cumulative effects study. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calculated low-flow frequency data and general monthly and annual statistics for unregulated and regulated streamflow conditions for the Upper Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers for the 1928–2002 study period; these data are presented in this report. Unregulated streamflow represents flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if there had been no water-resources development in the Yellowstone River Basin. Regulated streamflow represents estimates of flow conditions during the 1928–2002 study period if the level of water-resources development existing in 2002 was in place during the entire study period.

Grain size and shape analysis of the AD 1226 tephra layer, Reykjanes volcanic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ösp Magnúsdóttir, Agnes; Höskuldsson, Ármann; Larsen, Guðrún; Tumi Guðmunsson, Magnús; Sigurgeirsson, Magnús Á.

2014-05-01

Recent explosive eruptions in Iceland have drawn attention to long range tephra transport in the atmosphere. In Iceland tephra forming explosion eruptions are frequent, due to abundance of water. However, the volcanism on the island is principally basaltic. Volcanism along the Reykjanes Peninsula is divided into five distinct volcanic systems. Volcano-tectonic activity within these systems is periodic, with recurrence intervals in the range of 1 ka. Last volcano-tectonic sequence began around AD 940, shortly after settlement of Iceland, and lasted through AD 1340. During this period activity was characterized by basaltic fissure eruptions. Furthermore, this activity period on the Reykjanes peninsula began within the eastern most volcanic system and gradually moved towards the west across the peninsula. The 1226 eruption was a basaltic fissure eruption with in the Reykjanes volcanic system. The eruption began on land and gradually progressed towards the SW until the volcanic fissure extended into the sea. Water-magma interaction changed the eruption from effusive into explosive forming the largest tephra layer on the peninsula. Due to its close proximity to the Keflavik international airport and that of the capital of Iceland it is important to get an insight into, the characteristics, generation and distribution of such tephra deposits. In this eruption the tephra produced had an approximate volume of 0.1 km3 and covered an area of some 3500 km2 within the 0.5 cm isopach. Total grain size distribution of this tephra layer will be presented along with analysis of principal grain shapes of the finer portion of the tephra layer as a function of distance from the source. The tephra grain size is dominated by particles finer than 1 millimeter with an almost complete absence of large grains independent of distance from the source. Comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of tephra generated in this eruption can help us to understand hazards posed by future

Biogeographic and phylogenetic diversity of thermoacidophilic cyanidiales in Yellowstone National Park, Japan, and New Zealand.

PubMed

Toplin, J A; Norris, T B; Lehr, C R; McDermott, T R; Castenholz, R W

2008-05-01

Members of the rhodophytan order Cyanidiales are unique among phototrophs in their ability to live in extreme environments that combine low pH levels ( approximately 0.2 to 4.0) and moderately high temperatures of 40 to 56 degrees C. These unicellular algae occur in far-flung volcanic areas throughout the earth. Three genera (Cyanidium, Galdieria, and Cyanidioschyzon) are recognized. The phylogenetic diversity of culture isolates of the Cyanidiales from habitats throughout Yellowstone National Park (YNP), three areas in Japan, and seven regions in New Zealand was examined by using the chloroplast RuBisCO large subunit gene (rbcL) and the 18S rRNA gene. Based on the nucleotide sequences of both genes, the YNP isolates fall into two groups, one with high identity to Galdieria sulphuraria (type II) and another that is by far the most common and extensively distributed Yellowstone type (type IA). The latter is a spherical, walled cell that reproduces by internal divisions, with a subsequent release of smaller daughter cells. This type, nevertheless, shows a 99 to 100% identity to Cyanidioschyzon merolae (type IB), which lacks a wall, divides by "fission"-like cytokinesis into two daughter cells, and has less than 5% of the cell volume of type IA. The evolutionary and taxonomic ramifications of this disparity are discussed. Although the 18S rRNA and rbcL genes did not reveal diversity among the numerous isolates of type IA, chloroplast short sequence repeats did show some variation by location within YNP. In contrast, Japanese and New Zealand strains showed considerable diversity when we examined only the sequences of 18S and rbcL genes. Most exhibited identities closer to Galdieria maxima than to other strains, but these identities were commonly as low as 91 to 93%. Some of these Japanese and New Zealand strains probably represent undescribed species that diverged after long-term geographic isolation.

Invasion of American bullfrogs along the Yellowstone River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sepulveda, Adam; Layhee, Megan J.; Stagliano, Dave; Chaffin, Jake; Begley, Allison; Maxell, Bryce A.

2015-01-01

The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is a globally distributed invasive species that was introduced to the Yellowstone River floodplain of Montana. Knowledge about floodplain habitat features that allow for bullfrog persistence and spread will help identify effective control strategies. We used field surveys in 2010, 2012 and 2013 to describe bullfrog spread in the Yellowstone River floodplain and the habitat features that are associated with bullfrog occupancy and colonization. Bullfrogs in our study area expanded from ~ 60 km in 2010 to 106 km in 2013, and are spreading to up- and downstream habitats. The number of breeding sites (i.e., presence of bullfrog eggs or larvae) increased from 12 sites in 2010 to 45 sites in 2013. We found that bullfrogs were associated with deeper waters, emergent vegetation and public-access sites, which are habitat features that characterize permanent waters and describe human-mediated introductions. Control strategies that reduce the hydroperiod of breeding sites may help to limit bullfrog persistence and spread, while an increase in public outreach and education may help prevent further bullfrog introductions at public-access sites.

Development of a Wireless Network of Temperature Sensors for Yellowstone National Park (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munday, D. A.; Hutter, T.; Minolli, M.; Obraczka, K.; Manduchi, R.; Petersen, S.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Heasler, H.

2007-12-01

Temperature sensors deployed at Yellowstone clearly document that thermal features can vary in temperature on a variety of timescales and show regional correlations unrelated to meteorological variables such as air temperature. Yellowstone National Park (YNP) staff currently measures temperatures at over 40 thermal features and streams within the park, utilizing USGS stream gaging stations and portable data loggers deployed in geyser basins. The latter measure temperature every 1 to 15 minutes, and the data are physically downloaded after about 30 days. Installation of a wireless sensor network would: 1) save considerable time and effort in data retrieval, 2) minimize lost data due to equipment failure, and 3) provide a means to monitor thermal perturbations in near-real time. To meet this need, we developed a wireless sensor network capable of in-situ monitoring of air and water temperature. Temperature sensors are dispersed as nodes that communicate among themselves and through relays to a single base-station linked to the Internet. The small, weatherproof sensors operate unattended for over six months at temperatures as low as -40°C. Each uses an ultra-low-power Texas Instruments' MSP430 microcontroller and an SD card as mass storage. They are powered by 15Ah, 3.6 v, inert Li-ion batteries and transmit data via 900MHz radio modules with a 1-km range. The initial prototype consists of 4 nodes, and is designed to scale with additional nodes for finer spatial resolution and broader coverage. Temperature measurements are asynchronous from node to node, with intervals as frequent as 30 seconds. Data are stored internally to withstand temporary communication failures; underlying intelligent software is capable of re-routing data through alternative nodes to the base station and a MySQL data archiving system. We also developed a Google-Maps-based, front-end that displays the data, recent trends and sensor locations. The system was tested in the Santa Cruz Mountains

75 FR 54419 - Environmental Impact Statement: Yellowstone County, MT

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-07

... be prepared for a proposed highway project in Yellowstone County, Montana. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... that an EIS will be prepared on the re-scoped, proposed project. These improvements are considered... be prepared for a proposal to construct a bypass route north of the city of Billings. Funding...

Volcanic hazard management in dispersed volcanism areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrero, Jose Manuel; Garcia, Alicia; Ortiz, Ramon

2014-05-01

Traditional volcanic hazard methodologies were developed mainly to deal with the big stratovolcanoes. In such type of volcanoes, the hazard map is an important tool for decision-makers not only during a volcanic crisis but also for territorial planning. According to the past and recent eruptions of a volcano, all possible volcanic hazards are modelled and included in the hazard map. Combining the hazard map with the Event Tree the impact area can be zoned and defining the likely eruptive scenarios that will be used during a real volcanic crisis. But in areas of disperse volcanism is very complex to apply the same volcanic hazard methodologies. The event tree do not take into account unknown vents, because the spatial concepts included in it are only related with the distance reached by volcanic hazards. The volcanic hazard simulation is also difficult because the vent scatter modifies the results. The volcanic susceptibility try to solve this problem, calculating the most likely areas to have an eruption, but the differences between low and large values obtained are often very small. In these conditions the traditional hazard map effectiveness could be questioned, making necessary a change in the concept of hazard map. Instead to delimit the potential impact areas, the hazard map should show the expected behaviour of the volcanic activity and how the differences in the landscape and internal geo-structures could condition such behaviour. This approach has been carried out in La Palma (Canary Islands), combining the concept of long-term hazard map with the short-term volcanic scenario to show the expected volcanic activity behaviour. The objective is the decision-makers understand how a volcanic crisis could be and what kind of mitigation measurement and strategy could be used.

Use of lodgepole pine cover types by Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, D.J.

1997-01-01

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests are a large and dynamic part of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) habitat in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Research in other areas suggests that grizzly bears select for young open forest stands, especially for grazing and feeding on berries. Management guidelines accordingly recommend timber harvest as a technique for improving habitat in areas potentially dominated by lodgepole pine. In this paper I examine grizzly bear use of lodgepole pine forests in the Yellowstone area, and test several hypotheses with relevance to a new generation of management guidelines. Differences in grizzly bear selection of lodgepole pine cover types (defined on the basis of stand age and structure) were not pronounced. Selection furthermore varied among years, areas, and individuals. Positive selection for any lodgepole pine type was uncommon. Estimates of selection took 5-11 years or 4-12 adult females to stabilize, depending upon the cover type. The variances of selection estimates tended to stabilize after 3-5 sample years, and were more-or-less stable to slightly increasing with progressively increased sample area. There was no conclusive evidence that Yellowstone's grizzlies favored young (<40 yr) stands in general or for their infrequent use of berries. On the other hand, these results corroborated previous observations that grizzlies favored open and/or young stands on wet and fertile sites for grazing. These results also supported the proposition that temporally and spatially robust inferences require extensive, long-duration studies, especially for wide-ranging vertebrates like grizzly bears.

Willow on Yellowstone's northern range: evidence for a trophic cascade?

PubMed

Beyer, Hawthorne L; Merrill, Evelyn H; Varley, Nathan; Boyce, Mark S

2007-09-01

Reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupus) to Yellowstone National Park in 1995-1996 has been argued to promote a trophic cascade by altering elk (Cervus elaphus) density, habitat-selection patterns, and behavior that, in turn, could lead to changes within the plant communities used by elk. We sampled two species of willow (Salix boothii and S. geyeriana) on the northern winter range to determine whether (1) there was quantitative evidence of increased willow growth following wolf reintroduction, (2) browsing by elk affected willow growth, and (3) any increase in growth observed was greater than that expected by climatic and hydrological factors alone, thereby indicating a trophic cascade caused by wolves. Using stem sectioning techniques to quantify historical growth patterns we found an approximately twofold increase in stem growth-ring area following wolf reintroduction for both species of willow. This increase could not be explained by climate and hydrological factors alone; the presence of wolves on the landscape was a significant predictor of stem growth above and beyond these abiotic factors. Growth-ring area was positively correlated with the previous year's ring area and negatively correlated with the percentage of twigs browsed from the stem during the winter preceding growth, indicating that elk browse impeded stem growth. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of a behaviorally mediated trophic cascade on Yellowstone's northern winter range following wolf reintroduction. We suggest that the community-altering effects of wolf restoration are an endorsement of ecological-process management in Yellowstone National Park.

Research Spotlight: Extraordinary uplift of Yellowstone caldera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tretkoff, Ernie

2011-02-01

In Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, the Yellow­stone caldera, which extends about 40 kilometers by 60 kilometers, began in 2004 a period of accelerated uplift, with rates of uplift as high as 7 centimeters per year. From 2006 to 2009 the uplift rate slowed. Global Positioning System (GPS) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) ground deformation measurements described by Chang et al. show that in the northern caldera, uplift decreased from 7 centimeters per year in 2006 to 5 in 2008 and 2 in 2009. In the southwestern portion of the caldera, uplift decreased from 4 centimeters per year in 2006 to 2 in 2008 and 0.5 in 2009, demonstrating a spatial pattern of ground motion decrease from southwest to northeast along the caldera. (”Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL045451, 2010)

Multiscale Genetic Structure of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in the Upper Snake River Basin.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cegelski, Christine C.; Campbell, Matthew R.

2006-05-30

Populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvierii have declined throughout their native range as a result of habitat fragmentation, overharvest, and introductions of nonnative trout that have hybridized with or displaced native populations. The degree to which these factors have impacted the current genetic population structure of Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations is of primary interest for their conservation. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity and genetic population structure of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Idaho and Nevada with data from six polymorphic microsatellite loci. A total of 1,392 samples were analyzed from 45 sample locations throughout 11 majormore » river drainages. We found that levels of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation varied extensively. The Salt River drainage, which is representative of the least impacted migration corridors in Idaho, had the highest levels of genetic diversity and low levels of genetic differentiation. High levels of genetic differentiation were observed at similar or smaller geographic scales in the Portneuf River, Raft River, and Teton River drainages, which are more altered by anthropogenic disturbances. Results suggested that Yellowstone cutthroat trout are naturally structured at the major river drainage level but that habitat fragmentation has altered this structuring. Connectivity should be restored via habitat restoration whenever possible to minimize losses in genetic diversity and to preserve historical processes of gene flow, life history variation, and metapopulation dynamics. However, alternative strategies for management and conservation should also be considered in areas where there is a strong likelihood of nonnative invasions or extensive habitat fragmentation that cannot be easily ameliorated.« less

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change – Yellowstone National Park, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamson, Thomas

2014-01-01

Yellowstone is representative of temperate mountain ecosystems throughout western North America. What is learned from the massive 1988 fires and subsequent recovery of these ecosystems can be applied to other regions.

Yellowstone wolf (Canis lupus) denisty predicted by elk (Cervus elaphus) biomass

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mech, L. David; Barber-Meyer, Shannon

2015-01-01

The Northern Range (NR) of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) hosts a higher prey biomass density in the form of elk (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) than any other system of gray wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758) and prey reported. Therefore, it is important to determine whether that wolf–prey system fits a long-standing model relating wolf density to prey biomass. Using data from 2005 to 2012 after elk population fluctuations dampened 10 years subsequent to wolf reintroduction, we found that NR prey biomass predicted wolf density. This finding and the trajectory of the regression extend the validity of the model to prey densities 19% higher than previous data and suggest that the model would apply to wolf–prey systems of even higher prey biomass.

Unmanned Aerial Mass Spectrometer Systems for In-Situ Volcanic Plume Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz, Jorge Andres; Pieri, David; Wright, Kenneth; Sorensen, Paul; Kline-Shoder, Robert; Arkin, C. Richard; Fladeland, Matthew; Bland, Geoff; Buongiorno, Maria Fabrizia; Ramirez, Carlos; Corrales, Ernesto; Alan, Alfredo; Alegria, Oscar; Diaz, David; Linick, Justin

2015-02-01

Technology advances in the field of small, unmanned aerial vehicles and their integration with a variety of sensor packages and instruments, such as miniature mass spectrometers, have enhanced the possibilities and applications of what are now called unmanned aerial systems (UAS). With such technology, in situ and proximal remote sensing measurements of volcanic plumes are now possible without risking the lives of scientists and personnel in charge of close monitoring of volcanic activity. These methods provide unprecedented, and otherwise unobtainable, data very close in space and time to eruptions, to better understand the role of gas volatiles in magma and subsequent eruption products. Small mass spectrometers, together with the world's smallest turbo molecular pump, have being integrated into NASA and University of Costa Rica UAS platforms to be field-tested for in situ volcanic plume analysis, and in support of the calibration and validation of satellite-based remote sensing data. These new UAS-MS systems are combined with existing UAS flight-tested payloads and assets, such as temperature, pressure, relative humidity, SO2, H2S, CO2, GPS sensors, on-board data storage, and telemetry. Such payloads are capable of generating real time 3D concentration maps of the Turrialba volcano active plume in Costa Rica, while remote sensing data are simultaneously collected from the ASTER and OMI space-borne instruments for comparison. The primary goal is to improve the understanding of the chemical and physical properties of emissions for mitigation of local volcanic hazards, for the validation of species detection and abundance of retrievals based on remote sensing, and to validate transport models.

Unmanned aerial mass spectrometer systems for in-situ volcanic plume analysis.

PubMed

Diaz, Jorge Andres; Pieri, David; Wright, Kenneth; Sorensen, Paul; Kline-Shoder, Robert; Arkin, C Richard; Fladeland, Matthew; Bland, Geoff; Buongiorno, Maria Fabrizia; Ramirez, Carlos; Corrales, Ernesto; Alan, Alfredo; Alegria, Oscar; Diaz, David; Linick, Justin

2015-02-01

Technology advances in the field of small, unmanned aerial vehicles and their integration with a variety of sensor packages and instruments, such as miniature mass spectrometers, have enhanced the possibilities and applications of what are now called unmanned aerial systems (UAS). With such technology, in situ and proximal remote sensing measurements of volcanic plumes are now possible without risking the lives of scientists and personnel in charge of close monitoring of volcanic activity. These methods provide unprecedented, and otherwise unobtainable, data very close in space and time to eruptions, to better understand the role of gas volatiles in magma and subsequent eruption products. Small mass spectrometers, together with the world's smallest turbo molecular pump, have being integrated into NASA and University of Costa Rica UAS platforms to be field-tested for in situ volcanic plume analysis, and in support of the calibration and validation of satellite-based remote sensing data. These new UAS-MS systems are combined with existing UAS flight-tested payloads and assets, such as temperature, pressure, relative humidity, SO2, H2S, CO2, GPS sensors, on-board data storage, and telemetry. Such payloads are capable of generating real time 3D concentration maps of the Turrialba volcano active plume in Costa Rica, while remote sensing data are simultaneously collected from the ASTER and OMI space-borne instruments for comparison. The primary goal is to improve the understanding of the chemical and physical properties of emissions for mitigation of local volcanic hazards, for the validation of species detection and abundance of retrievals based on remote sensing, and to validate transport models.

Diverse subaerial and sublacustrine hot spring settings of the Cerro Negro epithermal system (Jurassic, Deseado Massif), Patagonia, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guido, Diego M.; Campbell, Kathleen A.

2012-06-01

The Late Jurassic (~ 150 Ma) Cerro Negro volcanic-epithermal-geothermal system (~ 15 km2 area), Deseado Massif, Patagonia, Argentina, includes two inferred volcanic emission centers characterized by rhyolitic domes linked along NW-SE regional faults that are associated with deeper level Au/Ag mineralization to the NW, and with shallow epithermal quartz veins and mainly travertine surface hot spring manifestations to the SE. Some travertines are silica-replaced, and siliceous and mixed silica-carbonate geothermal deposits also are found. Five hot spring-related facies associations were mapped in detail, which show morphological and textural similarities to Pleistocene-Recent geothermal deposits at Yellowstone National Park (U.S.A.), the Kenya Rift Valley, and elsewhere. They are interpreted to represent subaerial travertine fissure ridge/mound deposits (low-flow spring discharge) and apron terraces (high-flow spring discharge), as well as mixed silica-carbonate lake margin and shallow lake terrace vent-conduit tubes, stromatolitic mounds, and volcano-shaped cones. The nearly 200 mapped fossil vent-associated deposits at Cerro Negro are on a geographical and numerical scale comparable with subaerial and sublacustrine hydrothermal vents at Mammoth Hot Springs, and affiliated with Yellowstone Lake, respectively. Overall, the Cerro Negro geothermal system yields paleoenvironmentally significant textural details of variable quality, owing to both the differential preservation potential of particular subaerial versus subaqueous facies, as well as to the timing and extent of carbonate diagenesis and silica replacement of some deposits. For example, the western fault associated with the Eureka epithermal quartz vein facilitated early silicification of the travertine deposits in the SE volcanic emission center, thereby preserving high-quality, microbial macro- and micro-textures of this silica-replaced "pseudosinter." Cerro Negro provides an opportunity to reconstruct

A multitracer approach for characterizing interactions between shallow groundwater and the hydrothermal system in the Norris Geyser Basin area, Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, W.P.; Susong, D.D.; Solomon, D.K.; Heasler, H.P.

2011-01-01

Multiple environmental tracers are used to investigate age distribution, evolution, and mixing in local- to regional-scale groundwater circulation around the Norris Geyser Basin area in Yellowstone National Park. Springs ranging in temperature from 3??C to 90??C in the Norris Geyser Basin area were sampled for stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, major and minor element chemistry, dissolved chlorofluorocarbons, and tritium. Groundwater near Norris Geyser Basin is comprised of two distinct systems: a shallow, cool water system and a deep, high-temperature hydrothermal system. These two end-member systems mix to create springs with intermediate temperature and composition. Using multiple tracers from a large number of springs, it is possible constrain the distribution of possible flow paths and refine conceptual models of groundwater circulation in and around a large, complex hydrothermal system. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Examining winter visitor use in Yellowstone National Park

Treesearch

Mae A. Davenport; Wayne A. Freimund; William T. Borrie; Robert E. Manning; William A. Valliere; Benjamin Wang

2000-01-01

This research was designed to assist the managers of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in their decision making about winter visitation. The focus of this report is on winter use patterns and winter visitor preferences. It is the author’s hope that this information will benefit both the quality of winter experiences and the stewardship of the park resources. This report...

Hazards in volcanic arcs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, S. R.

2008-12-01

Volcanic eruptions in arcs are complex natural phenomena, involving the movement of magma to the Earth's surface and interactions with the surrounding crust during ascent and with the surface environment during eruption, resulting in secondary hazards. Magma changes its properties profoundly during ascent and eruption and many of the underlying processes of heat and mass transfer and physical property changes that govern volcanic flows and magmatic interactions with the environment are highly non-linear. Major direct hazards include tephra fall, pyroclastic flows from explosions and dome collapse, volcanic blasts, lahars, debris avalanches and tsunamis. There are also health hazards related to emissions of gases and very fine volcanic ash. These hazards and progress in their assessment are illustrated mainly from the ongoing eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano. Montserrat. There are both epistemic and aleatory uncertainties in the assessment of volcanic hazards, which can be large, making precise prediction a formidable objective. Indeed in certain respects volcanic systems and hazardous phenomena may be intrinsically unpredictable. As with other natural phenomena, predictions and hazards inevitably have to be expressed in probabilistic terms that take account of these uncertainties. Despite these limitations significant progress is being made in the ability to anticipate volcanic activity in volcanic arcs and, in favourable circumstances, make robust hazards assessments and predictions. Improvements in monitoring ground deformation, gas emissions and seismicity are being combined with more advanced models of volcanic flows and their interactions with the environment. In addition more structured and systematic methods for assessing hazards and risk are emerging that allow impartial advice to be given to authorities during volcanic crises. There remain significant issues of how scientific advice and associated uncertainties are communicated to provide effective

Asia-Pacific Region Global Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption Risk Management (G-EVER) project and a next-generation real-time volcano hazard assessment system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takarada, S.

2012-12-01

The first Workshop of Asia-Pacific Region Global Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption Risk Management (G-EVER1) was held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan from February 23 to 24, 2012. The workshop focused on the formulation of strategies to reduce the risks of disasters worldwide caused by the occurrence of earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. More than 150 participants attended the workshop. During the workshop, the G-EVER1 accord was approved by the participants. The Accord consists of 10 recommendations like enhancing collaboration, sharing of resources, and making information about the risks of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions freely available and understandable. The G-EVER Hub website (http://g-ever.org) was established to promote the exchange of information and knowledge among the Asia-Pacific countries. Several G-EVER Working Groups and Task Forces were proposed. One of the working groups was tasked to make the next-generation real-time volcano hazard assessment system. The next-generation volcano hazard assessment system is useful for volcanic eruption prediction, risk assessment, and evacuation at various eruption stages. The assessment system is planned to be developed based on volcanic eruption scenario datasets, volcanic eruption database, and numerical simulations. Defining volcanic eruption scenarios based on precursor phenomena leading up to major eruptions of active volcanoes is quite important for the future prediction of volcanic eruptions. Compiling volcanic eruption scenarios after a major eruption is also important. A high quality volcanic eruption database, which contains compilations of eruption dates, volumes, and styles, is important for the next-generation volcano hazard assessment system. The volcanic eruption database is developed based on past eruption results, which only represent a subset of possible future scenarios. Hence, different distributions from the previous deposits are mainly observed due to the differences in

The UNAVCO Real-time GPS Data Processing System and Community Reference Data Sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sievers, C.; Mencin, D.; Berglund, H. T.; Blume, F.; Meertens, C. M.; Mattioli, G. S.

2013-12-01

UNAVCO has constructed a real-time GPS (RT-GPS) network of 420 GPS stations. The majority of the streaming stations come from the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) through an NSF-ARRA funded Cascadia Upgrade Initiative that upgraded 100 backbone stations throughout the PBO footprint and 282 stations focused in the Pacific Northwest. Additional contributions from NOAA (~30 stations in Southern California) and the USGS (8 stations at Yellowstone) account for the other real-time stations. Based on community based outcomes of a workshop focused on real-time GPS position data products and formats hosted by UNAVCO in Spring of 2011, UNAVCO now provides real-time PPP positions for all 420 stations using Trimble's PIVOT software and for 50 stations using TrackRT at the volcanic centers located at Yellowstone (Figure 1 shows an example ensemble of TrackRT networks used in processing the Yellowstone data), Mt St Helens, and Montserrat. The UNAVCO real-time system has the potential to enhance our understanding of earthquakes, seismic wave propagation, volcanic eruptions, magmatic intrusions, movement of ice, landslides, and the dynamics of the atmosphere. Beyond its increasing uses for science and engineering, RT-GPS has the potential to provide early warning of hazards to emergency managers, utilities, other infrastructure managers, first responders and others. With the goal of characterizing stability and improving software and higher level products based on real-time GPS time series, UNAVCO is developing an open community standard data set where data processors can provide solutions based on common sets of RT-GPS data which simulate real world scenarios and events. UNAVCO is generating standard data sets for playback that include not only real and synthetic events but also background noise, antenna movement (e.g., steps, linear trends, sine waves, and realistic earthquake-like motions), receiver drop out and online return, interruption of communications (such as

Models of lithosphere and asthenosphere anisotropic structure of the Yellowstone hot spot from shear wave splitting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waite, Gregory P.; Schutt, D.L.; Smith, Robert B.

2005-01-01

Teleseismic shear wave splitting measured at 56 continuous and temporary seismographs deployed in a 500 km by 600 km area around the Yellowstone hot spot indicates that fast anisotropy in the mantle is parallel to the direction of plate motion under most of the array. The average split time from all stations of 0.9 s is typical of continental stations. There is little evidence for plume-induced radial strain, suggesting that any contribution of gravitationally spreading plume material is undetectably small with respect to the plate motion velocity. Two stations within Yellowstone have splitting measurements indicating the apparent fast anisotropy direction (ϕ) is nearly perpendicular to plate motion. These stations are ∼30 km from stations with ϕ parallel to plate motion. The 70° rotation over 30 km suggests a shallow source of anisotropy; however, split times for these stations are more than 2 s. We suggest melt-filled, stress-oriented cracks in the lithosphere are responsible for the anomalous ϕ orientations within Yellowstone. Stations southeast of Yellowstone have measurements of ϕ oriented NNW to WNW at high angles to the plate motion direction. The Archean lithosphere beneath these stations may have significant anisotropy capable of producing the observed splitting.

What is “natural”? : Yellowstone elk population - A case study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keigley, R.B.; Wagner, Frederic H.

2000-01-01

Ecology analyzes the structure and function of ecosystems at all points along the continuum of human disturbance, from so-called pristine forests to urban backyards. Undisturbed systems provide reference points at one end of the spectrum, and nature reserves and parks are highly valued because they can provide unique examples of such ecosystems. Unfortunately the concept of “natural” or pristine is not that easy to define. Indeed, although ecologists have considered pre-Columbian, western-hemisphere ecosystems to have been largely unaltered by human action, and have termed their state “natural” or “pristine,” evidence from archaeology challenges this view. U.S. and Canadian national parks are charged with preserving the “natural,” and thus need to be able to understand and manage for the “natural.” A pivotal “natural” question in Yellowstone National Park management is the size of the northern-range, wintering elk population at Park establishment in 1872, argued both to have been small and large. Integrating and quantifying several sources of evidence provides a consistent picture of a low population (ca. 5,000–6,000), largely migrating out of the northern range in winter, with little vegetation impact. If we accept this conclusion about what is natural for the Yellowstone ecosystem, then it dramatically alters how we view management alternatives for the Park, which currently supports a northern wintering herd of up to ˜ 25,000 elk.

Is Kasei Valles (Mars) the largest volcanic channel in the solar system?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leverington, David W.

2018-02-01

With a length of more than 2000 km and widths of up to several hundred kilometers, Kasei Valles is the largest outflow system on Mars. Superficially, the scabland-like character of Kasei Valles is evocative of terrestrial systems carved by catastrophic aqueous floods, and the system is widely interpreted as a product of outbursts from aquifers. However, as at other Martian outflow channels, clear examples of fluvial sedimentary deposits have proven difficult to identify here. Though Kasei Valles lacks several key properties expected of aqueous systems, its basic morphological and contextual properties are aligned with those of ancient volcanic channels on Venus, the Moon, Mercury, and Earth. There is abundant evidence that voluminous effusions of low-viscosity magmas occurred at the head of Kasei Valles, the channel system acted as a conduit for associated flows, and mare-style volcanic plains developed within its terminal basin. Combined mechanical and thermal incision rates of at least several meters per day are estimated to have been readily achieved at Kasei Valles by 20-m-deep magmas flowing with viscosities of 1 Pa s across low topographic slopes underlain by bedrock. If Kasei Valles formed through incision by magma, it would be the largest known volcanic channel in the solar system. The total volume of magma erupted at Kasei Valles is estimated here to have possibly reached or exceeded ∼5 × 106 km3, a volume comparable in magnitude to those that characterize individual Large Igneous Provinces on Earth. Development of other large outflow systems on Mars is expected to have similarly involved eruption of up to millions of cubic kilometers of magma.

ASI-Volcanic Risk System (SRV): a pilot project to develop EO data processing modules and products for volcanic activity monitoring, first results.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvestri, M.; Musacchio, M.; Buongiorno, M. F.; Dini, L.

2009-04-01

The Project called Sistema Rischio Vulcanico (SRV) is funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in the frame of the National Space Plan 2003-2005 under the Earth Observations section for natural risks management. The SRV Project is coordinated by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) which is responsible at national level for the volcanic monitoring. The project philosophy is to implement, by incremental versions, specific modules which allow to process, store and visualize through Web GIS tools geophysical parameters suitable for volcanic risk management. The ASI-SRV is devoted to the development of an integrated system based on Earth Observation (EO) data to respond to specific needs of the Italian Civil Protection Department (DPC) and improve the monitoring of Italian active volcanoes during all the risk phases (Pre Crisis, Crisis and Post Crisis). The ASI-SRV system provides support to risk managers during the different volcanic activity phases and its results are addressed to the Italian Civil Protection Department (DPC). SRV provides the capability to manage the import many different EO data into the system, it maintains a repository where the acquired data have to be stored and generates selected volcanic products. The processing modules for EO Optical sensors data are based on procedures jointly developed by INGV and University of Modena. This procedures allow to estimate a number of parameters such as: surface thermal proprieties, gas, aerosol and ash emissions and to characterize the volcanic products in terms of composition and geometry. For the analysis of the surface thermal characteristics, the available algorithms allow to extract information during the prevention phase and during the Warning and Crisis phase. In the prevention phase the thermal analysis is directed to the identification of temperature variation on volcanic structure which may indicate a change in the volcanic activity state. At the moment the only sensor that

Taming of a Wild Research Well in Yellowstone National Park during November 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fournier, Robert O.; Moore, Michael M.

2008-01-01

Much of our current understanding of Yellowstone's geothermal areas comes from research drilling by the USGS during 1967 and 1968. Thirteen wells were drilled in thermal areas around the park. Scientists collected waters and rocks, measured temperatures and pressures and performed other tests to characterize the shallow subsurface at Yellowstone. Most wells were plugged and abandoned, but a few were left open for future scientific tests and sampling. One of those wells, the Y8, was located at Biscuit Basin, 2 miles north of Old Faithful. In November 1992, a valve at the ground surface failed, leading to a blowout, an uncontrolled eruption of steam and hot water. The USGS and Yellowstone National Park worked with a drilling contractor to control the flow and plug the well. The lead scientist, Robert Fournier, used video taken by the drilling contractor, Tonto Services, to create this fascinating 28-minute-long film. It is followed by a short news story by CNN, also from November 1992. Fifteen years later, we felt that the video was of sufficient scientific and historical interest that it was worth publishing as a USGS Open-file report, where it can be accessed into the future. Enjoy!

Sagebrush-ungulate relationships on the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range

Treesearch

Carl L. Wambolt

2005-01-01

Sagebrush (Artemisia) taxa have historically been the landscape dominants over much of the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range (NYWR). Their importance to the unnaturally large ungulate populations on the NYWR throughout the twentieth century has been recognized since the 1920s. Sagebrush-herbivore ecology has been the focus of research on the NYWR for...

Grizzly bear management in Yellowstone National Park: The heart of recovery in the Yellowstone Ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwartz, C.C.; Gunther, K.; McCullough, Dale R.; Kaji, Koichi; Yamanaka, Masami

2006-01-01

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in the past quarter century has resulted in more than doubling of the population from around 200 to more than 500, expansion of range back into habitats where the bear has extirpated more than a century ago, and a move toward removal from the U.S. Endangered Species list. At the center of this success story are the management programs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Regulations that restrict human activity, camping, and food storage, elimination of human food and garbage as attractants, and ranger attendance of roadside bears have all resulted in the population of grizzlies in YNP approaching carrying capacity. Recent studies suggest, however, that YNP alone is too small to support the current population, making management beyond the park boundary important and necessary to the demographics of the population as a whole. Demographic analyses suggest a source-sink dynamic exists within the GYE, with YNP and lands outside the park within the Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone (RZ) representing source habitats, whereas lands beyond the RZ constitute sinks. The source-sink demography in the GYE is indicative of carnivore conservation issues worldwide where many national parks or preserves designed to protect out natural resources are inadequate in size or shape to provide all necessary life history requirements for these wide-ranging species. Additionally, wide-ranging behavior and long-distance dispersal seem inherent to large carnivores, so mortality around the edges is virtually inevitable, and conservation in the GYE is inextricably linked to management regimes not only within YNP, but within the GYE as a whole. We discuss those needs here.

Scientific Drilling in the Snake River Plain: Past, Present, and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shervais, J. W.; Hanan, B. B.; Hughes, S. S.; Geist, D.; Vetter, S. K.

2006-12-01

The Snake River-Yellowstone volcanic province has long been linked to the concept of lithospheric drift over a fixed mantle thermal anomaly or hotspot. This concept is reinforced by seismic tomography that images this anomaly to depths around 500 km, but alternative proposals still present a serious challenge. Basaltic volcanism spans a significant age range and basaltic volcanism in the western SRP lies well off the hotspot track and cannot be related directly to the hotspot in any simple way. The plume-track age progression is documented by rhyolite volcanic centers, but even these represent extended time periods that overlap in age with adjacent centers. Scientific drilling projects carried out over the last two decades have made significant contributions to our understanding of both basaltic and rhyolitic volcanism associated with the Snake River-Yellowstone hotspot system. Because these drill holes also intercept sedimentary interbeds or, in the case of the western SRP, thick sections of Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments, they have also contributed to our understanding of basin formation by thermal collapse in the wake of the hotspot passage or by rifting, paleoclimate of the interior west, and groundwater systems in volcanic rocks. Many of these drill holes are associated with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in the eastern plain; others were drilled for geothermal or petroleum exploration. The latter include older holes that were not instrumented or logged in detail, but which still provide valuable stratigraphic controls. We focus here on the result of basalt drilling, which have been high-lighted in recent publications. Basaltic volcanism in the Snake River plain is dominated by olivine tholeiites that have major and trace element characteristics of ocean island basalt: the range in MgO is similar to MORB, but Ti, Fe, P, K, Sr, Zr and LREE/HREE ratios are all higher. Recent studies of basalts from the drill holes show that they evolved by fractionation

Grizzly bear use of army cutworm moths in the Yellowstone Ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, Steven P.; French, Marilynn G.; Knight, Richard R.

1994-01-01

The ecology of alpine aggregations of army cutworm moths (Euxoa auxiliaris) and the feeding behavior of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) at these areas were studied in the Yellowstone ecosystem from 1988 to 1991. Army cutworm moths migrate to mountain regions each summer to feed at night on the nectar of alpine and subalpine flowers, and during the day they seek shelter under various rock formations. Grizzly bears were observed feeding almost exclusively on moths up to 3 months each summer at the 10 moth-aggregation areas we identified. Fifty-one different grizzly bears were observed feeding at 4 of these areas during a single day in August 1991. Army cutworm moths are a preferred source of nutrition for many grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem and represent a high quality food that is available during hyperphagia.

Triggering and modulation of geyser eruptions in Yellowstone National Park by earthquakes, earth tides, and weather

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hurwitz, Shaul; Sohn, Robert A.; Luttrell, Karen; Manga, Michael

2014-01-01

We analyze intervals between eruptions (IBEs) data acquired between 2001 and 2011 at Daisy and Old Faithful geysers in Yellowstone National Park. We focus our statistical analysis on the response of these geysers to stress perturbations from within the solid earth (earthquakes and earth tides) and from weather (air pressure and temperature, precipitation, and wind). We conclude that (1) the IBEs of these geysers are insensitive to periodic stresses induced by solid earth tides and barometric pressure variations; (2) Daisy (pool geyser) IBEs lengthen by evaporation and heat loss in response to large wind storms and cold air; and (3) Old Faithful (cone geyser) IBEs are not modulated by air temperature and pressure variations, wind, and precipitation, suggesting that the subsurface water column is decoupled from the atmosphere. Dynamic stress changes of 0.1−0.2 MPa resulting from the 2002 M-7.9 Denali, Alaska, earthquake surface waves caused a statistically significant shortening of Daisy geyser's IBEs. Stresses induced by other large global earthquakes during the study period were at least an order of magnitude smaller. In contrast, dynamic stresses of >0.5 MPa from three large regional earthquakes in 1959, 1975, and 1983 caused lengthening of Old Faithful's IBEs. We infer that most subannual geyser IBE variability is dominated by internal processes and interaction with other geysers. The results of this study provide quantitative bounds on the sensitivity of hydrothermal systems to external stress perturbations and have implications for studying the triggering and modulation of volcanic eruptions by external forces.

Trumpeter swan food habitats in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Treesearch

John R. Squires; Stanley H. Anderson

1995-01-01

We documented the winter, spring and summer food habits of trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) in the greater Yellowstone area (the intersection of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) and studied the diet preference of nesting swans. Although 23 foods were detected in trumpeter swan diets during the winter, spring and summer, only 8 contributed at least 3% to the diet...

Resolving the architecture of monogenetic feeder systems from exposures of extinct volcanic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muirhead, J.; Van Eaton, A. R.; Re, G.; White, J. D. L.; Ort, M. H.

2016-12-01

Monogenetic volcanic fields pose hazards to a number of major cities worldwide. During an eruption, the evolution of the intrusive feeder network modulates eruption behavior and location, as well as the warning signs of impending activity. However, historical examples of monogenetic eruptions are rare, particularly those monitored with the modern tools required to constrain the geometry and interconnectivity of subsurface intrusive feeders (e.g., InSAR, GPS). Geologic exposures in extinct fields around the Colorado Plateau provide clues to the geometry of shallow intrusions (<1000 m depth) that feed monogenetic volcanoes. We present field- and satellite-based observations of exposed intrusions in the Hopi Buttes volcanic field (Arizona), which reveal that many eruptions were fed by interconnected dike-sill systems. Results from the Hopi Buttes show that volcanic cone alignment studies are biased to the identification of dike intrusions, and thereby neglect the important contributions of sills to shallow feeder systems. For example, estimates of intruded volumes in fields exhumed by uplift and erosion in Utah and Arizona show that sills make up 30 - 92% of the shallow intruded volume within 1000 m of the paleosurface. By transporting magma toward and away from eruptive conduits, these sills likely played a role in modulating eruption styles (e.g., explosive vs effusive) and controlling lateral vent migrations. Sill transitions at Hopi Buttes would have produced detectable surface uplifts, and illustrate the importance of geological studies for informing interpretations of geodetic and seismological data during volcanic crises.

Catastrophic volcanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipman, Peter W.

1988-01-01

Since primitive times, catastrophes due to volcanic activity have been vivid in the mind of man, who knew that his activities in many parts of the world were threatened by lava flows, mudflows, and ash falls. Within the present century, increasingly complex interactions between volcanism and the environment, on scales not previously experienced historically, have been detected or suspected from geologic observations. These include enormous hot pyroclastic flows associated with collapse at source calderas and fed by eruption columns that reached the stratosphere, relations between huge flood basalt eruptions at hotspots and the rifting of continents, devastating laterally-directed volcanic blasts and pyroclastic surges, great volcanic-generated tsunamis, climate modification from volcanic release of ash and sulfur aerosols into the upper atmosphere, modification of ocean circulation by volcanic constructs and attendent climatic implications, global pulsations in intensity of volcanic activity, and perhaps triggering of some intense terrestrial volcanism by planetary impacts. Complex feedback between volcanic activity and additional seemingly unrelated terrestrial processes likely remains unrecognized. Only recently has it become possible to begin to evaluate the degree to which such large-scale volcanic processes may have been important in triggering or modulating the tempo of faunal extinctions and other evolutionary events. In this overview, such processes are examined from the viewpoint of a field volcanologist, rather than as a previous participant in controversies concerning the interrelations between extinctions, impacts, and volcanism.

Generation and evolution of hydrothermal fluids at Yellowstone: Insights from the Heart Lake Geyser Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowenstern, J. B.; Bergfeld, D.; Evans, W. C.; Hurwitz, S.

2012-01-01

We sampled fumaroles and hot springs from the Heart Lake Geyser Basin (HLGB), measured water and gas discharge, and estimated heat and mass flux from this geothermal area in 2009. The combined data set reveals that diverse fluids share an origin by mixing of deep solute-rich parent water with dilute heated meteoric water, accompanied by subsequent boiling. A variety of chemical and isotopic geothermometers are consistent with a parent water that equilibrates with rocks at 205°C ± 10°C and then undergoes 21% ± 2% adiabatic boiling. Measured diffuse CO2 flux and fumarole compositions are consistent with an initial dissolved CO2 concentration of 21 ± 7 mmol upon arrival at the caldera boundary and prior to southeast flow, boiling, and discharge along the Witch Creek drainage. The calculated advective flow from the basin is 78 ± 16 L s-1of parent thermal water, corresponding to 68 ± 14 MW, or ˜1% of the estimated thermal flux from Yellowstone. Helium and carbon isotopes reveal minor addition of locally derived crustal, biogenic, and meteoric gases as this fluid boils and degasses, reducing the He isotope ratio (Rc/Ra) from 2.91 to 1.09. The HLGB is one of the few thermal areas at Yellowstone that approaches a closed system, where a series of progressively boiled waters can be sampled along with related steam and noncondensable gas. At other Yellowstone locations, steam and gas are found without associated neutral Cl waters (e.g., Hot Spring Basin) or Cl-rich waters emerge without significant associated steam and gas (Upper Geyser Basin).

Generation and evolution of hydrothermal fluids at Yellowstone: Insights from the Heart Lake Geyser Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowenstern, J. B.; Bergfeld, D.; Evans, William C.; Hurwitz, S.

2012-01-01

We sampled fumaroles and hot springs from the Heart Lake Geyser Basin (HLGB), measured water and gas discharge, and estimated heat and mass flux from this geothermal area in 2009. The combined data set reveals that diverse fluids share an origin by mixing of deep solute-rich parent water with dilute heated meteoric water, accompanied by subsequent boiling. A variety of chemical and isotopic geothermometers are consistent with a parent water that equilibrates with rocks at 205°C ± 10°C and then undergoes 21% ± 2% adiabatic boiling. Measured diffuse CO2 flux and fumarole compositions are consistent with an initial dissolved CO2 concentration of 21 ± 7 mmol upon arrival at the caldera boundary and prior to southeast flow, boiling, and discharge along the Witch Creek drainage. The calculated advective flow from the basin is 78 ± 16 L s−1 of parent thermal water, corresponding to 68 ± 14 MW, or –1% of the estimated thermal flux from Yellowstone. Helium and carbon isotopes reveal minor addition of locally derived crustal, biogenic, and meteoric gases as this fluid boils and degasses, reducing the He isotope ratio (Rc/Ra) from 2.91 to 1.09. The HLGB is one of the few thermal areas at Yellowstone that approaches a closed system, where a series of progressively boiled waters can be sampled along with related steam and noncondensable gas. At other Yellowstone locations, steam and gas are found without associated neutral Cl waters (e.g., Hot Spring Basin) or Cl-rich waters emerge without significant associated steam and gas (Upper Geyser Basin).

Inquiry-based Science Activities Using The Infrared Zoo and Infrared Yellowstone Resources at Cool Cosmos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daou, D.; Gauthier, A.

2003-12-01

Inquiry-based activities that utilize the Cool Cosmos image galleries have been designed and developed by K12 teachers enrolled in The Invisible Universe Online for Teachers course. The exploration activities integrate the Our Infrared World Gallery (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/our_ir_world_gallery.html) with either the Infrared Zoo gallery (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_zoo/index.html) or the Infrared Yellowstone image http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_yellowstone/index.html) and video (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/videos/ir_yellowstone/index.html) galleries. Complete instructor guides have been developed for the activities and will be presented by the authors in poster and CD form. Although the activities are written for middle and highschool learners, they can easily be adapted for college audiences. The Our Infrared World Gallery exploration helps learners think critically about visible light and infrared light as they compare sets of images (IR and visible light) of known objects. For example: by taking a regular photograph of a running faucet, can you tell if it is running hot or cold water? What new information does the IR image give you? The Infrared Zoo activities encourage learners to investigate the differences between warm and cold blooded animals by comparing sets of IR and visible images. In one activity, learners take on the role of a pit viper seeking prey in various desert and woodland settings. The main activities are extended into the real world by discussing and researching industrial, medical, and societal applications of infrared technologies. The Infrared Yellowstone lessons give learners a unique perspective on Yellowstone National Park and it's spectacular geologic and geothermal features. Infrared video technology is highlighted as learners make detailed observations about the visible and infrared views of the natural phenomena. The "Cool Cosmos" EPO activities are

Applicability of `GREATEM' system in mapping geothermal regions in volcanic areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, S. K.; Mogi, T.; Abd Allah, S.

2010-12-01

The ‘GREATEM’ helicopter borne TEM system employs a long grounded cable as transmitter while a light weight receiver coil is flown below a helicopter. This arrangement greatly simplifies the flying logistics and speed of the survey. Also there is very little reduction in the anomaly amplitude when the survey altitude is increased. This is a great advantage particularly in volcanic regions usually having rough topography, as the ‘GREATEM’ survey can be done with helicopter flying at a safe height. Many volcanic areas have anomalous geothermal regions containing hydrothermal fluids. Eruption of volcanoes may cause changes in the thermal character and spatial distribution of these regions. Mapping of these regions is important as they may be associated with hazards. Sometimes, if the temperature is high and volume of the geothermal region is large, they can provide a good source of geothermal energy. Applicability of ‘GREATEM’ system in mapping geothermal regions in volcanic areas is studied by numerical modeling. We have considered a 3D conductor at a shallow depth (50 t0 100m), representing the anomalous geothermal region with dimensions of 500m X 500m X 500m. Different types of geological host environment are considered by varying their resistivities from 10 Ohm.m to 2000 Ohm.m. The ‘GREATEM’ response is analyzed as ‘Percentage Difference (PD)’ over the response produced by the host environment. It is found that the “GREATEM’ system can delineate the geothermal region well. Many geothermal regions are associated with a deeper (> 1 km) reservoir of much larger dimensions. In this situation also it is found that the ‘GREATEM’ system can pick up the response of the shallower geothermal region against the background response of different types of geological host environment containing the deeper reservoir (Figure 1).

A geochemical reconnaissance of the Alid volcanic center and geothermal system, Danakil depression, Eritrea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowenstern, J. B.; Janik, C.J.; Fournier, R.O.; Tesfai, T.; Duffield, W.A.; Clynne, M.A.; Smith, James G.; Woldegiorgis, L.; Weldemariam, K.; Kahsai, G.

1999-01-01

Geological and geochemical studies indicate that a high-temperature geothermal system underlies the Alid volcanic center in the northern Danakil depression of Eritrea. Alid is a very late-Pleistocene structural dome formed by shallow intrusion of rhyolitic magma, some of which vented as lavas and pyroclastic flows. Fumaroles and boiling pools distributed widely over an area of ~10 km2 on the northern half of Alid suggest that an active hydrothermal system underlies much of that part of the mountain. Geothermometers indicate that the fumarolic gases are derived from a geothermal system with temperatures >225??C. The isotopic composition of condensed fumarolic steam is consistent with these temperatures and implies that the source water is derived primarily from either lowland meteoric waters or fossil Red Sea water, or both. Some gases vented from the system (CO2, H2S and He) are largely magmatic in origin. Permeability beneath the volcanic center may be high, given the amount of intrusion-related deformation and the active normal faulting within the Danakil depression.Geological and geochemical studies indicate that a high-temperature geothermal system underlies the Alid volcanic center in the northern Danakil depression of Eritrea. Alid is a very late-Pleistocene structural dome formed by shallow intrusion of rhyolitic magma, some of which vented as lavas and pyroclastic flows. Fumaroles and boiling pools distributed widely over an area of approx. 10 km2 on the northern half of Alid suggest that an active hydrothermal system underlies much of that part of the mountain. Geothermometers indicate that the fumarolic gases are derived from a geothermal system with temperatures >225??C. The isotopic composition of condensed fumarolic steam is consistent with these temperatures and implies that the source water is derived primarily from either lowland meteoric waters or fossil Red Sea water, or both. Some gases vented from the system (CO2, H2S and He) are largely

Back-Projection Imaging of extended, diffuse seismic sources in volcanic and hydrothermal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, C. L.; Lawrence, J. F.; Beroza, G. C.

2017-12-01

Volcanic and hydrothermal systems exhibit a wide range of seismicity that is directly linked to fluid and volatile activity in the subsurface and that can be indicative of imminent hazardous activity. Seismograms recorded near volcanic and hydrothermal systems typically contain "noisy" records, but in fact, these complex signals are generated by many overlapping low-magnitude displacements and pressure changes at depth. Unfortunately, excluding times of high-magnitude eruptive activity that typically occur infrequently relative to the length of a system's entire eruption cycle, these signals often have very low signal-to-noise ratios and are difficult to identify and study using established seismic analysis techniques (i.e. phase-picking, template matching). Arrays of short-period and broadband seismic sensors are proven tools for monitoring short- and long-term changes in volcanic and hydrothermal systems. Time-reversal techniques (i.e. back-projection) that are improved by additional seismic observations have been successfully applied to locating volcano-seismic sources recorded by dense sensor arrays. We present results from a new computationally efficient back-projection method that allows us to image the evolution of extended, diffuse sources of volcanic and hydrothermal seismicity. We correlate short time-window seismograms from receiver-pairs to find coherent signals and propagate them back in time to potential source locations in a 3D subsurface model. The strength of coherent seismic signal associated with any potential source-receiver-receiver geometry is equal to the correlation of the short time-windows of seismic records at appropriate time lags as determined by the velocity structure and ray paths. We stack (sum) all short time-window correlations from all receiver-pairs to determine the cumulative coherence of signals at each potential source location. Through stacking, coherent signals from extended and/or repeating sources of short-period energy

Density-dependent intraspecific aggression regulates survival in northern Yellowstone wolves (Canis lupus).

PubMed

Cubaynes, Sarah; MacNulty, Daniel R; Stahler, Daniel R; Quimby, Kira A; Smith, Douglas W; Coulson, Tim

2014-11-01

Understanding the population dynamics of top-predators is essential to assess their impact on ecosystems and to guide their management. Key to this understanding is identifying the mechanisms regulating vital rates. Determining the influence of density on survival is necessary to understand the extent to which human-caused mortality is compensatory or additive. In wolves (Canis lupus), empirical evidence for density-dependent survival is lacking. Dispersal is considered the principal way in which wolves adjust their numbers to prey supply or compensate for human exploitation. However, studies to date have primarily focused on exploited wolf populations, in which density-dependent mechanisms are likely weak due to artificially low wolf densities. Using 13 years of data on 280 collared wolves in Yellowstone National Park, we assessed the effect of wolf density, prey abundance and population structure, as well as winter severity, on age-specific survival in two areas (prey-rich vs. prey-poor) of the national park. We further analysed cause-specific mortality and explored the factors driving intraspecific aggression in the prey-rich northern area of the park. Overall, survival rates decreased during the study. In northern Yellowstone, density dependence regulated adult survival through an increase in intraspecific aggression, independent of prey availability. In the interior of the park, adult survival was less variable and density-independent, despite reduced prey availability. There was no effect of prey population structure in northern Yellowstone, or of winter severity in either area. Survival was similar among yearlings and adults, but lower for adults older than 6 years. Our results indicate that density-dependent intraspecific aggression is a major driver of adult wolf survival in northern Yellowstone, suggesting intrinsic density-dependent mechanisms have the potential to regulate wolf populations at high ungulate densities. When low prey availability or high

Integrating Multiple Space Ground Sensors to Track Volcanic Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve; Davies, Ashley; Doubleday, Joshua; Tran, Daniel; Jones, Samuel; Kjartansson, Einar; Thorsteinsson, Hrobjartur; Vogfjord, Kristin; Guomundsson, Magnus; Thordarson, Thor;

Algal and Water-Quality Data for the Yellowstone River and Tributaries, Montana and Wyoming, 1999-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, David A.

2009-01-01

Streams of the Yellowstone River Basin in Montana and Wyoming were sampled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Algal communities were sampled in 1999 in conjunction with other ecological sampling and in 2000 during synoptic sampling. Water-quality measurements related to the algal sampling included light attenuation and dissolved-oxygen concentrations. Sites were sampled on the main-stem Yellowstone River, major tributaries such as the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River and the Bighorn River, and selected minor tributaries. Some of the data collected, such as the phytoplankton chlorophyll-a data, were referenced or summarized in previous U.S. Geological Survey reports but were not previously published in tabular form, and therefore are presented in this report, prepared in cooperation with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Data presented in this report include chlorophyll-a concentrations in phytoplankton and periphyton samples, as well as light attenuation and dissolved-oxygen production data from 1999-2000.

Characterization of open and closed volcanic systems in Indonesia and Mexico using InSAR time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaussard, E.; Amelung, F.; Aoki, Y.

2013-08-01

use 2007-2011 Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) data to perform an arc-wide interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series survey of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) and to study time-dependent ground deformation of four Indonesian volcanoes selected following the 2007-2009 study of Chaussard and Amelung (2012). Our objectives are to examine whether arc volcanoes exhibit long-term edifice-wide cyclic deformation patterns that can be used to characterize open and closed volcanic systems and to better constrain in which cases precursory inflation is expected. We reveal deformation cycles at both regularly active and previously inactive Indonesian volcanoes, but we do not detect deformation in the TMVB, reflecting a lower activity level. We identify three types of relationships between deformation and activity: inflation prior to eruption and associated with or followed by deflation (Kerinci and Sinabung), inflation without eruption and followed by slow deflation (Agung), and eruption without precursory deformation (Merapi, Colima, and Popocatépetl; at Merapi, no significant deformation is detected even during eruption). The first two cases correspond to closed volcanic systems and suggest that the traditional model of magmatic systems and eruptive cycles do apply to andesitic volcanoes (i.e., inflation and deflation episodes associated with magma accumulation or volatile exsolution in a crustal reservoir followed by eruptions or in situ cooling). In contrast, the last case corresponds to open volcanic systems where no significant pressurization of the magmatic reservoirs is taking place prior to eruptions and thus no long-term edifice-wide ground deformation can be detected. We discuss these results in terms of InSAR's potential for forecasting volcanic unrest.

Life history characteristics and vital rates of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in two headwater basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Uthe, Patrick; Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Zale, Alexander V.; Shepard, Bradley B.; McMahon, Thomas E.; Stephens, Tracy

2016-01-01

The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri is native to the Rocky Mountains and has declined in abundance and distribution as a result of habitat degradation and introduced salmonid species. Many of its remaining strongholds are in headwater basins with minimal human disturbances. Understanding the life histories, vital rates, and behaviors of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout within headwater stream networks remains limited yet is critical for effective management and conservation. We estimated annual relative growth in length and weight, annual survival rates, and movement patterns of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout from three tributaries of Spread Creek, Wyoming, and two tributaries of Shields River, Montana, from 2011 through 2013 using PIT tag antennas within a mark–recapture framework. Mean annual growth rates varied among tributaries and size-classes, but were slow compared with populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout from large, low-elevation streams. Survival rates were relatively high compared with those of other Cutthroat Trout subspecies, but we found an inverse relationship between survival and size, a pattern contrary to what has been reported for Cutthroat Trout in large streams. Mean annual survival rates ranged from 0.32 (SE = 0.04) to 0.68 (SE = 0.05) in the Spread Creek basin and from 0.30 (SE = 0.07) to 0.69 (SE = 0.10) in the Shields River basin. Downstream movements from tributaries were substantial, with as much as 26.5% of a tagging cohort leaving over the course of the study. Integrating our growth, survival, and movement results demonstrates the importance of considering strategies to enhance headwater stream habitats and highlights the importance of connectivity with larger stream networks.

Beaver damming, fluvial geomorphology, and climate in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persico, L.; Meyer, G.

2008-12-01

Beaver habitation is an important component of many fluvial landscapes that can impact a variety of hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecologic processes. Beaver damming, via long term valley aggradation, is thought to be important to the postglacial geomorphic evolution of many smaller mountain stream networks in the western United States. Loss of beaver dams can also cause rapid channel incision. Although several studies have documented rapid short-term aggradation of channels behind single beaver dams, there is little actual data on the long-term cumulative effect of beaver damming. In Yellowstone''s Northern Range, field surveys and stratigraphic section along six streams in the Northern Range reveal net thickness of mostly <2 m and patchy distribution of Holocene beaver-pond deposits. We estimate that reaches with clear morphologic and stratigraphic evidence for beaver-related aggradation constitute about 19% of the total stream network length. Reaches with probable and possible beaver-related aggradation make up an additional 8% and 2% of the network, respectively. The remaining 71% of the network has no clear evidence for beaver-related aggradation. Thirty-nine radiocarbon ages on beaver-pond deposits in northern Yellowstone fall primarily within the last 4000 yr, but gaps in dated beaver occupation from 2200-1800 and 950-750 cal yr BP correspond with severe and persistent droughts that likely caused low to ephemeral discharges in smaller streams. In the last two decades, severe drought has also caused streams that were occupied by beaver in the 1920s to become ephemeral. Beaver have been largely absent from the Northern Range since the mid-20th century, probably due to multiple ecological and climatic factors. This loss of beaver is thought to have led to widespread degradation of stream and riparian habitat via channel incision. Although 20th-century beaver loss has caused significant channel incision at some former dam sites, downcutting elsewhere in northern

Mainshock-Aftershocks Clustering Detection in Volcanic Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garza Giron, R.; Brodsky, E. E.; Prejean, S. G.

2017-12-01

Crustal earthquakes tend to break their general Poissonean process behavior by gathering into two main kinds of seismic bursts: swarms and mainshock-aftershocks sequences. The former is commonly related to volcanic or geothermal processes whereas the latter is a characteristic feature of tectonically driven seismicity. We explore the mainshock-aftershock clustering behavior of different active volcanic regions in Japan and its comparison to non-volcanic regions. We find that aftershock production in volcanoes shows mainshock-aftershocks clustering similar to what is observed in non-volcanic areas. The ratio of volanic areas that cluster in mainshock-aftershocks sequences vs the areas that do not is comparable to the ratio of non-volcanic regions that show clustering vs the ones that do not. Furthermore, the level of production of aftershocks for most volcanic areas where clustering is present seems to be of the same order of magnitude, or slightly higher, as the median of the non-volcanic regions. An interesting example of highly aftershock-productive volcanoes emerges from the 2000 Miyakejima dike intrusion. A big seismic cluster started to build up rapidly in the south-west flank of Miyakejima to later propagate to the north-west towards the Kozushima and Niijima volcanoes. In Miyakejima the seismicity showed a swarm-like signature with a constant earthquake rate, whereas Kozushima and Niijima both had expressions of highly productive mainshock-aftershocks sequences. These findings are surprising given the alternative mechanisms available in volcanic systems for releasing deviatoric strain. We speculate that aftershock behavior might hold a relationship with the rheological properties of the rocks of each system and with the capacity of a system to accumulate or release the internal pressures caused by magmatic or hydrothermal systems.

Fire growth maps for the 1988 Greater Yellowstone Area Fires

Treesearch

Richard C. Rothermel; Roberta A Hartford; Carolyn H. Chase

1994-01-01

Daily fire growth maps display the growth of the 1988 fires in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Information and data sources included daily infrared photography flights, satellite imagery, ground and aerial reconnaissance, command center intelligence, and the personal recollections of fire behavior observers. Fire position was digitized from topographic maps using GRASS...

Mainshock-aftershock clustering in volcanic regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Giron, Ricardo Garza; Brodsky, Emily E.; Prejean, Stephanie

2018-01-01

swarms and mainshock-aftershock sequences. The former is commonly thought to dominate in volcanic and geothermal regions, but aftershock production, including within swarms, is not well studied in volcanic regions. Here we compare mainshock-aftershock clustering in active volcanic regions in Japan to nearby nonvolcanic regions. We find that aftershock production is similar in both areas by two separate metrics: (1) Both volcanic and nonvolcanic regions have similar proportions of areas that cluster into mainshock-aftershock sequences. (2) Volcanic areas with mainshock-aftershock sequences have aftershock productivity at least as high as nonvolcanic regions. We also find that volcano-tectonic events that are precursors to an eruption are more common at volcanoes without mainshock-aftershock clusters than at volcanoes with well-defined mainshock-aftershock clusters. This last finding hints at a strategy to identify volcanic systems where cataloged earthquakes are good predictors of behavior.

Lower Pliensbachian caldera volcanism in high-obliquity rift systems in the western North Patagonian Massif, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedini, Leonardo; Gregori, Daniel; Strazzere, Leonardo; Falco, Juan I.; Dristas, Jorge A.

2014-12-01

In the Cerro Carro Quebrado and Cerro Catri Cura area, located at the border between the Neuquén Basin and the North Patagonian Massif, the Garamilla Formation is composed of four volcanic stages: 1) andesitic lava-flows related to the beginning of the volcanic system; 2) basal massive lithic breccias that represent the caldera collapse; 3) voluminous, coarse-crystal rich massive lava-like ignimbrites related to multiple, steady eruptions that represent the principal infill of the system; and, finally 4) domes, dykes, lava flows, and lava domes of rhyolitic composition indicative of a post-collapse stage. The analysis of the regional and local structures, as well as, the architectures of the volcanic facies, indicates the existence of a highly oblique rift, with its principal extensional strain in an NNE-SSW direction (˜N10°). The analyzed rocks are mainly high-potassium dacites and rhyolites with trace and RE elements contents of an intraplate signature. The age of these rocks (189 ± 0.76 Ma) agree well with other volcanic sequences of the western North Patagonian Massif, as well as, the Neuquén Basin, indicating that Pliensbachian magmatism was widespread in both regions. The age is also coincident with phase 1 of volcanism of the eastern North Patagonia Massif (188-178 Ma) represented by ignimbrites, domes, and pyroclastic rocks of the Marifil Complex, related to intraplate magmatism.

Interactions and interconnectivity of neighboring volcanic systems in southern Japan (Kyūshū)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brothelande, E.; Amelung, F.; Zhang, Y.

2016-12-01

The global volcanic eruption record contains about 60 volcano pairs that erupted the same day and 30 pairs that erupted within 3 days. However, neighboring volcano interactions are still poorly understood, in mafic as well as in felsic systems. Here, we use GPS time series of Japan's Aira caldera and Kirishima volcanic system (andesitic systems) to search for interactions between the two neighboring plumbing systems. Aira caldera (17 km x 23 km), also known as Kagoshima Bay, was formed by a massive eruption about 22,000 years ago and is often considered as the world's most active caldera volcano. The center of the caldera is occupied by Sakurajima volcano, a volcanic island that emerged about 13,000 years ago. Today, the caldera hosts more than 1 million people living along the shore and in the city of Kagoshima. The Kirishima volcanoes are a group of 18 eruption cones located 20 km north of Aira caldera. An eruption, the largest in more than 50 years, occurred in 2011 at Shinmoe-dake volcano. The magmatic system of Kirishima volcano was considered to be independent of Aira caldera, but our preliminary results suggest that this may not be the case: it seems that subtle uplift of the Aira caldera occurring during at least the first decade of this century ceased with the 2011 eruption of the Kirishima system. Using deformation data and finite element modeling, we explore possible interactions between magma reservoirs at depth.

The Tyrrhena-Malea Volcanic Province, Mars: Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D.; Greeley, R.; Ferguson, R.; Kuzmin, R.; McCord, T.; Combe, J.-P.; Head, J.; Xiao, L.; Manfredi, L.; Poulet, F.; Pinet, P.; Baratoux, D.; Plaut, J. J.; Raitala, J.; Neukum, G.

2008-09-01

`softened' appearance of their surfaces, but they do contain pedestal and ejecta flow craters and large, smooth, bright plateaus in their central depressions. This morphology is indicative of a surface with not only a high water ice content, but also a more consolidated material that is less susceptible to degradation (relative to the other four volcanoes). We suggest that Malea and Pityusa (and possibly Peneus) Paterae are Martian equivalents to Earth's giant calderas (e.g., Yellowstone, Long Valley) that erupted large volumes of volcanic materials, and that Malea and Pityusa are probably composed of either lava flows or ignimbrites. HRSC and OMEGA spectral data indicate that dark gray to slightly red materials (often represented as blue or black pixels in HRSC color images), found in the patera floors and topographic lows throughout the T-MVP, have a basaltic composition. A key issue is whether this dark material represents concentrations of underlying basaltic material exposed by aeolian winnowing, or if the material was transported from elsewhere on Mars by regional winds. Understanding the provenance of these dark materials may be the key to understanding the volcanic diversity of the Tyrrhena-Malea Volcanic Province. References [1] Crown, D. and Greeley, R. (2007) U.S. Geol. Surv. Sci. Inves. Ser. Map 2936. [2] Gregg, T., et al. (1998) U.S. Geol. Surv. Map I- 2556. [3] Leonard, G. and Tanaka, K. (2001) U. S. Geol. Survey Misc. Invest. Series Map I-2694. [4] Kolb, E. and Tanaka, K. (2008) Geologic Map of the Planum Australe Region of Mars. U. S. Geol. Survey. Misc. Investigation Series, in review. [5] Peterson, J. (1978) Proc. 9th LPSC, 3411-3432.

A first Event-tree for the Bárðarbunga volcanic system (Iceland): from the volcanic crisis in 2014 towards a tool for hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barsotti, Sara; Tumi Gudmundsson, Magnús; Jónsdottir, Kristín; Vogfjörd, Kristín; Larsen, Gudrun; Oddsson, Björn

2015-04-01

Bárdarbunga volcano is part of a large volcanic system that had its last confirmed eruption before the present unrest in 1910. This system is partially covered by ice within the Vatnajökull glacier and it extends further to the NNE as well as to SW. Based on historical data, its eruptive activity has been predominantly characterized by explosive eruptions, originating beneath the glacier, and important effusive eruptions in the ice-free part of the system itself. The largest explosive eruptions took place on the southern side of the fissure system in AD 1477 producing about 10 km3 of tephra. Due to the extension and location of this volcanic system, the range of potential eruptive scenarios and associated hazards is quite wide. Indeed, it includes: inundation, due to glacial outburst; tephra fallout, due to ash-rich plume generated by magma-water interaction; abundant volcanic gas release; and lava flows. Most importantly these phenomena are not mutually exclusive and might happen simultaneously, creating the premise for a wide spatial and temporal impact. During the ongoing volcanic crisis at Bárdarbunga, which started on 16 August, 2014, the Icelandic Meteorological Office, together with the University of Iceland and Icelandic Civil Protection started a common effort of drawing, day-by-day, the potential evolution of the ongoing rifting event and, based on the newest data from the monitoring networks, updated and more refined scenarios have been identified. Indeed, this volcanic crisis created the occasion for pushing forward the creation of the first Event-tree for the Bárðarbunga volcanic system. We adopted the approach suggested by Newhall and Pallister (2014) and a preliminary ET made of nine nodes has been constructed. After the two initial nodes (restless and genesis) the ET continues with the identification of the location of aperture of future eruptive vents. Due to the complex structure of the system and historical eruptions, this third node

Modeling survival: application of the Andersen-Gill model to Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Christopher J.; Boyce, Mark S.; Schwartz, Charles C.; Haroldson, Mark A.

2004-01-01

 Wildlife ecologists often use the Kaplan-Meier procedure or Cox proportional hazards model to estimate survival rates, distributions, and magnitude of risk factors. The Andersen-Gill formulation (A-G) of the Cox proportional hazards model has seen limited application to mark-resight data but has a number of advantages, including the ability to accommodate left-censored data, time-varying covariates, multiple events, and discontinuous intervals of risks. We introduce the A-G model including structure of data, interpretation of results, and assessment of assumptions. We then apply the model to 22 years of radiotelemetry data for grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) of the Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, USA. We used Akaike's Information Criterion (AICc) and multi-model inference to assess a number of potentially useful predictive models relative to explanatory covariates for demography, human disturbance, and habitat. Using the most parsimonious models, we generated risk ratios, hypothetical survival curves, and a map of the spatial distribution of high-risk areas across the recovery zone. Our results were in agreement with past studies of mortality factors for Yellowstone grizzly bears. Holding other covariates constant, mortality was highest for bears that were subjected to repeated management actions and inhabited areas with high road densities outside Yellowstone National Park. Hazard models developed with covariates descriptive of foraging habitats were not the most parsimonious, but they suggested that high-elevation areas offered lower risks of mortality when compared to agricultural areas.

The 2017 Maple Creek Seismic Swarm in Yellowstone National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, G.; Hale, J. M.; Farrell, J.; Burlacu, R.; Koper, K. D.; Smith, R. B.

2017-12-01

The University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) performs near-real-time monitoring of seismicity in the region around Yellowstone National Park in partnership with the United States Geological Survey and the National Park Service. UUSS operates and maintains 29 seismic stations with network code WY (short-period, strong-motion, and broadband) and records data from five other seismic networks—IW, MB, PB, TA, and US—to enhance the location capabilities in the Yellowstone region. A seismic catalog is produced using a conventional STA/LTA detector and single-event location techniques (Hypoinverse). On June 12, 2017, a seismic swarm began in Yellowstone National Park about 5 km east of Hebgen Lake. The swarm is adjacent to the source region of the 1959 MW 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake, in an area corresponding to positive Coulumb stress change from that event. As of Aug. 1, 2017, the swarm consists of 1481 earthquakes with 1 earthquake above magnitude 4, 8 earthquakes in the magnitude 3 range, 115 earthquakes in the magnitude 2 range, 469 earthquakes in the magnitude 1 range, 856 earthquakes in the magnitude 0 range, 22 earthquakes with negative magnitudes, and 10 earthquakes with no magnitude. Earthquake depths are mostly between 3 and 10 km and earthquake depth increases toward the northwest. Moment tensors for the 2 largest events (3.6 MW and 4.4. MW) show strike-slip faulting with T axes oriented NE-SW, consistent with the regional stress field. We are currently using waveform cross-correlation methods to measure differential travel times that are being used with the GrowClust program to generate high-accuracy relative relocations. Those locations will be used to identify structures in the seismicity and make inferences about the tectonic and magmatic processes causing the swarm.

A Riparian Approach to Dendrochronological Flow Reconstruction, Yellowstone River, Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schook, D. M.; Rathburn, S. L.; Friedman, J. M.

2015-12-01

Tree ring-based flow reconstructions can reveal river discharge variability over durations far exceeding the gauged record, building perspective for both the measured record and future flows. We use plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) tree rings collected from four rivers to reconstruct flow history of the Yellowstone River near its confluence with the Missouri River. Upland trees in dry regions are typically used in flow reconstruction because their annual growth is controlled by the same precipitation that drives downstream flow, but our study improves flow reconstruction by including floodplain trees that are directly affected by the river. Cores from over 1000 cottonwoods along the Yellowstone, Powder, Little Missouri, and Redwater Rivers were collected from within a 170 km radius to reconstruct flows using the Age Curve Standardization technique in a multiple regression analysis. The large sample from trees spanning many age classes allows us to use only the rings that were produced when each tree was less than 50 years old and growth was most strongly correlated to river discharge. Using trees from a range of rivers improves our ability to differentiate between growth resulting from local precipitation and river flow, and we show that cottonwood growth differs across these neighboring rivers having different watersheds. Using the program Seascorr, tree growth is found to better correlated to seasonal river discharge (R = 0.69) than to local precipitation (R = 0.45). Our flow reconstruction reveals that the most extreme multi-year or multi-decade drought periods of the last 250 years on either the Yellowstone (1817-1821) or Powder (1846-1865) Rivers are missed by the gauged discharge record. Across all sites, we document increased growth in the 20th century compared to the 19th, a finding unattainable with conventional methods but having important implications for flow management.

Distribution of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwartz, C.C.; Haroldson, M.A.; Gunther, K.; Moody, D.

2006-01-01

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed delisting the Yellowstone grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in November 2005. Part of that process required knowledge of the most current distribution of the species. Here, we update an earlier estimate of occupied range (1990–2000) with data through 2004. We used kernel estimators to develop distribution maps of occupied habitats based on initial sightings of unduplicated females (n = 481) with cubs of the year, locations of radiomarked bears (n = 170), and spatially unique locations of conflicts, confrontations, and mortalities (n = 1,075). Although each data set was constrained by potential sampling bias, together they provided insight into areas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) currently occupied by grizzly bears. The current distribution of 37,258 km2 (1990–2004) extends beyond the distribution map generated with data from 1990–2000 (34,416 km2 ). Range expansion is particularly evident in parts of the Caribou–Targhee National Forest in Idaho and north of Spanish Peaks on the Gallatin National Forest in Montana.

Geophysical Evidence for the Locations, Shapes and Sizes, and Internal Structures of Magma Chambers beneath Regions of Quaternary Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, H. M.

1984-04-01

This paper is a review of seismic, gravity, magnetic and electromagnetic techniques to detect and delineate magma chambers of a few cubic kilometres to several thousand cubic kilometres volume. A dramatic decrease in density and seismic velocity, and an increase in seismic attenuation and electrical conductivity occurs at the onset of partial melting in rocks. The geophysical techniques are based on detecting these differences in physical properties between solid and partially molten rock. Although seismic refraction techniques, with sophisticated instrumentation and analytical procedures, are routinely used for detailed studies of crustal structure in volcanic regions, their application for magma detection has been quite limited. In one study, in Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A., fan-shooting and time-term techniques have been used to detect an upper-crustal magma chamber. Attenuation and velocity changes in seismic waves from explosions and earthquakes diffracted around magma chambers are observed near some volcanoes in Kamchatka. Strong attenuation of shear waves from regional earthquakes, interpreted as a diffraction effect, has been used to model magma chambers in Alaska, Kamchatka, Iceland, and New Zealand. One of the most powerful techniques in modern seismology, the seismic reflection technique with vibrators, was used to confirm the existence of a strong reflector in the crust near Socorro, New Mexico, in the Rio Grande Rift. This reflector, discovered earlier from data from local earthquakes, is interpreted as a sill-like magma body. In the Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, mapping seismicity patterns in the upper crust has enabled the modelling of the complex magma conduits in the crust and upper mantle. On the other hand, in the Usu volcano, Japan, the magma conduits are delineated by zones of seismic quiescence. Three-dimensional modelling of laterally varying structures using teleseismic residuals is proving to be a very promising technique for detecting and

Mainshock-Aftershock Clustering in Volcanic Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garza-Giron, Ricardo; Brodsky, Emily E.; Prejean, Stephanie G.

2018-02-01

Earthquakes break their general Poissonean behavior through two types of seismic bursts: swarms and mainshock-aftershock sequences. The former is commonly thought to dominate in volcanic and geothermal regions, but aftershock production, including within swarms, is not well studied in volcanic regions. Here we compare mainshock-aftershock clustering in active volcanic regions in Japan to nearby nonvolcanic regions. We find that aftershock production is similar in both areas by two separate metrics: (1) Both volcanic and nonvolcanic regions have similar proportions of areas that cluster into mainshock-aftershock sequences. (2) Volcanic areas with mainshock-aftershock sequences have aftershock productivity at least as high as nonvolcanic regions. We also find that volcano-tectonic events that are precursors to an eruption are more common at volcanoes without mainshock-aftershock clusters than at volcanoes with well-defined mainshock-aftershock clusters. This last finding hints at a strategy to identify volcanic systems where cataloged earthquakes are good predictors of behavior.

Stable isotope geochemistry of fumaroles: an insight into volcanic surveillance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panichi, C.; La Ruffa, G.

2001-12-01

In active volcanic environments magmatic water may accumulate in the volcanic-hosted geothermal systems, or, more rarely may reach the surface along deep fractures inside the volcano crater. Knowledge of magmatic contribution to emerging fluids in volcanic active areas is critical to understanding the chemical evolution of the magma, the conditions in which it exists in the crust, and the mechanisms by which it erupts in the crust. The source of volatiles (especially water) is also of interest when eruptions are driven by the expansion of hydrothermal fluids against atmospheric pressure, without the involvement of fresh magma ('hydrothermal' or 'phreatomagmatic' eruptions). In both cases the occurrence of volcanic and/or phreatic activities is likely to be preceded by substantial isotopic and chemical changes in the crater fumarolic systems. H and O isotopic composition of condensed water from crater fumaroles appear to be able to give strong evidence for the existence of magmatic waters in the high-temperature manifestations of the volcanic systems. Isotopic data and specific hydrological models from seven different volcanic systems (Galeras Volcano, Colombia, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, Kudryvy Volcano, Kuril volcanic arc, Mt St Helens, USA; Guagua Pichincha, Ecuador; Vulcano island, Italy; the Aegean Volcanic Arc, Greece) are discussed in order to highlight the possibility to use those isotopic parameters in the assessment of the environmental risks of an active volcanic area.

A multidisciplinary system for monitoring and forecasting Etna volcanic plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coltelli, Mauro; Prestifilippo, Michele; Spata, Gaetano; Scollo, Simona; Andronico, Daniele

2010-05-01

One of the most active volcanoes in the world is Mt. Etna, in Italy, characterized by frequent explosive activity from the central craters and from fractures opened along the volcano flanks which, during the last years, caused several damages to aviation and forced the closure of the Catania International Airport. To give precise warning to the aviation authorities and air traffic controller and to assist the work of VAACs, a novel system for monitoring and forecasting Etna volcanic plumes, was developed at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, sezione di Catania, the managing institution for the surveillance of Etna volcano. Monitoring is carried out using multispectral infrared measurements from the Spin Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) on board the Meteosat Second Generation geosynchronous satellite able to track the volcanic plume with a high time resolution, visual and thermal cameras used to monitor the explosive activity, three continuous wave X-band disdrometers which detect ash dispersal and fallout, sounding balloons used to evaluate the atmospheric fields, and finally field data collected after the end of the eruptive event needed to extrapolate important features of explosive activity. Forecasting is carried out daily using automatic procedures which download weather forecast data obtained by meteorological mesoscale models from the Italian Air Force national Meteorological Office and from the hydrometeorological service of ARPA-SIM; run four different tephra dispersal models using input parameters obtained by the analysis of the deposits collected after few hours since the eruptive event similar to 22 July 1998, 21-24 July 2001 and 2002-03 Etna eruptions; plot hazard maps on ground and in air and finally publish them on a web-site dedicated to the Italian Civil Protection. The system has been already tested successfully during several explosive events occurring at Etna in 2006, 2007 and 2008. These events produced eruption

Lidar sounding of volcanic plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorani, Luca; Aiuppa, Alessandro; Angelini, Federico; Borelli, Rodolfo; Del Franco, Mario; Murra, Daniele; Pistilli, Marco; Puiu, Adriana; Santoro, Simone

2013-10-01

Accurate knowledge of gas composition in volcanic plumes has high scientific and societal value. On the one hand, it gives information on the geophysical processes taking place inside volcanos; on the other hand, it provides alert on possible eruptions. For this reasons, it has been suggested to monitor volcanic plumes by lidar. In particular, one of the aims of the FP7 ERC project BRIDGE is the measurement of CO2 concentration in volcanic gases by differential absorption lidar. This is a very challenging task due to the harsh environment, the narrowness and weakness of the CO2 absorption lines and the difficulty to procure a suitable laser source. This paper, after a review on remote sensing of volcanic plumes, reports on the current progress of the lidar system.

Creating Conditions for Policy Change in National Parks: Contrasting Cases in Yellowstone and Yosemite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yochim, Michael J.; Lowry, William R.

2016-05-01

Public agencies face significant political obstacles when they try to change long-standing policies. This paper examines efforts by the U.S. National Park Service to change long-term policies in Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks. We argue that, to be successful, the agency and pro-change allies must expand the sphere of conflict to engage the support of the broader American public through positive framing, supportive science, compelling economic arguments, consistent goals, and the commitment of other institutional actors. We show that the agency is capable of creating these conditions, as in the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, but we argue that this is not always the outcome, as in reducing automobile congestion in Yosemite Valley.

Creating Conditions for Policy Change in National Parks: Contrasting Cases in Yellowstone and Yosemite.

PubMed

Yochim, Michael J; Lowry, William R

2016-05-01

Public agencies face significant political obstacles when they try to change long-standing policies. This paper examines efforts by the U.S. National Park Service to change long-term policies in Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks. We argue that, to be successful, the agency and pro-change allies must expand the sphere of conflict to engage the support of the broader American public through positive framing, supportive science, compelling economic arguments, consistent goals, and the commitment of other institutional actors. We show that the agency is capable of creating these conditions, as in the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, but we argue that this is not always the outcome, as in reducing automobile congestion in Yosemite Valley.

Investigations of the geochemical controls on anomalous arsenic enrichment in the Santiago Peak Volcanics of Southern California: implications for arsenic distribution in volcanic arc systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, E. C.; Pollock, M.; Cathcart, E. M.; AlBashaireh, A.; O'shea, B. M.

2016-12-01

The Santiago Peak Volcanics (SPV) of Southern CA and Northern Baja CA, Mexico are remnants of a Cretaceous subaerial volcanic arc system that underwent greenschist facies metamorphism contemporaneous with volcanism. Observed SPV exposed at the surface of Black Mountain Open Space Park (San Diego, CA) exhibit anomalous arsenic (As) enrichment (100 - 480,000 ppm) up to five orders of magnitude greater than average for igneous rocks (1.5 ppm). We hypothesize that these rocks underwent localized syn-volcanic hydrothermal alteration along a highly fractured zone that today trends between N10°W and N20°W, leading to anomalous As enrichment on the spatial scale of tens of meters. We suspect that such As has been further mobilized by modern water-rock interactions. Using standard geochemical techniques (e.g. XRD, XRF, EDX) and mass balance analyses, we aim to (1) summarize the extent of As enrichment in altered SPV, and (2) present an integrated view of the interactions between ancient hydrothermal volcanic arc processes, surficial weathering, and observed As anomalies. Alteration textures of samples range from partially altered phenocrysts (i.e. minimally altered) to massive hydrothermal replacement, in which virtually all primary phases are altered to new hydrothermal minerals such as epidote, Fe-rich chlorite, and sericite (i.e. highly altered). Highly altered rocks contain average As concentrations (mean = 37,680 +/- 15,396 ppm, n = 23) >10,000 times that of minimally altered SPV (mean = 26 +/- 6 ppm As, n = 19). In some rocks, As-rich iron oxide and gypsum containing up to 900 ppm As are present as surficial rinds, suggesting modern day remobilization of As from hydrothermal host minerals, like arsenopyrite. These findings indicate that such As is highly soluble and, therefore, may be further mobilized by physical and chemical weathering. No other trace metals (e.g. Pb, Cu, Ag, Au) are consistently enriched above upper-crustal averages, and As does not always occur

A computer program for estimating instream travel times and concentrations of a potential contaminant in the Yellowstone River, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, Peter M.

2006-01-01

The Yellowstone River is very important in a variety of ways to the residents of southeastern Montana; however, it is especially vulnerable to spilled contaminants. In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Montana Department of Environmental Quality, initiated a study to develop a computer program to rapidly estimate instream travel times and concentrations of a potential contaminant in the Yellowstone River using regression equations developed in 1999 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The purpose of this report is to describe these equations and their limitations, describe the development of a computer program to apply the equations to the Yellowstone River, and provide detailed instructions on how to use the program. This program is available online at [http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir2006-5057/includes/ytot.xls]. The regression equations provide estimates of instream travel times and concentrations in rivers where little or no contaminant-transport data are available. Equations were developed and presented for the most probable flow velocity and the maximum probable flow velocity. These velocity estimates can then be used to calculate instream travel times and concentrations of a potential contaminant. The computer program was developed so estimation equations for instream travel times and concentrations can be solved quickly for sites along the Yellowstone River between Corwin Springs and Sidney, Montana. The basic types of data needed to run the program are spill data, streamflow data, and data for locations of interest along the Yellowstone River. Data output from the program includes spill location, river mileage at specified locations, instantaneous discharge, mean-annual discharge, drainage area, and channel slope. Travel times and concentrations are provided for estimates of the most probable velocity of the peak concentration and the maximum probable velocity of the peak concentration. Verification of estimates of instream travel times and

Space Radar Image of Yellowstone Park, Wyoming

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-01

These two radar images show the majestic Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, the oldest national park in the United States and home to the world's most spectacular geysers and hot springs. The region supports large populations of grizzly bears, elk and bison. In 1988, the park was burned by one of the most widespread fires to occur in the northern Rocky Mountains in the last 50 years. Surveys indicated that 793,880 acres of land burned. Of that, 41 percent was burned forest, with tree canopies totally consumed by the fire; 35 percent was a combination of unburned, scorched and blackened trees; 13 percent was surface burn under an unburned canopy; 6 percent was non-forest burn; and 5 percent was undifferentiated burn. Six years later, the burned areas are still clearly visible in these false-color radar images obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar on board the space shuttle Endeavour. The image at the left was obtained using the L-band radar channel, horizontally received and vertically transmitted, on the shuttle's 39th orbit on October 2, 1994. The area shown is 45 kilometers by 71 kilometers (28 miles by 44 miles) in size and centered at 44.6 degrees north latitude, 110.7 degrees west longitude. North is toward the top of the image (to the right). Most trees in this area are lodge pole pines at different stages of fire succession. Yellowstone Lake appears as a large dark feature at the bottom of the scene. At right is a map of the forest crown, showing its biomass, or amount of vegetation, which includes foliage and branches. The map was created by inverting SIR-C data and using in situ estimates of crown biomass gathered by the Yellowstone National Biological Survey. The map is displayed on a color scale from blue (rivers and lakes with no biomass) to brown (non-forest areas with crown biomass of less than 4 tons per hectare) to light brown (areas of canopy burn with biomass of between 4 and 12 tons per hectare). Yellow

Understanding Volcanic Conduit Dynamics: from Experimental Fragmentation to Volcanic Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arciniega-Ceballos, A.; Alatorre-Ibarguengoitia, M. A.; Scheu, B.; Dingwell, D. B.

2011-12-01

The investigation of conduit dynamics at high pressure, under controlled laboratory conditions is a powerful tool to understand the physics behind volcanic processes before an eruption. In this work, we analyze the characteristics of the seismic response of an "experimental volcano" focusing on the dynamics of the conduit behavior during the fragmentation process of volcanic rocks. The "experimental volcano" is represented by a shock tube apparatus, which consists of a low-pressure voluminous tank (3 x 0.40 m), for sample recovery; and a high-pressure pipe-like conduit (16.5 x 2,5 cm), which represents the volcanic source mechanism, where rock samples are pressurized and fragmented. These two serial steel pipes are connected and sealed by a set of diaphragms that bear pressures in a range of 4 to 20 MPa. The history of the overall process of an explosion consists of four steps: 1) the slow pressurization of the pipe-like conduit filled with solid pumice and gas, 2) the sudden removal of the diaphragms, 3) the rapid decompression of the system and 4) the ejection of the gas-particle mixture. Each step imprints distinctive features on the microseismic records, reflecting the conduit dynamics during the explosion. In this work we show how features such as waveform characteristics, the three components of the force system acting on the conduit, the independent components of the moment tensor, the volumetric change of the source mechanism, the arrival time of the shock wave and its velocity, are quantified from the experimental microseismic data. Knowing these features, each step of the eruptive process, the conduit conditions and the source mechanism characteristics can be determined. The procedure applied in this experimental approach allows the use of seismic field data to estimate volcanic conduit conditions before an eruption takes place. We state on the hypothesis that the physics behind the pressurization and depressurization process of any conduit is the same

Long-term limnological data from the larger lakes of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Theriot, E.C.; Fritz, S.C.; Gresswell, Robert E.

1997-01-01

Long-term limnological data from the four largest lakes in Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone, Lewis, Shoshone, Heart) are used to characterize their limnology and patterns of temporal and spatial variability. Heart Lake has distinctively high concentrations of dissolved materials, apparently reflecting high thermal inputs. Shoshone and Lewis lakes have the highest total SiO2 concentrations (averaging over 23.5 mg L-1), apparently as a result of the rhyolitic drainage basins. Within Yellowstone Lake spatial variability is low and ephemeral for most measured variables, except that the Southeast Arm has lower average Na concentrations. Seasonal variation is evident for Secchi transparency, pH, and total-SiO2 and probably reflects seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass and productivity. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and total-SiO2 generally show a gradual decline from the mid-1970s through mid-1980s, followed by a sharp increase. Ratios of Kjeldahl-N to total-PO4 (KN:TP) suggest that the lakes, especially Shoshone, are often nitrogen limited. Kjeldahl-N is positively correlated with winter precipitation, but TP and total-SiO2 are counterintuitively negatively correlated with precipitation. We speculate that increased winter precipitation, rather than watershed fires, increases N-loading which, in turn, leads to increased demand for TP and total SiO2.

Land use diversification and intensification on elk winter range in Greater Yellowstone: A framework and agenda for social-ecological research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haggerty, Julia Hobson; Epstein, Kathleen; Stone, Michael; Cross, Paul

2018-01-01

Amenity migration describes the movement of peoples to rural landscapes and the transition toward tourism and recreation and away from production-oriented land uses (ranching, timber harvesting). The resulting mosaic of land uses and community structures has important consequences for wildlife and their management. This research note examines amenity-driven changes to social-ecological systems in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, specifically in lower elevations that serve as winter habitat for elk. We present a research agenda informed by a preliminary and exploratory mixed-methods investigation: the creation of a “social-impact” index of land use change on elk winter range and a focus group with wildlife management experts. Our findings suggest that elk are encountering an increasingly diverse landscape with respect to land use, while new ownership patterns increase the complexity of social and community dynamics. These factors, in turn, contribute to increasing difficulty meeting wildlife management objectives. To deal with rising complexity across social and ecological landscapes of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, future research will focus on property life cycle dynamics, as well as systems approaches.

Gas emission from diffuse degassing structures (DDS) of the Cameroon volcanic line (CVL): Implications for the prevention of CO2-related hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issa; Ohba, T.; Chako Tchamabé, B.; Padrón, E.; Hernández, P.; Eneke Takem, E. G.; Barrancos, J.; Sighomnoun, D.; Ooki, S.; Nkamdjou, Sigha; Kusakabe, M.; Yoshida, Y.; Dionis, S.

2014-08-01

2001 to March 2013, more than double the per-area CO2 released by the Yellowstone volcanic system. The CO2 emission from soil was estimated to be 4.57 ± 1.30 kt km- 2 yr- 1; the soil gas geochemistry of the Mount Manenguba Caldera also indicates a dominant magma-derived CO2 (mean δ13C = - 8.6‰ vs. VPDB).

Regeneration and survival of whitebark pine after the 1988 Yellowstone fires

Treesearch

Diana F. Tomback; Anna W. Schoettle; Mario J. Perez; Kristen M. Grompone; Sabine Mellmann-Brown

2011-01-01

Successional whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) communities are dependent on fire and other disturbances for renewal (Arno 2001). Where whitebark pine regenerates results from cache site selection by Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) in relation to the environmental tolerances of seeds and seedlings (Tomback 2001). After the 1988 Yellowstone fires, we...

Magnetotelluric Investigations of the Yellowstone Caldera: Understanding the Emplacement of Crustal Magma Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurrola, R. M.; Neal, B. A.; Bennington, N. L.; Cronin, R.; Fry, B.; Hart, L.; Imamura, N.; Kelbert, A.; Bowles-martinez, E.; Miller, D. J.; Scholz, K. J.; Schultz, A.

2017-12-01

Wideband magnetotellurics (MT) presents an ideal method for imaging conductive shallow magma bodies associated with contemporary Yellowstone-Snake River Plain (YSRP) magmatism. Particularly, how do these magma bodies accumulate in the mid to upper crust underlying the Yellowstone Caldera, and furthermore, what role do hydrothermal fluids play in their ascent? During the summer 2017 field season, two field teams from Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison installed forty-four wideband MT stations within and around the caldera, and using data slated for joint 3-D inversion with existing seismic data, two 2-D vertical conductivity sections of the crust and upper mantle were constructed. These models, in turn, provide preliminary insight into the emplacement of crustal magma bodies and hydrothermal processes in the YSRP region.

Ghosts of Yellowstone: Multi-Decadal Histories of Wildlife Populations Captured by Bones on a Modern Landscape

PubMed Central

Miller, Joshua H.

2011-01-01

Natural accumulations of skeletal material (death assemblages) have the potential to provide historical data on species diversity and population structure for regions lacking decades of wildlife monitoring, thereby contributing valuable baseline data for conservation and management strategies. Previous studies of the ecological and temporal resolutions of death assemblages from terrestrial large-mammal communities, however, have largely focused on broad patterns of community composition in tropical settings. Here, I expand the environmental sampling of large-mammal death assemblages into a temperate biome and explore more demanding assessments of ecological fidelity by testing their capacity to record past population fluctuations of individual species in the well-studied ungulate community of Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone). Despite dramatic ecological changes following the 1988 wildfires and 1995 wolf re-introduction, the Yellowstone death assemblage is highly faithful to the living community in species richness and community structure. These results agree with studies of tropical death assemblages and establish the broad capability of vertebrate remains to provide high-quality ecological data from disparate ecosystems and biomes. Importantly, the Yellowstone death assemblage also correctly identifies species that changed significantly in abundance over the last 20 to ∼80 years and the directions of those shifts (including local invasions and extinctions). The relative frequency of fresh versus weathered bones for individual species is also consistent with documented trends in living population sizes. Radiocarbon dating verifies the historical source of bones from Equus caballus (horse): a functionally extinct species. Bone surveys are a broadly valuable tool for obtaining population trends and baseline shifts over decadal-to-centennial timescales. PMID:21464921

LiDAR observations of an Earth magmatic plumbing system as an analog for Venus and Mars distributed volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Jacob; Connor, Charles; Malservisi, Rocco; Bleacher, Jacob; Connor, Laura

2014-05-01

Clusters of tens to thousands of small volcanoes (diameters generally <30 km) are common features on the surface of Mars, Venus, and the Earth. These clusters may be described as distributed-style volcanism. Better characterizing the magmatic plumbing system of these clusters can constrain magma ascent processes as well as the regional magma production budget and heat flux beneath each cluster. Unfortunately, directly observing the plumbing systems of volcano clusters on Mars and Venus eludes our current geologic abilities. Because erosion exposes such systems at the Earth's surface, a better understanding of magmatic processes and migration can be achieved via field analysis. The terrestrial plumbing system of an eroded volcanic field may be a valuable planetary analog for Venus and Mars clusters. The magmatic plumbing system of a Pliocene-aged monogenetic volcanic field, emplaced at 0.8 km depth, is currently exposed as a sill and dike swarm in the San Rafael Desert of Central Utah, USA. The mafic bodies in this region intruded into Mesozoic sedimentary units and now make up the most erosion resistant units as sills, dikes, and plug-like conduits. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) can identify volcanic units (sills, dikes, and conduits) at high resolution, both geomorphologically and with near infrared return intensity values. Two Terrestrial LiDAR Surveys and an Airborne LiDAR Survey have been carried out over the San Rafael volcanic swarm, producing a three dimensional point cloud over approximately 36 sq. km. From the point clouds of these surveys, 1-meter DEMs are produced and volcanic intrusions have been mapped. Here we present reconstructions of the volcanic instrusions of the San Rafael Swarm. We create this reconstruction by extrapolating mapped intrustions from the LiDAR surveys into a 3D space around the current surface. We compare the estimated intrusive volume to the estimated conduit density and estimates of extrusive volume at volcano clusters of

75 FR 27579 - Bison Brucellosis Remote Vaccination, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Wallen, Bison Ecology and Management Office, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168... may submit your comments by any one of several methods. You may mail comments to the Bison Ecology and...

Super-volcanic investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Till, Christy B.; Pritchard, Matthew; Miller, Craig A.; Brugman, Karalee K.; Ryan-Davis, Juliet

2018-04-01

Multi-disciplinary analyses of Earth's most destructive volcanic systems show that continuous monitoring and an understanding of each volcano's quirks, rather than a single unified model, are key to generating accurate hazard assessments.

Fueling a Crisis: Public Argument and the 1988 Yellowstone Fire Debate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardy-Short, Dayle; Short, C. Brant

Debate surrounding the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fires provides material for a case study into the relationship between a crisis and public argument. Studies like this reflect the importance of a recent trend in higher education, namely, the analysis of environmental issues from different academic perspectives. In this case, analysis of…

The role of residual (undegassed) and environmental waters in pyroclastic volcanic glass in nature and experiments (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bindeman, I. N.; Seligman, A. N.; Nolan, G. S.; Lundstrom, C.; Martin, E.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Palandri, J. L.

2013-12-01

The advent and calibration of the Thermal Combustion Element Analyzer (TCEA) continuous flow system coupled with the large-radius mass spectrometer, at the University of Oregon, permits precise (×0.02 wt.% H2O, ×1-3‰ D/H) measurements in 1-10 mg of volcanic glass (0.1 wt.% H2O requires ~10 mg glass). This is a 10-100 time reduction in sample size over previous methods, which permits the targeting of small amounts of the freshest concentrate. In combination with the FTIR, we use the TCEA to research problems involving the mechanisms and timescales of volcanic ash hydration on both natural and laboratory timescales using isotopically-labeled water, D/H-H2O pathways of volcanic degassing, water content and D/H in recently erupted volcanic ash, and the mechanisms of tephra-hydration by isotopically-distinct rain and glacial meltwaters. The talk will review new results: 1) Water content determined by FTIR (OH and H2O) and TCEA give excellent correspondence for basaltic and rhyolitic glasses, including FTIR measurements for irregular ash particles mixed in equal proportion with KBr and molded into pellets. 2) Nominally-anhydrous (<0.1-0.2 wt.% water) volcanic ash actually contains appreciable 'undegassed', variably low-δD water (up to ~0.6 wt.%). 3) Long term exposure experiments involving ash placed in isotopically-labeled water does not lead to water uptake or δ18O exchange at 20, 40, or 70 °C over two years of laboratory exposure, but does involve up to 15% deuterium exchange relative to the full exchange equilibria. This provides a word of caution in using δD values of ash as a paleoenvironmental tool. 4) Degassing of environmentally-hydrated ash (4 wt.% water) leads to neglegeable δD exchange, signifying nearly zero-fractionation upon loss of predominantly H2Omol water. 5) Glacial vs. intergacial water can be recognized in hydrated glasses. 6) Subaqueous perlites from Yellowstone have an onion-skin distribution of water with water-poor cores, as determined

Insights from fumarole gas geochemistry on the origin of hydrothermal fluids on the Yellowstone Plateau

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chiodini, Giovanni; Caliro, Stefano; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Evans, William C.; Bergfeld, D.; Tassi, Franco; Tedesco, Dario

2012-01-01

The chemistry of Yellowstone fumarole gases shows the existence of two component waters, type MC, influenced by the addition of deep mantle fluid, and type CC, influenced by crustal interactions (CC). MC is high in 3He/4He (22 Ra) and low in 4He/40Ar (~1), reflecting input of deep mantle components. The other water is characterized by 4He concentrations 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than air-saturated meteoric water (ASW). These high He concentrations originate through circulation in Pleistocene volcanic rocks, as well as outgassing of Tertiary and older (including Archean) basement, some of which could be particularly rich in uranium, a major 4He source. Consideration of CO2-CH4-CO-H2O-H2 gas equilibrium reactions indicates equilibration temperatures from 170 °C to 310 °C. The estimated temperatures highly correlate with noble-gas variations, suggesting that the two waters differ in temperature. Type CC is ~170 °C whereas the MC is hotter, at 340 °C. This result is similar to models proposed by previous studies of thermal water chemistry. However, instead of mixing the deep hot component simply with cold, meteoric waters we argue that addition of a 4He-rich component, equilibrated at temperatures around 170 °C, is necessary to explain the range in fumarole gas chemistry.

Geochemical evidence for hydroclimatic variability over the last 2460 years from Crevice Lake in Yellowstone National Park, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, L.R.; Dean, W.E.

2008-01-01

A 2460-year-long hydroclimatic record for Crevice Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Montana was constructed from the ??18O values of endogenic carbonates. The ??18O record is compared to the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index (PHDI) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) indices, as well as inferred discharge of the Yellowstone River. During the last century, high ??18O values coincide with drought conditions and the warm phase of the PDO index. Low ??18O values coincide with wet years and a negative PDO index. Comparison of tree-ring inferred discharge of the Yellowstone River with the ??18O record over the last 300 years indicates that periods of high discharge (i.e., wet winters with significant snow pack) correspond with low ??18O values. Extrapolating this relationship we infer wet winters and high river discharge for the periods of 1090-1030, 970-870, 670-620, and 500-430 cal years BP. The wet intervals at 670 and 500 cal BP are synchronous with similar events in Banff, Canada and Walker Lake, Nevada. The wet intervals at 970 and 670 cal BP overlap with wet intervals at Walker Lake and major drought events identified in the western Great Basin. These results suggest that the northern border of Yellowstone National Park straddles the boundary between Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Basin climate regimes. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA.

Effects of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash on innate immune system responses and bacterial growth in vitro.

PubMed

Monick, Martha M; Baltrusaitis, Jonas; Powers, Linda S; Borcherding, Jennifer A; Caraballo, Juan C; Mudunkotuwa, Imali; Peate, David W; Walters, Katherine; Thompson, Jay M; Grassian, Vicki H; Gudmundsson, Gunnar; Comellas, Alejandro P

2013-06-01

On 20 March 2010, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted for the first time in 190 years. Despite many epidemiological reports showing effects of volcanic ash on the respiratory system, there are limited data evaluating cellular mechanisms involved in the response to ash. Epidemiological studies have observed an increase in respiratory infections in subjects and populations exposed to volcanic eruptions. We physicochemically characterized volcanic ash, finding various sizes of particles, as well as the presence of several transition metals, including iron. We examined the effect of Eyjafjallajökull ash on primary rat alveolar epithelial cells and human airway epithelial cells (20-100 µg/cm(2)), primary rat and human alveolar macrophages (5-20 µg/cm(2)), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) growth (3 µg/104 bacteria). Volcanic ash had minimal effect on alveolar and airway epithelial cell integrity. In alveolar macrophages, volcanic ash disrupted pathogen-killing and inflammatory responses. In in vitro bacterial growth models, volcanic ash increased bacterial replication and decreased bacterial killing by antimicrobial peptides. These results provide potential biological plausibility for epidemiological data that show an association between air pollution exposure and the development of respiratory infections. These data suggest that volcanic ash exposure, while not seriously compromising lung cell function, may be able to impair innate immunity responses in exposed individuals.

Effects of Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Ash on Innate Immune System Responses and Bacterial Growth in Vitro

PubMed Central

Baltrusaitis, Jonas; Powers, Linda S.; Borcherding, Jennifer A.; Caraballo, Juan C.; Mudunkotuwa, Imali; Peate, David W.; Walters, Katherine; Thompson, Jay M.; Grassian, Vicki H.; Gudmundsson, Gunnar; Comellas, Alejandro P.

2013-01-01

Background: On 20 March 2010, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted for the first time in 190 years. Despite many epidemiological reports showing effects of volcanic ash on the respiratory system, there are limited data evaluating cellular mechanisms involved in the response to ash. Epidemiological studies have observed an increase in respiratory infections in subjects and populations exposed to volcanic eruptions. Methods: We physicochemically characterized volcanic ash, finding various sizes of particles, as well as the presence of several transition metals, including iron. We examined the effect of Eyjafjallajökull ash on primary rat alveolar epithelial cells and human airway epithelial cells (20–100 µg/cm2), primary rat and human alveolar macrophages (5–20 µg/cm2), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) growth (3 µg/104 bacteria). Results: Volcanic ash had minimal effect on alveolar and airway epithelial cell integrity. In alveolar macrophages, volcanic ash disrupted pathogen-killing and inflammatory responses. In in vitro bacterial growth models, volcanic ash increased bacterial replication and decreased bacterial killing by antimicrobial peptides. Conclusions: These results provide potential biological plausibility for epidemiological data that show an association between air pollution exposure and the development of respiratory infections. These data suggest that volcanic ash exposure, while not seriously compromising lung cell function, may be able to impair innate immunity responses in exposed individuals. PMID:23478268

Fire, red squirrels, whitebark pine, and Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Podruzny, Shannon; Reinhart, Daniel P.; Mattson, David J.

1999-01-01

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) habitats are important to Yellowstone grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) as refugia and sources of food. Ecological relationships between whitebark pine, red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), and grizzly bear use of pine seeds on Mt. Washburn in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, were examined during 1984-86. Following large-scale fires in 1988, we repeated the study in 1995-97 to examine the effects of fire on availability of whitebark pine seed in red squirrel middens and on bear use of middens. Half of the total length of the original line transects burned. We found no red squirrel middens in burned areas. Post-fire linear-abundance (no./km) of active squirrel middens that were pooled from burned and unburned areas decreased 27% compared to pre-fire abundance, but increased in unburned portions of some habitat types. Mean size of active middens decreased 54% post-fire. Use of pine seeds by bears (linear abundance of excavated middens) in pooled burned and unburned habitats decreased by 64%, likely due to the combined effects of reduced midden availability and smaller midden size. We discourage any further large-scale losses of seed producing trees from management-prescribed fires or timber harvesting until the effects of fire on ecological relationships in the whitebark pine zone are better understood.

Identification of geothermal system using 2D audio magnetotelluric method in Telomoyo volcanic area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romadlon, Arriqo'Fauqi; Niasari, Sintia Windhi

2017-07-01

Geothermal area of Candi Umbul Telomoyo is one of geothermal fields in Indonesia. This geothermal field is located in the Grabag district, Magelang, Central Java. This geothermal field was formed in a volcanic quarter. The main aim in this study is to identify geothermal system at Telomoyo volcanic area through synthetic model analysis. There are surface manifestations such as warm springs and altered rocks. Results of geochemistry study showed reservoir's temperature was 230°C. The Warm spring in Candi Umbul was the outflow zone of the Telomoyo geothermal system. The Telomoyo geothermal system was indicated chloride-bicarbonate type of warm spring. In addition, the results of geological mapping indicate that the dominant fault structure has southwest-northeast orientation. The fault was caused by the volcanic activity of mount Telomoyo. In this research conducted data analysis from synthetics model. It aims to estimate the response of magnetotelluric methods in various models of geothermal systems. In this study, we assumed three models of geothermal system in Candi Umbul-Telomoyo area. From the data analysis it was known that the model 1 and model 2 can be distinguished if the measurements were conducted in a frequency range of 0.01 Hz to 1000 Hz. In response of tipper (Hz) had a small value on all models at all measurement points, so the tipper cannot distinguish between model 1, model 2 and model 3. From this analysis was known that TM mode is more sensitive than TE mode at the resistivity and phase responses.

75 FR 4842 - Winter Use Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... establish a management framework that allows the public to experience Yellowstone's unique winter resources... the environmental effects of winter use on air quality and visibility, wildlife, natural soundscapes... U.S. Forest Service. A scoping brochure has been prepared that details the issues identified to date...

Seeking a scientific approach to backcountry management in Yellowstone National Park

Treesearch

S. Thomas Olliff; Sue Consolo Murphy

2000-01-01

Three criteria are used to assess how Yellowstone’s wilderness managers incorporate science into management: preciousness, vulnerability and responsiveness to management. Four observations are proposed. First, where scientists lead, managers will follow. Scientists that leave the best trail will be followed most closely. Second, managers need to refocus efforts on...

Sediment characteristics of the Yellowstone River in the vicinity of a proposed bypass chute near Glendive, Montana, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, Brent R.

2012-01-01

In 2011, sediment data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Yellowstone River at the location of a proposed bypass chute. The sediment data were collected to provide an understanding of the sediment dynamics of the given reach of the Yellowstone River. Suspended-sediment concentrations collected at the three sites generally decreased with decreasing streamflow. In general, the highest suspendedsediment concentrations were found near the channel bed and towards the center of the channel with lower suspendedsediment concentrations near the channel banks and water surface. Suspended sediment was the primary component of the total sediment load for all three sampling locations on the Yellowstone River and contributed at least 98 percent of the total sediment load at each of the three sites. The amount of bedload measured at the three sites was a smaller load in comparison with the suspended-sediment load.

Sulfolobus islandicus meta-populations in Yellowstone National Park hot springs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, Kate M.; Kouris, Angela; England, Whitney; Anderson, Rika E.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Whitaker, Rachel J.

2017-01-01

Abiotic and biotic forces shape the structure and evolution of microbial populations. We investigated forces that shape the spatial and temporal population structure of Sulfolobus islandicus by comparing geochemical and molecular analysis from seven hot springs in five regions sampled over 3 years in Yellowstone National Park. Through deep amplicon sequencing, we uncovered 148 unique alleles at two loci whose relative frequency provides clear evidence for independent populations in different hot springs. Although geography controls regional geochemical composition and population differentiation, temporal changes in population were not explained by corresponding variation in geochemistry. The data suggest that the influence of extinction, bottleneck events and/or selective sweeps within a spring and low migration between springs shape these populations. We suggest that hydrologic events such as storm events and surface snowmelt runoff destabilize smaller hot spring environments with smaller populations and result in high variation in the S. islandicus population over time. Therefore, physical abiotic features such as hot spring size and position in the landscape are important factors shaping the stability and diversity of the S. islandicus meta-population within Yellowstone National Park.

Global volcanic aerosol properties derived from emissions, 1990-2014, using CESM1(WACCM): VOLCANIC AEROSOLS DERIVED FROM EMISSIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mills, Michael J.; Schmidt, Anja; Easter, Richard

Accurate representation of global stratospheric aerosol properties from volcanic and non-volcanic sulfur emissions is key to understanding the cooling effects and ozone-loss enhancements of recent volcanic activity. Attribution of climate and ozone variability to volcanic activity is of particular interest in relation to the post-2000 slowing in the apparent rate of global average temperature increases, and variable recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole. We have developed a climatology of global aerosol properties from 1990 to 2014 calculated based on volcanic and non-volcanic emissions of sulfur sources. We have complied a database of volcanic SO2 emissions and plume altitudes for eruptionsmore » between 1990 and 2014, and a new prognostic capability for simulating stratospheric sulfate aerosols in version 5 of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, a component of the Community Earth System Model. Our climatology shows remarkable agreement with ground-based lidar observations of stratospheric aerosol optical depth (SAOD), and with in situ measurements of aerosol surface area density (SAD). These properties are key parameters in calculating the radiative and chemical effects of stratospheric aerosols. Our SAOD climatology represents a significant improvement over satellite-based analyses, which ignore aerosol extinction below 15 km, a region that can contain the vast majority of stratospheric aerosol extinction at mid- and high-latitudes. Our SAD climatology significantly improves on that provided for the Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative, which misses 60% of the SAD measured in situ. Our climatology of aerosol properties is publicly available on the Earth System Grid.« less

Mountain big sagebrush age distribution and relationships on the northern Yellowstone Winter Range

Treesearch

Carl L. Wambolt; Trista L. Hoffman

2001-01-01

This study was conducted within the Gardiner Basin, an especially critical wintering area for native ungulates utilizing the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range. Mountain big sagebrush plants on 33 sites were classified as large (≥22 cm canopy cover), small (

Amphibian mortality events and ranavirus outbreaks in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patla, Debra A.; St-Hilaire, Sophia; Rayburn, Andrew P.; Hossack, Blake R.; Peterson, Charles R.

2016-01-01

Mortality events in wild amphibians go largely undocumented, and where events are detected, the numbers of dead amphibians observed are probably a small fraction of actual mortality (Green and Sherman 2001; Skerratt et al. 2007). Incidental observations from field surveys can, despite limitations, provide valuable information on the presence, host species, and spatial distribution of diseases. Here we summarize amphibian mortality events and diagnoses recorded from 2000 to 2014 in three management areas: Yellowstone National Park; Grand Teton National Park (including John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway); and the National Elk Refuge, which together span a large portion of protected areas within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE; Noss et al. 2002). Our combined amphibian monitoring projects (e.g., Gould et al. 2012) surveyed an average of 240 wetlands per year over the 15 years. Field crews recorded amphibian mortalities during visual encounter and dip-netting surveys and collected moribund and dead specimens for diagnostic examinations. Amphibian and fish research projects during these years contributed additional mortality observations, specimens, and diagnoses.

Estimating numbers of females with cubs-of-the-year in the Yellowstone grizzly bear population

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keating, K.A.; Schwartz, C.C.; Haroldson, M.A.; Moody, D.

2001-01-01

For grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), minimum population size and allowable numbers of human-caused mortalities have been calculated as a function of the number of unique females with cubs-of-the-year (FCUB) seen during a 3- year period. This approach underestimates the total number of FCUB, thereby biasing estimates of population size and sustainable mortality. Also, it does not permit calculation of valid confidence bounds. Many statistical methods can resolve or mitigate these problems, but there is no universal best method. Instead, relative performances of different methods can vary with population size, sample size, and degree of heterogeneity among sighting probabilities for individual animals. We compared 7 nonparametric estimators, using Monte Carlo techniques to assess performances over the range of sampling conditions deemed plausible for the Yellowstone population. Our goal was to estimate the number of FCUB present in the population each year. Our evaluation differed from previous comparisons of such estimators by including sample coverage methods and by treating individual sightings, rather than sample periods, as the sample unit. Consequently, our conclusions also differ from earlier studies. Recommendations regarding estimators and necessary sample sizes are presented, together with estimates of annual numbers of FCUB in the Yellowstone population with bootstrap confidence bounds.

Growth, morphology, and developmental instability of rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and four hybrid generations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ostberg, C.O.; Duda, J.J.; Graham, J.H.; Zhang, S.; Haywood, K. P.; Miller, B.; Lerud, T.L.

2011-01-01

Hybridization of cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii with nonindigenous rainbow trout O. mykiss contributes to the decline of cutthroat trout subspecies throughout their native range. Introgression by rainbow trout can swamp the gene pools of cutthroat trout populations, especially if there is little selection against hybrids. We used rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout O. clarkii bouvieri, and rainbow trout × Yellowstone cutthroat trout F1 hybrids as parents to construct seven different line crosses: F1 hybrids (both reciprocal crosses), F2 hybrids, first-generation backcrosses (both rainbow trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout), and both parental taxa. We compared growth, morphology, and developmental instability among these seven crosses reared at two different temperatures. Growth was related to the proportion of rainbow trout genome present within the crosses. Meristic traits were influenced by maternal, additive, dominant, overdominant, and (probably) epistatic genetic effects. Developmental stability, however, was not disturbed in F1 hybrids, F2 hybrids, or backcrosses. Backcrosses were morphologically similar to their recurrent parent. The lack of developmental instability in hybrids suggests that there are few genetic incompatibilities preventing introgression. Our findings suggest that hybrids are not equal: that is, growth, development, character traits, and morphology differ depending on the genomic contribution from each parental species as well as the hybrid generation.

Winter visitor use planning in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Treesearch

John A. Sacklin; Kristin L. Legg; M. Sarah Creachbaum; Clifford L. Hawkes; George Helfrich

2000-01-01

Winter use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks increased dramatically in the 1980s and early 1990s. That increase and the emphasis on snowmobiles as the primary mode of transportation brought into focus a host of winter-related issues, including air pollution, unwanted sound, wildlife impacts and the adequacy of agency budgets, staff and infrastructure to...

Volcanic Hazards Survey in the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abrams, Michael; Siebe, Claus; Macias, Jose Luis

1996-01-01

We have assembled a digital mosaic of 11 Landsat Thematic images to serve as a mapping base for reconnaissance activities within the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt. This will aid us in interpretation and in the evaluation of potential activity of all the volcanic centers there. One result is a volcanic hazards map of the area.

Changing numbers of spawning cutthroat trout in tributary streams of Yellowstone Lake and estimates of grizzly bears visiting streams from DNA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haroldson, M.A.; Gunther, K.A.; Reinhart, Daniel P.; Podruzny, S.R.; Cegelski, C.; Waits, L.; Wyman, T.C.; Smith, J.

2005-01-01

Spawning Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) provide a source of highly digestible energy for grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) that visit tributary streams to Yellowstone Lake during the spring and early summer. During 1985–87, research documented grizzly bears fishing on 61% of the 124 tributary streams to the lake. Using track measurements, it was estimated that a minimum of 44 grizzly bears fished those streams annually. During 1994, non-native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were discovered in Yellowstone Lake. Lake trout are efficient predators and have the potential to reduce the native cutthroat population and negatively impact terrestrial predators that use cutthroat trout as a food resource. In 1997, we began sampling a subset of streams (n = 25) from areas of Yellowstone Lake surveyed during the previous study to determine if changes in spawner numbers or bear use had occurred. Comparisons of peak numbers and duration suggested a considerable decline between study periods in streams in the West Thumb area of the lake. The apparent decline may be due to predation by lake trout. Indices of bear use also declined on West Thumb area streams. We used DNA from hair collected near spawning streams to estimate the minimum number of bears visiting the vicinity of spawning streams. Seventy-four individual bears were identified from 429 hair samples. The annual number of individuals detected ranged from 15 in 1997 to 33 in 2000. Seventy percent of genotypes identified were represented by more than 1 sample, but only 31% of bears were documented more than 1 year of the study. Sixty-two (84%) bears were only documented in 1 segment of the lake, whereas 12 (16%) were found in 2–3 lake segments. Twenty-seven bears were identified from hair collected at multiple streams. One bear was identified on 6 streams in 2 segments of the lake and during 3 years of the study. We used encounter histories derived from DNA and the Jolly-Seber procedure in Program MARK

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus altitudinis YNP4-TSU, Isolated from Yellowstone National Park

PubMed Central

OHair, Joshua A.; Li, Hui; Thapa, Santosh; Scholz, Matthew

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Undisturbed hot springs inside Yellowstone National Park remain a dynamic biome for novel cellulolytic thermophiles. We report here the draft genome sequence of one of these isolates, Bacillus altitudinis YNP4-TSU. PMID:28705979

Maja Valles, Mars: A Multi-Source Fluvio-Volcanic Outflow Channel System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keske, A.; Christensen, P. R.

2017-12-01

The resemblance of martian outflow channels to the channeled scablands of the Pacific Northwest has led to general consensus that they were eroded by large-scale flooding. However, the observation that many of these channels are coated in lava issuing from the same source as the water source has motivated the alternative hypothesis that the channels were carved by fluid, turbulent lava. Maja Valles is a circum-Chryse outflow channel whose origin was placed in the late Hesperian by Baker and Kochel (1979), with more recent studies of crater density variations suggesting that its formation history involved multiple resurfacing events (Chapman et al., 2003). In this study, we have found that while Maja Valles indeed host a suite of standard fluvial landforms, its northern portion is thinly coated with lava that has buried much of the older channel landforms and overprinted them with effusive flow features, such as polygons and bathtub rings. Adjacent to crater pedestals and streamlined islands are patches of dark, relatively pristine material pooled in local topographic lows that we have interpreted as ponds of lava remaining from one or more fluid lava flows that flooded the channel system and subsequently drained, leaving marks of the local lava high stand. Despite the presence of fluvial landforms throughout the valles, lava flow features exist in the northern reaches of the system alone, 500-1200 km from the channels' source. The flows can instead be traced to a collection of vents in Lunae Plaum, west of the valles. In previously studied fluvio-volcanic outflow systems, such as Athabasca Valles, the sources of the volcanic activity and fluvial activity have been indistinguishable. In contrast, Maja Valles features numerous fluvio-volcanic landforms bearing similarity to those identified in other channel systems, yet the source of its lava flows is distinct from the source of its channels. Furthermore, in the absence of any channels between the source of the lava

Response of Yellowstone grizzly bears to changes in food resources: A synthesis. Final report to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee

USGS Publications Warehouse

,; van Manen, Frank T.; Costello, Cecily M.; Haroldson, Mark A.; Bjornlie, Daniel D.; Ebinger, Michael R.; Gunther, Kerry A.; Mahalovich, Mary Frances; Thompson, Daniel J.; Higgs, Megan D.; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Legg, Kristin; Tyers, Daniel B.; Landenburger, Lisa; Cain, Steven L.; Frey, Kevin L.; Aber, Bryan C.; Schwartz, Charles C.

2013-01-01

The Yellowstone grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) was listed as a threatened species in 1975 (Federal Register 40 FR:31734-31736). Since listing, recovery efforts have focused on increasing population size, improving habitat security, managing bear mortalities, and reducing bear-human conflicts. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC; partnership of federal and state agencies responsible for grizzly bear recovery in the lower 48 states) and its Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommitte (YES; federal, state, county, and tribal partners charged with recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yelowston Ecosystem [GYE]) tasked the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team to provide information and further research relevant to three concerns arising from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals November 2011 decision: 1) the ability of grizzly bears as omnivores to find alternative foods to whitebark pine seeds; 2) literature to support their conclusions; and 3) the non-intuitive biological reality that impacts can occur to individuals without causing the overall population to decline. Specifically, the IGBC and YES requested a comprehensive synthesis of the current state of knowledge regarding whitebark pinbe decline and individual and population-level responses of grizzly bears to changing food resources in the GYE. This research was particularly relevant to grizzly bear conservation given changes in the population trajectory observed during the last decade.

Continued Rapid Uplift at Laguna del Maule Volcanic Field (Chile) from 2007 through 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Mével, H.; Feigl, K. L.; Cordova, L.; DeMets, C.; Lundgren, P.

2014-12-01

The current rate of uplift at Laguna del Maule (LdM) volcanic field in Chile is among the highest ever observed geodetically for a volcano that is not actively erupting. Using data from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) recorded at five continuously operating stations, we measure the deformation field with dense sampling in time (1/day) and space (1/hectare). These data track the temporal evolution of the current unrest episode from its inception (sometime between 2004 and 2007) to vertical velocities faster than 200 mm/yr that continue through (at least) July 2014. Building on our previous work, we evaluate the temporal evolution by analyzing data from InSAR (ALOS, TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X) and GPS [http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1093/gji/ggt438]. In addition, we consider InSAR data from (ERS, ENVISAT, COSMO-Skymed, and UAVSAR), as well as constraints from magneto-telluric (MT), seismic, and gravity surveys. The goal is to test the hypothesis that a recent magma intrusion is feeding a large, existing magma reservoir. What will happen next? To address this question, we analyze the temporal evolution of deformation at other large silicic systems such as Yellowstone, Long Valley, and Three Sisters, during well-studied episodes of unrest. We consider several parameterizations, including piecewise linear, parabolic, and Gaussian functions of time. By choosing the best-fitting model, we expect to constrain the time scales of such episodes and elucidate the processes driving them.

Volcanism in Eastern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cauthen, Clay; Coombs, Cassandra R.

1996-01-01

In 1891, the Virunga Mountains of Eastern Zaire were first acknowledged as volcanoes, and since then, the Virunga Mountain chain has demonstrated its potentially violent volcanic nature. The Virunga Mountains lie across the Eastern African Rift in an E-W direction located north of Lake Kivu. Mt. Nyamuragira and Mt. Nyiragongo present the most hazard of the eight mountains making up Virunga volcanic field, with the most recent activity during the 1970-90's. In 1977, after almost eighty years of moderate activity and periods of quiescence, Mt. Nyamuragira became highly active with lava flows that extruded from fissures on flanks circumscribing the volcano. The flows destroyed vast areas of vegetation and Zairian National Park areas, but no casualties were reported. Mt. Nyiragongo exhibited the same type volcanic activity, in association with regional tectonics that effected Mt. Nyamuragira, with variations of lava lake levels, lava fountains, and lava flows that resided in Lake Kivu. Mt. Nyiragongo, recently named a Decade volcano, presents both a direct and an indirect hazard to the inhabitants and properties located near the volcano. The Virunga volcanoes pose four major threats: volcanic eruptions, lava flows, toxic gas emission (CH4 and CO2), and earthquakes. Thus, the volcanoes of the Eastern African volcanic field emanate harm to the surrounding area by the forecast of volcanic eruptions. During the JSC Summer Fellowship program, we will acquire and collate remote sensing, photographic (Space Shuttle images), topographic and field data. In addition, maps of the extent and morphology(ies) of the features will be constructed using digital image information. The database generated will serve to create a Geographic Information System for easy access of information of the Eastem African volcanic field. The analysis of volcanism in Eastern Africa will permit a comparison for those areas from which we have field data. Results from this summer's work will permit

Travel Times, Streamflow Velocities, and Dispersion Rates in the Yellowstone River, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, Peter M.

2009-01-01

The Yellowstone River is a vital natural resource to the residents of southeastern Montana and is a primary source of water for irrigation and recreation and the primary source of municipal water for several cities. The Yellowstone River valley is the primary east-west transportation corridor through southern Montana. This complex of infrastructure makes the Yellowstone River especially vulnerable to accidental spills from various sources such as tanker cars and trucks. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, initiated a dye-tracer study to determine instream travel times, streamflow velocities, and dispersion rates for the Yellowstone River from Lockwood to Glendive, Montana. The purpose of this report is to describe the results of this study and summarize data collected at each of the measurement sites between Lockwood and Glendive. This report also compares the results of this study to estimated travel times from a transport model developed by the USGS for a previous study. For this study, Rhodamine WT dye was injected at four locations in late September and early October 2008 during reasonably steady streamflow conditions. Streamflows ranged from 3,490 to 3,770 cubic feet per second upstream from the confluence of the Bighorn River and ranged from 6,520 to 7,570 cubic feet per second downstream from the confluence of the Bighorn River. Mean velocities were calculated for each subreach between measurement sites for the leading edge, peak concentration, centroid, and trailing edge at 10 percent of the peak concentration. Calculated velocities for the centroid of the dye plume for subreaches that were completely laterally mixed ranged from 1.83 to 3.18 ft/s within the study reach from Lockwood Bridge to Glendive Bridge. The mean of the completely mixed centroid velocity for the entire study reach, excluding the subreach between Forsyth Bridge and Cartersville Dam, was 2.80 ft/s. Longitudinal

Quaternary Landscape Evolution and the Surface Expression of Plume-Lithosphere Interactions in the Greater Yellowstone Area.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, E.; Meigs, A.; Kirby, E.

2016-12-01

Numerous investigations demonstrate that mantle convective processes such as upwelling affect the surface topography of the overriding plate and propagates through the plate accompanying its lateral motion. This deformation signal is known as transient topography and is thought to occur in the North American plate as it passes over the Yellowstone hotspot. This work explores the sensitivity of the surface of Western North America by testing the hypothesis that advection of a transient topographic wave through the North American plate is driving post-Pliocene landscape evolution of the greater Yellowstone region as the plate passes over the mantle plume. Analysis of digital elevation data reveals an asymmetric topographic swell that has an amplitude of 400-1200 m and a wavelength of 600 km which was disentangled from overlapping signals preserved in the topography. A maximum uplift rate of 0.17 mm yr-1 leads the apex of the transient topography swell by nearly 100 km. This means that presently, the western edge of the Bighorn Basin is experiencing a surface uplift rate between 0.166 and 0.302 mm yr-1 which indicates 400-800m of surface uplift in the western edge of the basin since 3 Ma and a tilt of 0.3° and 0.5° away from Yellowstone. We reinterpret the drainage evolution and erosional story of the Bighorn Basin preserved by sequences of fluvial terraces in the Bighorn Basin based on this new deformation model. We integrate this new deformation model with mapping, dating, and paleoflow data into the post-Pliocene erosional story in the basin. The change from a northward drainage to an eastward drainage through stream capture, the lateral migration of the Bighorn river away from Yellowstone, and differential incision in the basin coincides with transient topography-forced deformation.

USGS-NoGaDat - A global dataset of noble gas concentrations and their isotopic ratios in volcanic systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abedini, Atosa A.; Hurwitz, S.; Evans, William C.

2006-01-01

The database (Version 1.0) is a MS-Excel file that contains close to 5,000 entries of published information on noble gas concentrations and isotopic ratios from volcanic systems in Mid-Ocean ridges, ocean islands, seamounts, and oceanic and continental arcs (location map). Where they were available we also included the isotopic ratios of strontium, neodymium, and carbon. The database is sub-divided both into material sampled (e.g., volcanic glass, different minerals, fumarole, spring), and into different tectonic settings (MOR, ocean islands, volcanic arcs). Included is also a reference list in MS-Word and pdf from which the data was derived. The database extends previous compilations by Ozima (1994), Farley and Neroda (1998), and Graham (2002). The extended database allows scientists to test competing hypotheses, and it provides a framework for analysis of noble gas data during periods of volcanic unrest.

Performance of Yellowstone and Snake River Cutthroat Trout Fry Fed Seven Different Diets.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Five commercial diets and two formulated feeds were fed to initial-feeding Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri fry and Snake River cutthroat trout O. clarkii spp. (currently being petitioned for classification as O. clarkii behnkei) fry for 18 weeks to evaluate fish performance...

78 FR 12353 - Winter Use Plan, Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-IMR-YELL-12081; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000] Winter Use Plan, Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental...

Classification of reaches in the Missouri and lower Yellowstone Rivers based on flow characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pegg, Mark A.; Pierce, Clay L.

2002-01-01

Several aspects of flow have been shown to be important determinants of biological community structure and function in streams, yet direct application of this approach to large rivers has been limited. Using a multivariate approach, we grouped flow gauges into hydrologically similar units in the Missouri and lower Yellowstone Rivers and developed a model based on flow variability parameters that could be used to test hypotheses about the role of flow in determining aquatic community structure. This model could also be used for future comparisons as the hydrological regime changes. A suite of hydrological parameters for the recent, post-impoundment period (1 October 1966–30 September 1996) for each of 15 gauges along the Missouri and lower Yellowstone Rivers were initially used. Preliminary graphical exploration identified five variables for use in further multivariate analyses. Six hydrologically distinct units composed of gauges exhibiting similar flow characteristics were then identified using cluster analysis. Discriminant analyses identified the three most influential variables as flow per unit drainage area, coefficient of variation of mean annual flow, and flow constancy. One surprising result was the relative similarity of flow regimes between the two uppermost and three lowermost gauges, despite large differences in magnitude of flow and separation by roughly 3000 km. Our results synthesize, simplify and interpret the complex changes in flow occurring along the Missouri and lower Yellowstone Rivers, and provide an objective grouping for future tests of how these changes may affect biological communities. 

Easy Volcanic Aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toohey, Matthew; Stevens, Bjorn; Schmidt, Hauke; Timmreck, Claudia

2016-04-01

Radiative forcing by stratospheric sulfate aerosol of volcanic origin is one of the strongest drivers of natural climate variability. Transient model simulations attempting to match observed climate variability, such as the CMIP historical simulations, rely on volcanic forcing reconstructions based on observations of a small sample of recent eruptions and coarse proxy data for eruptions before the satellite era. Volcanic forcing data sets used in CMIP5 were provided either in terms of optical properties, or in terms of sulfate aerosol mass, leading to significant inter-model spread in the actual volcanic radiative forcing produced by models and in their resulting climate responses. It remains therefore unclear to what degree inter-model spread in response to volcanic forcing represents model differences or variations in the forcing. In order to isolate model differences, Easy Volcanic Aerosol (EVA) provides an analytic representation of volcanic stratospheric aerosol forcing, based on available observations and aerosol model results, prescribing the aerosol's radiative properties and primary modes of spatial and temporal variability. In contrast to regriddings of observational data, EVA allows for the production of physically consistent forcing for historic and hypothetical eruptions of varying magnitude, source latitude, and season. Within CMIP6, EVA will be used to reconstruct volcanic forcing over the past 2000 years for use in the Paleo-Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP), and will provide forcing sets for VolMIP experiments aiming to quantify model uncertainty in the response to volcanic forcing. Here, the functional form of EVA will be introduced, along with illustrative examples including the EVA-based reconstruction of volcanic forcing over the historical period, and that of the 1815 Tambora eruption.

Monitoring Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem wetlands: Can long-term monitoring help us understand their future?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ray, Andrew M.; Sepulveda, Adam; Hossack, Blake R.; Patla, Debra; Thoma, David; Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Litt, Andrea R.

2015-01-01

In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), changes in the drying cycles of wetlands have been documented. Wetlands are areas where the water table is at or near the land surface and standing shallow water is present for much or all of the growing season. We discuss how monitoring data can be used to document variation in annual flooding and drying patterns of wetlands monitored across Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, investigate how these patterns are related to a changing climate, and explore how drying of wetlands may impact amphibians. The documented declines of some amphibian species are of growing concern to scientists and land managers alike, in part because disappearances have occurred in some of the most protected places. These disappearances are a recognized component of what is being described as Earth’s sixth mass extinction.

New insights into the explosive history of the Yellowstone super-volcano from high-precision dating and mineral chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, B. S.; Mark, D. F.; Nix, C.; Rowe, M. C.; Wolff, J. A.; Kent, A. J.; Loewen, M. W.

2012-12-01

Yellowstone is commonly held up as the archetypal 'super-volcano', having had three major eruptive episodes at ~ 2 Ma, 1.3 Ma, and 0.6 Ma. However, given the importance of such large magnitude events on all scales from local to global, this idea has been held up to surprisingly little rigorous testing. Here we combine new high-precision Ar/Ar geochronology and mineral chemistry from multiple phases to shed new light on the explosive history of the Huckleberry Ridge and Lava Creek eruptions from the Yellowstone volcanic field. Recent high precision 40Ar/39Ar geochronology has shown that member C of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff was erupted at least 6,000 years later than members A and B. This result is supported by significant differences in the compositions of fayalitic olivine, augite, and quartz between the different members. Mafic minerals are compositionally homogeneous with augites and fayalites of member C less magnesian than those found in members A and B. Quartz grains show a variety of textures in CL imaging and have within-grain variations in titanium (determined via EMPA and LA-ICPMS) reaching a factor of 2. Again, member C of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff has distinct compositions of quartz (with higher Ti up to 242 ppm) than earlier erupted HRT. Quartz from Lava Creek Tuff shows differences in abundance of Ti between members A and B with member A having generally lower Ti (average 55 ppm) than member B (average 102 ppm). The mineral-scale chemistry presented here agrees with the pre-existing field evidence, radiogenic isotopic variation and high-precision geochronology to indicate that member C of Huckleberry Ridge Tuff represents a different magma to that which erupted and formed members A and B. Combining high-precision geochronology and detailed mineral-scale geochemistry from a number of different phases provides a robust method of distinguishing individual magma batches and clarifying the explosive history of a volcano. Our new data suggest that in some

Volcanic effects on climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robock, Alan

1991-01-01

Volcanic eruptions which inject large amounts of sulfur-rich gas into the stratosphere produce dust veils which last years and cool the earth's surface. At the same time, these dust veils absorb enough solar radiation to warm the stratosphere. Since these temperature changes at the earth's surface and in the stratosphere are both in the opposite direction of hypothesized effects from greenhouse gases, they act to delay and mask the detection of greenhouse effects on the climate system. Tantalizing recent research results have suggested regional effects of volcanic eruptions, including effects on El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In addition, a large portion of the global climate change of the past 100 years may be due to the effects of volcanoes, but a definite answer is not yet clear. While effects of several years were demonstrated with both data studies and numerical models, long-term effects, while found in climate model calculations, await confirmation with more realistic models. Extremely large explosive prehistoric eruptions may have produced severe weather and climate effects, sometimes called a 'volcanic winter'. Complete understanding of the above effects of volcanoes is hampered by inadequacies of data sets on volcanic dust veils and on climate change. Space observations can play an increasingly important role in an observing program in the future. The effects of volcanoes are not adequately separated from ENSO events, and climate modeling of the effects of volcanoes is in its infancy. Specific suggestions are made for future work to improve the knowledge of this important component of the climate system.

History of surface displacements at the Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming, from leveling surveys and InSAR observations, 1923-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, Daniel; Wicks, Charles W.; Poland, Michael P.

2012-01-01

) repeated cycles of uplift and subsidence and sudden changes from uplift to subsidence or vice versa; (5) spatial and temporal relationships between changes in deformation mode and strong earthquake swarms; and (6) lateral dimensions of all three deforming areas that indicate source depths in the range of 5 to 15 km. We prefer a conceptual model in which surface displacements at Yellowstone are caused primarily by variations in the flux of basaltic magma into the crust beneath the caldera. Specifically, we envision a magmatic conduit system beneath the northeast part of the caldera that supplies basalt from a mantle source to an accumulation zone at 5-10 km depth, perhaps at a rheological boundary within a crystallizing rhyolite body remnant from past eruptions. Increases in the magma flux favor uplift of the caldera and decreases favor subsidence. A delicate equilibrium exists among the mass and heat flux from basaltic intrusions, heat and volatile loss from the crystallizing rhyolite body, and the overlying hydrothermal system. In the absence of basalt input, steady subsidence occurs mainly as a result of fluid loss from crystallizing rhyolite. At times when a self-sealing zone in the deep hydrothermal system prevents the escape of magmatic fluid, the resulting pressure increase contributes to surface uplift within the caldera; such episodes end when the seal ruptures during an earthquake swarm. To account for the north rim deformation source, we propose that magma or fluid exsolved from magma episodically escapes the caldera system at the three-way structural intersection of (1) the northern caldera boundary, (2) an active seismic belt to the north-northwest that is associated with the Hebgen Lake fault zone, and (3) the Norris - Mammoth corridor - a zone of faults, volcanic vents, and thermal activity that strikes north from the north rim of the caldera near Norris Geyser Basin to Mammoth Hot Springs near the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Increased

Protecting the Geyser Basins of Yellowstone National Park: Toward a New National Policy for a Vulnerable Environmental Resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrick, Kenneth A.

2010-01-01

Geyser basins provide high value recreation, scientific, economic and national heritage benefits. Geysers are globally rare, in part, because development activities have quenched about 260 of the natural endowment. Today, more than half of the world’s remaining geysers are located in Yellowstone National Park, northwest Wyoming, USA. However, the hydrothermal reservoirs that supply Yellowstone’s geysers extend well beyond the Park borders, and onto two “Known Geothermal Resource Areas”—Island Park to the west and Corwin Springs on the north. Geysers are sensitive geologic features that are easily quenched by nearby geothermal wells. Therefore, the potential for geothermal energy development adjacent to Yellowstone poses a threat to the sustainability of about 500 geysers and 10,000 hydrothermal features. The purpose here is to propose that Yellowstone be protected by a “Geyser Protection Area” (GPA) extending in a 120-km radius from Old Faithful Geyser. The GPA concept would prohibit geothermal and large-scale groundwater wells, and thereby protect the water and heat supply of the hydrothermal reservoirs that support Yellowstone’s geyser basins and important hot springs. Proactive federal leadership, including buyouts of private groundwater development rights, can assist in navigating the GPA through the greater Yellowstone area’s “wicked” public policy environment. Moreover, the potential impacts on geyser basins from intrusive research sampling techniques are considered in order to facilitate the updating of national park research regulations to a precautionary standard. The GPA model can provide the basis for protecting the world’s few remaining geyser basins.

Developing International Guidelines on Volcanic Hazard Assessments for Nuclear Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connor, Charles

2014-05-01

Worldwide, tremendous progress has been made in recent decades in forecasting volcanic events, such as episodes of volcanic unrest, eruptions, and the potential impacts of eruptions. Generally these forecasts are divided into two categories. Short-term forecasts are prepared in response to unrest at volcanoes, rely on geophysical monitoring and related observations, and have the goal of forecasting events on timescales of hours to weeks to provide time for evacuation of people, shutdown of facilities, and implementation of related safety measures. Long-term forecasts are prepared to better understand the potential impacts of volcanism in the future and to plan for potential volcanic activity. Long-term forecasts are particularly useful to better understand and communicate the potential consequences of volcanic events for populated areas around volcanoes and for siting critical infrastructure, such as nuclear facilities. Recent work by an international team, through the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has focused on developing guidelines for long-term volcanic hazard assessments. These guidelines have now been implemented for hazard assessment for nuclear facilities in nations including Indonesia, the Philippines, Armenia, Chile, and the United States. One any time scale, all volcanic hazard assessments rely on a geologically reasonable conceptual model of volcanism. Such conceptual models are usually built upon years or decades of geological studies of specific volcanic systems, analogous systems, and development of a process-level understanding of volcanic activity. Conceptual models are used to bound potential rates of volcanic activity, potential magnitudes of eruptions, and to understand temporal and spatial trends in volcanic activity. It is these conceptual models that provide essential justification for assumptions made in statistical model development and the application of numerical models to generate quantitative forecasts. It is a

Use of naturally occurring mercury to determine the importance of cutthroat trout to Yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Felicetti, L.A.; Schwartz, C.C.; Rye, R.O.; Gunther, K.A.; Crock, J.G.; Haroldson, M.A.; Waits, L.; Robbins, C.T.

2004-01-01

Spawning cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki (Richardson, 1836)) are a potentially important food resource for grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord, 1815) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We developed a method to estimate the amount of cutthroat trout ingested by grizzly bears living in the Yellowstone Lake area. The method utilized (i) the relatively high, naturally occurring concentration of mercury in Yellowstone Lake cutthroat trout (508 ± 93 ppb) and its virtual absence in all other bear foods (6 ppb), (ii) hair snares to remotely collect hair from bears visiting spawning cutthroat trout streams between 1997 and 2000, (iii) DNA analyses to identify the individual and sex of grizzly bears leaving a hair sample, (iv) feeding trials with captive bears to develop relationships between fish and mercury intake and hair mercury concentrations, and (v) mercury analyses of hair collected from wild bears to estimate the amount of trout consumed by each bear. Male grizzly bears consumed an average of 5 times more trout/kg bear than did female grizzly bears. Estimated cutthroat trout intake per year by the grizzly bear population was only a small fraction of that estimated by previous investigators, and males consumed 92% of all trout ingested by grizzly bears.

A Volcanic Hydrogen Habitable Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramirez, Ramses M.; Kaltenegger, Lisa, E-mail: rmr277@cornell.edu

The classical habitable zone (HZ) is the circular region around a star in which liquid water could exist on the surface of a rocky planet. The outer edge of the traditional N{sub 2}–CO{sub 2}–H{sub 2}O HZ extends out to nearly ∼1.7 au in our solar system, beyond which condensation and scattering by CO{sub 2} outstrips its greenhouse capacity. Here, we show that volcanic outgassing of atmospheric H{sub 2} can extend the outer edge of the HZ to ∼2.4 au in our solar system. This wider volcanic-hydrogen HZ (N{sub 2}–CO{sub 2}–H{sub 2}O–H{sub 2}) can be sustained as long as volcanic H{submore » 2} output offsets its escape from the top of the atmosphere. We use a single-column radiative-convective climate model to compute the HZ limits of this volcanic hydrogen HZ for hydrogen concentrations between 1% and 50%, assuming diffusion-limited atmospheric escape. At a hydrogen concentration of 50%, the effective stellar flux required to support the outer edge decreases by ∼35%–60% for M–A stars. The corresponding orbital distances increase by ∼30%–60%. The inner edge of this HZ only moves out ∼0.1%–4% relative to the classical HZ because H{sub 2} warming is reduced in dense H{sub 2}O atmospheres. The atmospheric scale heights of such volcanic H{sub 2} atmospheres near the outer edge of the HZ also increase, facilitating remote detection of atmospheric signatures.« less

Vegetation Cover Change in Yellowstone National Park Detected Using Landsat Satellite Image Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

Results from Landsat satellite image analysis since 1987 in all unburned areas (since the 1880s) of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) showed that consistent decreases in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) have been strongly dependent on periodic variations in peak annual snow water equivalents (SWE).

Fire, Death, and Rebirth: A Metaphoric Analysis of the 1988 Yellowstone Fire Debate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardy-Short, Dayle C.; Short, C. Brant

1995-01-01

Finds that two primary archetypal metaphors--death and rebirth--emerged in the public debate concerning management of the 1988 Yellowstone forest fires. Argues that the crisis brought two competing views of public land management to the forefront: the ecological view, and the human-centered view. (SR)

Database for the geologic map of Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abendini, Atosa A.; Robinson, Joel E.; Muffler, L. J. Patrick; White, D. E.; Beeson, Melvin H.; Truesdell, A. H.

2015-01-01

This dataset contains contacts, geologic units, and map boundaries from Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1371, "The Geologic map of upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone, National Park, Wyoming". This dataset was constructed to produce a digital geologic map as a basis for ongoing studies of hydrothermal processes.

Environmental setting of the Yellowstone River basin, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zelt, Ronald B.; Boughton, G.K.; Miller, K.A.; Mason, J.P.; Gianakos, L.M.

1999-01-01

Natural and anthropogenic factors influence water-quality conditions in the Yellowstone River Basin. Physiography parallels the structural geologic setting that is generally composed of several uplifts and structural basins. Contrasts in climate and vegetation reflect topographic controls and the midcontinental location of the study unit. Surface-water hydrology reflects water surpluses in mountainous areas that are dominated by snowmelt runoff, and arid to semiarid conditions in the plains that are dissected by typically irrigated valleys in the remainder of the study unit. Principal shallow aquifers are Tertiary sandstones and unconsolidated Quaternary deposits. Human population, though sparsely distributed in general, is growing most rapidly in a few urban centers and resort areas, mostly in the northwestern part of the basin. Land use is areally dominated by grazing in the basins and plains and economically dominated by mineral-extraction activities. Forests are the dominant land cover in mountainous areas. Cropland is a major land use in principal stream valleys. Water use is dominated by irrigated agriculture overall, but mining and public-supply facilities are major users of ground water. Coal and hydrocarbon production and reserves distinguish the Yellowstone River Basin as a principal energy-minerals resources region. Current metallic ore production or reserves are nationally significant for platinum-group elements and chromium.The study unit was subdivided as an initial environmental stratification for use in designing the National Water-Quality Assessment Program investigation that began in 1997. Ecoregions, geologic groups, mineral-resource areas, and general land-cover and land-use categories were used in combination to define 18 environmental settings in the Yellowstone River Basin. It is expected that these different settings will be reflected in differing water-quality or aquatic-ecological characteristics.

Water chemistry and electrical conductivity database for rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clor, Laura E.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Huebner, Mark A.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Heasler, Henry P.; Mahony, Dan L.; Maloney, Tim; Evans, William C.

2012-01-01

This study aims to quantify relations between solute concentrations (especially chloride) and electrical conductivity for several rivers in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), by using automated samplers and conductivity meters. Norton and Friedman (1985) found that chloride concentrations and electrical conductivity have a good correlation in the Falls, Snake, Madison, and Yellowstone Rivers. However, their results are based on limited sampling and hydrologic conditions and their relation with other solutes was not determined. Once the correlations are established, conductivity measurements can then be used as a proxy for chloride concentrations, thereby enabling continuous heat-flow estimation on a much finer timescale and at lower cost than is currently possible with direct sampling. This publication serves as a repository for all data collected during the course of the study from May 2010 through July 2011, but it does not include correlations between solutes and conductivity or recommendations for quantification of chloride through continuous electrical conductivity measurements. This will be the object of a future document.

Predatory behavior of grizzly bears feeding on elk calves in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, Steven P.; French, Marilynn G.

1990-01-01

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) were observed preying on elk calves (Cervus elaphus) on 60 occasions in Yellowstone National Park, with 29 confirmed kills. Some bears were deliberate predators and effectively preyed on elk calves for short periods each spring, killing up to 1 calf daily. Primary hunting techniques were searching and chasing although some bears used a variety of techniques during a single hunt. They hunted both day and night and preyed on calves in the open and in the woods. Excess killing occurred when circumstances permitted. One bear caught 5 calves in a 15-minute interval. Elk used a variety of antipredator defenses and occasionally attacked predacious bears. The current level of this feeding behavior appears to be greater than previously reported. This is probably related to the increased availability of calves providing a greater opportunity for learning, and the adaptation of a more predatory behavior by some grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

Annual precipitation in the Yellowstone National Park region since AD 1173

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, Stephen T.; Graumlich, Lisa J.; Betancourt, Julio L.

2007-01-01

Cores and cross sections from 133 limber pine (Pinus flexilis James) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) at four sites were used to estimate annual (July to June) precipitation in the Yellowstone National Park region for the period from AD 1173 to 1998. Examination of the long-term record shows that the early 20th century was markedly wet compared to the previous 700 yr. Extreme wet and dry years within the instrumental period fall within the range of past variability, and the magnitude of the worst-case droughts of the 20th century (AD 1930s and 1950s) was likely equaled or exceeded on numerous occasions before AD 1900. Spectral analysis showed significant decadal to multidecadal precipitation variability. At times this lower frequency variability produces strong regime-like behavior in regional precipitation, with the potential for rapid, high-amplitude switching between predominately wet and predominately dry conditions. Over multiple time scales, strong Yellowstone region precipitation anomalies were almost always associated with spatially extensive events spanning various combinations of the central and southern U.S. Rockies, the northern U.S.-Southern Canadian Rockies and the Pacific Northwest.

Annual precipitation in the Yellowstone National Park region since AD 1173

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, S.T.; Graumlich, L.J.; Betancourt, J.L.

2007-01-01

Cores and cross sections from 133 limber pine (Pinus flexilis James) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) at four sites were used to estimate annual (July to June) precipitation in the Yellowstone National Park region for the period from AD 1173 to 1998. Examination of the long-term record shows that the early 20th century was markedly wet compared to the previous 700??yr. Extreme wet and dry years within the instrumental period fall within the range of past variability, and the magnitude of the worst-case droughts of the 20th century (AD 1930s and 1950s) was likely equaled or exceeded on numerous occasions before AD 1900. Spectral analysis showed significant decadal to multidecadal precipitation variability. At times this lower frequency variability produces strong regime-like behavior in regional precipitation, with the potential for rapid, high-amplitude switching between predominately wet and predominately dry conditions. Over multiple time scales, strong Yellowstone region precipitation anomalies were almost always associated with spatially extensive events spanning various combinations of the central and southern U.S. Rockies, the northern U.S.-Southern Canadian Rockies and the Pacific Northwest. ?? 2007 University of Washington.

The Origin of Widespread Long-lived Volcanism Across the Galapagos Volcanic Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, J. M.; Stoffers, P.; Wijbrans, J. R.; Worthington, T. J.

2005-12-01

40Ar/39Ar ages for rocks dredged (SO144 PAGANINI expedition) and drilled (DSDP) from the Galapagos Volcanic Province (Cocos, Carnegie, Coiba and Malpelo aseismic ridges and associated seamounts) show evidence of 1) increasing age with distance from the Galapagos Archipelago, 2) long-lived episodic volcanism at many locations, and 3) broad overlapping regions of coeval volcanism. The widespread nature of synchronous volcanism across the Galapagos Volcanic Province (GVP) suggests a correspondingly large Galapagos hotspot melting anomaly (O'Connor et al., 2004). Development of the GVP via Cocos and Nazca plate migration and divergence over this broad melting anomaly would explain continued multiple phases of volcanism over millions of years following the initial onset of hotspot volcanism. The question arising from these observations is whether long-lived GVP episodic volcanism is equivalent to `rejuvenescent' or a `post-erosional' phase of volcanism that occurs hundreds of thousands or million years after the main shield-building phase documented on many mid-plate seamount chains, most notably along the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain? Thus, investigating the process responsible for long-lived episodic GVP volcanism provides the opportunity to evaluate this little understood process of rejuvenation in a physical setting very different to the Hawaiian-Emperor Chain (i.e. on/near spreading axis versus mid-plate). We consider here timing and geochemical information to test the various geodynamic models proposed to explain the origin of GVP hotspot volcanism, especially the possibility of rejuvenated phases that erupt long after initial shield-building.

Modeling sound due to over-snow vehicles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-10-01

A modified version of the FAAs Integrated Noise Model (INM) Version 6.2 was used to : model the sound of over-snow vehicles (OSVs) (snowmobiles and snowcoaches) in : Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for ten modeling scenarios provided by...

New Data on mid-Miocene Rhyolite Volcanism in Eastern Oregon Extend Early, co-CRBG Rhyolite Flare up and Constrain Storage Sites of Grande Ronde Flood Basalts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Streck, M. J.; Ferns, M. L.; McIntosh, W. C.

2015-12-01

The classical view of relating mid-Miocene rhyolites of the tri-state area of Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho to the flood basalts of the Columbia River Basalt was that a mantle plume impinging along the Oregon-Idaho border first causes eruption of the flood basalts but shortly thereafter causes generation of rhyolites at the McDermitt volcanic field from which then hot-spot track rhyolites developed progressively younging towards Yellowstone. More recent work reveals rhyolites as old as found at McDermitt (~16.5 Ma) to occur along a wide E-W tangent along the Oregon-Nevada-Idaho border. And now, our data extend such early rhyolites (>16 Ma) to several locations further north within and in the periphery of the Lake Owyhee Volcanic Field (LOVF) adding to the geographically orphaned old age of 16.7 Ma of the Silver City Rhyolite, Idaho. Hence, the rhyolite flare-up associated with flood basalt magmatism occurred within a circular area of ~400 km centered 100 km NNE of McDermitt. Consequently, no south-to-north progression exists in the onset of rhyolite volcanism; instead, rhyolites started up at the same time over this large area. Province-wide rhyolite volcanism was strongest between ~16.4 and 15.4 Ma coincident with eruptions of the most voluminous member of the CRBG - the Grande Ronde Basalt (GRB). Field evidence for such bimodal volcanism consists of intercalated local GRB units with the Dinner Creek Tuff and Littlefield Rhyolite in the Malheur River Gorge corridor. GRB eruption sites exist and were likely fed from reservoirs residing below or near rhyolitic chambers. Presently, we have petrological evidence for pinning down GRB storages sites to areas from where rhyolites of the Dinner Creek Tuff and lava flows of the Littlefield Rhyolite erupted. In summary, input of GRG and other CRBG magmas were driving co-CRBG rhyolite volcanism which in turn may have influenced whether flood basalt magmas erupted locally or travelled in dikes to more distally located areas.

Sensitivity of alpine and subalpine lakes to acidification from atmospheric deposition in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nanus, Leora; Campbell, Donald H.; Williams, Mark W.

2005-01-01

The sensitivity of 400 lakes in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to acidification from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur was estimated based on statistical relations between acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations and basin characteristics to aid in the design of a long-term monitoring plan for Outstanding Natural Resource Waters. Acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations that were measured at 52 lakes in Grand Teton and 23 lakes in Yellowstone during synoptic surveys were used to calibrate the statistical models. Three acid-neutralizing capacity concentration bins (bins) were selected that are within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criteria of sensitive to acidification; less than 50 microequivalents per liter (?eq/L) (0-50), less than 100 ?eq/L (0-100), and less than 200 ?eq/L (0-200). The development of discrete bins enables resource managers to have the ability to change criteria based on the focus of their study. Basin-characteristic information was derived from Geographic Information System data sets. The explanatory variables that were considered included bedrock type, basin slope, basin aspect, basin elevation, lake area, basin area, inorganic nitrogen deposition, sulfate deposition, hydrogen ion deposition, basin precipitation, soil type, and vegetation type. A logistic regression model was developed and applied to lake basins greater than 1 hectare in Grand Teton (n = 106) and Yellowstone (n = 294). A higher percentage of lakes in Grand Teton than in Yellowstone were predicted to be sensitive to atmospheric deposition in all three bins. For Grand Teton, 7 percent of lakes had a greater than 60-percent probability of having acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations in the 0-50 bin, 36 percent of lakes had a greater than 60-percent probability of having acid-neutralizing capacity concentrations in the 0-100 bin, and 59 percent of lakes had a greater than 60-percent probability of having acid-neutralizing capacity

Expansive Northern Volcanic Plains

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-16

Mercury northern region is dominated by expansive smooth plains, created by huge amounts of volcanic material flooding across Mercury surface in the past, as seen by NASA MESSENGER spacecraft. The volcanic lava flows buried craters, leaving only traces of their rims visible. Such craters are called ghost craters, and there are many visible in this image, including a large one near the center. Wrinkle ridges cross this scene and small troughs are visible regionally within ghost craters, formed as a result of the lava cooling. The northern plains are often described as smooth since their surface has fewer impact craters and thus has been less battered by such events. This indicates that these volcanic plains are younger than Mercury's rougher surfaces. Instrument: Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) Center Latitude: 60.31° N Center Longitude: 36.87° E Scale: The large ghost crater at the center of the image is approximately 103 kilometers (64 miles) in diameter http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19415

High altitude aircraft remote sensing during the 1988 Yellowstone National Park wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrosia, Vincent G.

1990-01-01

An overview is presented of the effects of the wildfires that occurred in the Yellowstone National Park during 1988 and the techniques employed to combat these fires with the use of remote sensing. The fire management team utilized King-Air and Merlin aircraft flying night missions with a thermal IR line-scanning system. NASA-Ames Research Center assisted with an ER-2 high altitude aircraft with the ability to down-link active data from the aircraft via a teledetection system. The ER-2 was equipped with a multispectral Thematic Mapper Simulator scanner and the resultant map data and video imagery was provided to the fire command personnel for field evaluation and fire suppression activities. This type of information proved very valuable to the fire control management personnel and to the continuing ecological research goals of NASA-Ames scientists analyzing the effects of burn type and severity on ecosystem recovery and development.

The Boring Volcanic Field of the Portland-Vancouver area, Oregon and Washington: tectonically anomalous forearc volcanism in an urban setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evarts, Russell C.; Conrey, Richard M.; Fleck, Robert J.; Hagstrum, Jonathan T.; O'Connor, Jim; Dorsey, Rebecca; Madin, Ian P.

2009-01-01

More than 80 small volcanoes are scattered throughout the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area of northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington. These volcanoes constitute the Boring Volcanic Field, which is centered in the Neogene Portland Basin and merges to the east with coeval volcanic centers of the High Cascade volcanic arc. Although the character of volcanic activity is typical of many monogenetic volcanic fields, its tectonic setting is not, being located in the forearc of the Cascadia subduction system well trenchward of the volcanic-arc axis. The history and petrology of this anomalous volcanic field have been elucidated by a comprehensive program of geologic mapping, geochemistry, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, and paleomag-netic studies. Volcanism began at 2.6 Ma with eruption of low-K tholeiite and related lavas in the southern part of the Portland Basin. At 1.6 Ma, following a hiatus of ~0.8 m.y., similar lavas erupted a few kilometers to the north, after which volcanism became widely dispersed, compositionally variable, and more or less continuous, with an average recurrence interval of 15,000 yr. The youngest centers, 50–130 ka, are found in the northern part of the field. Boring centers are generally monogenetic and mafic but a few larger edifices, ranging from basalt to low-SiO2 andesite, were also constructed. Low-K to high-K calc-alkaline compositions similar to those of the nearby volcanic arc dominate the field, but many centers erupted magmas that exhibit little influence of fluids derived from the subducting slab. The timing and compositional characteristics of Boring volcanism suggest a genetic relationship with late Neogene intra-arc rifting.

Comparative Analysis of Volcanic Inflation—Deflation Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walwer, D.; Ghil, M.; Calais, E.

2016-12-01

GPS geodetic data together with INSAR images are often used to formulate kinematic models of the sources of volcanic deformations. The increasing amount of data now available allows one to produce time series that are several years long and thus capture continuously the history of volcanic deformations, in particular their nonlinear behavior. This information is highly valuable in helping understand the dynamics of volcanic systems.Nonlinear deformation signals are, however, difficult to extract from the background noise inherent in the GPS time series. It is also arduous to unravel the signal of interest from other nonlinear signals, such as the seasonal oscillations associated with mass variations in the atmosphere, the ocean, and the hydrological reservoirs. Here we use Multichannel Singular Spectrum Analysis (M-SSA) — an advanced, data-adaptive method for time series analysis that exploits simultaneously the temporal and spatial correlations of geophysical fields — to extract such deformation signals.We apply M-SSA to GPS data sets from four volcanoes: Akutan, Alaska; Okmok, Alaska; Westdahl, Alaska; and Piton de la Fournaise, La Reunion. Our analyses show that all four volcanoes share similar features in their deformation history, suggesting similarities in the dynamics that generate the inflation-deflation cycles. In particular, all four volcanic systems exhibit sawtooth-shaped oscillations with slow inflations followed by slower deflations, with time scales that vary from 6 months to 4 years. This relation of dynamical similarity is further highlighted by the phase portrait reconstruction of the four systems in the plane of deformation vs. rate-of-deformation, as obtained from the deformation signals extracted from the GPS time series using M-SSA.The inflating phase of these oscillations is followed by eruptions at Okmok volcano and at Piton de la Fournaise. These analysis results suggest that these volcanic inflation—deflation cycles are associated

Structural control of monogenetic volcanism in the Garrotxa volcanic field (Northeastern Spain) from gravity and self-potential measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barde-Cabusson, S.; Gottsmann, J.; Martí, J.; Bolós, X.; Camacho, A. G.; Geyer, A.; Planagumà, Ll.; Ronchin, E.; Sánchez, A.

2014-01-01

We report new geophysical observations on the distribution of subsurface structures associated with monogenetic volcanism in the Garrotxa volcanic field (Northern Spain). As part of the Catalan Volcanic Zone, this Quaternary volcanic field is associated with the European rifts system. It contains the most recent and best preserved volcanic edifices of the Catalan Volcanic Zone with 38 monogenetic volcanoes identified in the Garrotxa Natural Park. We conducted new gravimetric and self-potential surveys to enhance our understanding of the relationship between the local geology and the spatial distribution of the monogenetic volcanoes. The main finding of this study is that the central part of the volcanic field is dominated by a broad negative Bouguer anomaly of around -0.5 mGal, within which a series of gravity minima are found with amplitudes of up to -2.3 mGal. Inverse modelling of the Bouguer data suggests that surficial low-density material dominates the volcanic field, most likely associated with effusive and explosive surface deposits. In contrast, an arcuate cluster of gravity minima to the NW of the Croscat volcano, the youngest volcano of this zone, is modelled by vertically extended low-density bodies, which we interpret as a complex ensemble of fault damage zones and the roots of young scoria cones. A ground-water infiltration zone identified by a self-potential anomaly is associated with a steep horizontal Bouguer gravity gradient and interpreted as a fault zone and/or magmatic fissure, which fed the most recent volcanic activity in the Garrotxa. Gravimetric and self-potential data are well correlated and indicate a control on the locations of scoria cones by NNE-SSW and NNW-SSE striking tectonic features, which intersect the main structural boundaries of the study area to the north and south. Our interpretation of the data is that faults facilitated magma ascent to the surface. Our findings have major implications for understanding the relationship

Fluid Dynamic Analysis of Volcanic Tremor,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

information regarding the fluid system Fiske (1969) Kilauea volcano : The 1967-68 summit configuration, tremor magnitudes and source loca- eruption...Koyanagi (1981) Deep volcanic tremor logicalSociety of America, vol. 40, p. 175-194. and magma ascent mechanism under Kilauea , Hawaii . Omori, F...dynamics Seismology Tremors Volcanoes 40 M\\ TlACT (amhue ai revers if5 neeeeiy md ide~Wify by block number) Low-frequency (< 10 Hz) volcanic earthquakes

Ecosystem management: A comparison of greater yellowstone and georges bank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burroughs, Richard H.; Clark, Tim W.

1995-09-01

Ecosystem management links human activities with the functioning of natural environments over large spatial and temporal scales. Our examination of Greater Yellowstone and Georges Bank shows similarities exist between human uses, administrative characteristics, and some biophysical features. Each region faces growing pressures to replace traditional extractive uses with more sustainable extractive or noncommodity uses coupled with concern about endangered species. Ecosystem management as a set of practical guidelines for making decisions under evolving expectations is far from complete, and it embodies new demands on individuals and institutions. In each system these challenges are considered relative to: the public's symbolic understanding of the management challenge, ecosystem management ambiguities, information availability, information use, administrative setting, and learning capabilities of governance organizations Progress in making ecosystem management operational may occur as refinements in content and approach make it an increasingly attractive option for resource users, the public, and government officials.

A Full Snow Season in Yellowstone: A Database of Restored Aqua Band 6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladkova, Irina; Grossberg, Michael; Bonev, George; Romanov, Peter; Riggs, George; Hall, Dorothy

2013-01-01

The algorithms for estimating snow extent for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) optimally use the 1.6- m channel which is unavailable for MODIS on Aqua due to detector damage. As a test bed to demonstrate that Aqua band 6 can be restored, we chose the area surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. In such rugged and difficult-to-access terrain, satellite images are particularly important for providing an estimation of snow-cover extent. For the full 2010-2011 snow season covering the Yellowstone region, we have used quantitative image restoration to create a database of restored Aqua band 6. The database includes restored radiances, normalized vegetation index, normalized snow index, thermal data, and band-6-based snow-map products. The restored Aqua-band-6 data have also been regridded and combined with Terra data to produce a snow-cover map that utilizes both Terra and Aqua snow maps. Using this database, we show that the restored Aqua-band-6-based snow-cover extent has a comparable performance with respect to ground stations to the one based on Terra. The result of a restored band 6 from Aqua is that we have an additional band-6 image of the Yellowstone region each day. This image can be used to mitigate cloud occlusion, using the same algorithms used for band 6 on Terra. We show an application of this database of restored band-6 images to illustrate the value of creating a cloud gap filling using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s operational cloud masks and data from both Aqua and Terra.

(abstract) Survey of Volcanic Hazards in the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abrams, M.; Siebe, C.; Macias, J.

1997-01-01

A substantial percentage of the world's population lives in areas vulnerable to the negative effects of future volcanic activity. This is especially true in Mexico, where within the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) one half of the country's 90 million inhabitants live. The TMVB is a 1 000 by 200 km area, dotted with hundreds of volcanoes and volcanic centers. Most of the area has been poorly studied, and the volcanic history is largely unknown. Our approach is to combine interpretations of satellite images, field work and mapping, laboratory analysis, and age dating to elucidate the volcanic history and evaluate the potential eruptive hazards. Hazards evaluations are done in the form of risk maps.

Trace element geochemistry of Archean volcanic rocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jahn, B.-M.; Shih, C.-Y.; Murthy, V. R.

1974-01-01

The K, Rb, Sr, Ba and rare-earth-element contents of some Archean volcanic rocks from the Vermilion greenstone belt, northeast Minnesota, were determined by the isotopic dilution method. The characteristics of trace element abundances, supported by the field occurrences and major element chemistry, suggest that these volcanic rocks were formed in an ancient island arc system.

Real Time Volcanic Cloud Products and Predictions for Aviation Alerts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krotkov, Nickolay A.; Habib, Shahid; da Silva, Arlindo; Hughes, Eric; Yang, Kai; Brentzel, Kelvin; Seftor, Colin; Li, Jason Y.; Schneider, David; Guffanti, Marianne;

Basaltic ignimbrites in monogenetic volcanism: the example of La Garrotxa volcanic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martí, J.; Planagumà, L. l.; Geyer, A.; Aguirre-Díaz, G.; Pedrazzi, D.; Bolós, X.

2017-05-01

Ignimbrites are pyroclastic density current deposits common in explosive volcanism involving intermediate and silicic magmas and in less abundance in eruptions of basaltic central and shield volcanoes. However, they are not widely described in association with monogenetic volcanism, where typical products include lava flows, scoria and lapilli fall deposits, as well as various kinds of pyroclastic density current deposits and explosion breccias. In La Garrotxa basaltic monogenetic volcanic field, part of the Neogene-Quaternary European rift system located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, we have identified a particular group of pyroclastic density current deposits that show similar textural characteristics to silicic ignimbrites, indicating an overlap in transport and depositional processes. These deposits can be clearly distinguished from other pyroclastic density current deposits generated during phreatomagmatic phases that typically correspond to thinly laminated units with planar-to-cross-bedded stratification. The monogenetic ignimbrite deposits correspond to a few meters to several tens of meters thick units rich in lithic- and lapilli scoria fragments, with an abundant ash matrix, and internally massive structure, emplaced along valleys and gullies, with run-out distances up to 6 km and individual volumes ranging from 106 to 1.5 × 107 m3. The presence of flattened scoria and columnar jointing in some of these deposits suggests relatively high emplacement temperatures, coinciding with available paleomagnetic data that suggests an emplacement temperature around 450-500 °C. In this work, we describe the main characteristics of these pyroclastic deposits that were generated by a number of phreatomagmatic episodes. Comparison with similar deposits from silicic eruptions and previous examples of ignimbrites associated with basaltic volcanism allows us to classify them as `basaltic ignimbrites'. The recognition in monogenetic volcanism of such

Tree-ring 14C links seismic swarm to CO2 spike at Yellowstone, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, William C.; Bergfeld, D.; McGeehin, J.P.; King, J.C.; Heasler, H.

2010-01-01

Mechanisms to explain swarms of shallow seismicity and inflation-deflation cycles at Yellowstone caldera (western United States) commonly invoke episodic escape of magma-derived brines or gases from the ductile zone, but no correlative changes in the surface efflux of magmatic constituents have ever been documented. Our analysis of individual growth rings in a tree core from the Mud Volcano thermal area within the caldera links a sharp ~25% drop in 14C to a local seismic swarm in 1978. The implied fivefold increase in CO2 emissions clearly associates swarm seismicity with upflow of magma-derived fluid and shows that pulses of magmatic CO2 can rapidly traverse the 5-kmthick brittle zone, even through Yellowstone's enormous hydrothermal reservoir. The 1978 event predates annual deformation surveys, but recognized connections between subsequent seismic swarms and changes in deformation suggest that CO2 might drive both processes. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

Chemical analyses of hot springs, pools, geysers, and surface waters from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and vicinity, 1974-1975

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ball, James W.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Jenne, Everett A.; Vivit, Davison V.

1998-01-01

This report presents all analytical determinations for samples collected from Yellowstone National Park and vicinity during 1974 and 1975. Water temperature, pH, Eh, and dissolved O2 were determined on-site. Total alkalinity and F were determined on the day of sample collection. Flame atomic-absorption spectrometry was used to determine concentrations of Li, Na, K, Ca, and Mg. Ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry was used to determine concentrations of Fe(II), Fe(III), As(III), and As(V). Direct-current plasma-optical-emission spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of B, Ba, Cd, Cs, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, and Zn. Two samples collected from Yellowstone Park in June 1974 were used as reference samples for testing the plasma analytical method. Results of these tests demonstrate acceptable precision for all detectable elements. Charge imbalance calculations revealed a small number of samples that may have been subject to measurement errors in pH or alkalinity. These data represent some of the most complete analyses of Yellowstone waters available.

Bipolar correlation of volcanism with millennial climate change

PubMed Central

Bay, Ryan C.; Bramall, Nathan; Price, P. Buford

2004-01-01

Analyzing data from our optical dust logger, we find that volcanic ash layers from the Siple Dome (Antarctica) borehole are simultaneous (with >99% rejection of the null hypothesis) with the onset of millennium-timescale cooling recorded at Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2; Greenland). These data are the best evidence yet for a causal connection between volcanism and millennial climate change and lead to possibilities of a direct causal relationship. Evidence has been accumulating for decades that volcanic eruptions can perturb climate and possibly affect it on long timescales and that volcanism may respond to climate change. If rapid climate change can induce volcanism, this result could be further evidence of a southern-lead North–South climate asynchrony. Alternatively, a volcanic-forcing viewpoint is of particular interest because of the high correlation and relative timing of the events, and it may involve a scenario in which volcanic ash and sulfate abruptly increase the soluble iron in large surface areas of the nutrient-limited Southern Ocean, stimulate growth of phytoplankton, which enhance volcanic effects on planetary albedo and the global carbon cycle, and trigger northern millennial cooling. Large global temperature swings could be limited by feedback within the volcano–climate system. PMID:15096586

Mantle-lithosphere interaction beneath the Yellowstone-Snake River province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Keken, P. E.; Lin, S.

2006-12-01

The Yellowstone-Snake River province (YSRP) is one the few currently active continental hotspot locations and the only one with a clear age progression from 16-17 Ma eruptions at the Oregon-Nevada border to the present day activity at in Western Wyoming. The province has a number of characteristics that are quite similar to oceanic hotspot regions, which include a topographic bulge and geoid anomaly. The initial silicic magmatism is contemporaneous with the Columbia River Basalts, but this would require significant northward transport of basalt from the hotspot track, which is potentially accommodated by lateral transport in the crust or by a sideways transport from more competent lithosphere to a weaker spot. We will present 3D models of plumes and plume heads interacting with the lithosphere for the YSRP following the approach of Lin et al. (2005). We are particularly interested in the role of the variable properties of the lithosphere and surface tectonics influence the magmatic emplacement. We investigate the type conditions under which we can generate the Columbia River Basalts as a part of a single Yellowstone plume rising below the western US. This provides important estimates of the original size of the plume head, the current buoyancy flux and the lateral transport of mantle below the lithosphere. S.C. Lin, B.Y. Kuo, L.Y. Chiao, P.E. van Keken, Thermal plume models and melt generation in East Africa: A dynamical modeling approach, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 237, 175-192, 2005.

Spatial variation of volcanic rock geochemistry in the Virunga Volcanic Province: Statistical analysis of an integrated database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barette, Florian; Poppe, Sam; Smets, Benoît; Benbakkar, Mhammed; Kervyn, Matthieu

2017-10-01

We present an integrated, spatially-explicit database of existing geochemical major-element analyses available from (post-) colonial scientific reports, PhD Theses and international publications for the Virunga Volcanic Province, located in the western branch of the East African Rift System. This volcanic province is characterised by alkaline volcanism, including silica-undersaturated, alkaline and potassic lavas. The database contains a total of 908 geochemical analyses of eruptive rocks for the entire volcanic province with a localisation for most samples. A preliminary analysis of the overall consistency of the database, using statistical techniques on sets of geochemical analyses with contrasted analytical methods or dates, demonstrates that the database is consistent. We applied a principal component analysis and cluster analysis on whole-rock major element compositions included in the database to study the spatial variation of the chemical composition of eruptive products in the Virunga Volcanic Province. These statistical analyses identify spatially distributed clusters of eruptive products. The known geochemical contrasts are highlighted by the spatial analysis, such as the unique geochemical signature of Nyiragongo lavas compared to other Virunga lavas, the geochemical heterogeneity of the Bulengo area, and the trachyte flows of Karisimbi volcano. Most importantly, we identified separate clusters of eruptive products which originate from primitive magmatic sources. These lavas of primitive composition are preferentially located along NE-SW inherited rift structures, often at distance from the central Virunga volcanoes. Our results illustrate the relevance of a spatial analysis on integrated geochemical data for a volcanic province, as a complement to classical petrological investigations. This approach indeed helps to characterise geochemical variations within a complex of magmatic systems and to identify specific petrologic and geochemical investigations

Gas measurements from the Costa Rica-Nicaragua volcanic segment suggest possible along-arc variations in volcanic gas chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiuppa, A.; Robidoux, P.; Tamburello, G.; Conde, V.; Galle, B.; Avard, G.; Bagnato, E.; De Moor, J. M.; Martínez, M.; Muñóz, A.

2014-12-01

Obtaining accurate estimates of the CO2 output from arc volcanism requires a precise understanding of the potential along-arc variations in volcanic gas chemistry, and ultimately of the magmatic gas signature of each individual arc segment. In an attempt to more fully constrain the magmatic gas signature of the Central America Volcanic Arc (CAVA), we present here the results of a volcanic gas survey performed during March and April 2013 at five degassing volcanoes within the Costa Rica-Nicaragua volcanic segment (CNVS). Observations of the volcanic gas plume made with a multicomponent gas analyzer system (Multi-GAS) have allowed characterization of the CO2/SO2-ratio signature of the plumes at Poás (0.30±0.06, mean ± SD), Rincón de la Vieja (27.0±15.3), and Turrialba (2.2±0.8) in Costa Rica, and at Telica (3.0±0.9) and San Cristóbal (4.2±1.3) in Nicaragua (all ratios on molar basis). By scaling these plume compositions to simultaneously measured SO2 fluxes, we estimate that the CO2 outputs at CNVS volcanoes range from low (25.5±11.0 tons/day at Poás) to moderate (918 to 1270 tons/day at Turrialba). These results add a new information to the still fragmentary volcanic CO2 output data set, and allow estimating the total CO2 output from the CNVS at 2835±1364 tons/day. Our novel results, with previously available information about gas emissions in Central America, are suggestive of distinct volcanic gas CO2/ST (= SO2 + H2S)-ratio signature for magmatic volatiles in Nicaragua (∼3) relative to Costa Rica (∼0.5-1.0). We also provide additional evidence for the earlier theory relating the CO2-richer signature of Nicaragua volcanism to increased contributions from slab-derived fluids, relative to more-MORB-like volcanism in Costa Rica. The sizeable along-arc variations in magmatic gas chemistry that the present study has suggested indicate that additional gas observations are urgently needed to more-precisely confine the volcanic CO2 from the CAVA, and from

Consequences of fire on aquatic nitrate and phosphate dynamics in Yellowstone National Park

Treesearch

James A. Brass; Vincent G. Ambrosia; Philip J. Riggan; Paul D. Sebesta

1996-01-01

Airborne remotely sensed data were collected and analyzed during and following the 1988 Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) fires in order to characterize the fire front movements, burn intensities and various vegetative components of selected watersheds. Remotely sensed data were used to categorize the burn intensities as: severely burned, moderately burned, mixed...

Constructional Volcanic Edifices on Mercury: Candidates and Hypotheses of Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Jack; Rothery, David A.; Balme, Matthew R.; Conway, Susan J.

2018-04-01

Mercury, a planet with a predominantly volcanic crust, has perplexingly few, if any, constructional volcanic edifices, despite their common occurrence on other solar system bodies with volcanic histories. Using image and topographical data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, we describe two small (<15-km diameter) prominences with shallow summit depressions associated with volcanically flooded impact features. We offer both volcanic and impact-related interpretations for their formation, and then compare these landforms with volcanic features on Earth and the Moon. Though we cannot definitively conclude that these landforms are volcanic, the paucity of constructional volcanic edifices on Mercury is intriguing in itself. We suggest that this lack is because volcanic eruptions with sufficiently low eruption volumes, rates, and flow lengths, suitable for edifice construction, were highly spatiotemporally restricted during Mercury's geological history. We suggest that volcanic edifices may preferentially occur in association with late-stage, postimpact effusive volcanic deposits. The European Space Agency/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury will be able to investigate further our candidate volcanic edifices; search for other, as-yet unrecognized edifices beneath the detection limits of MESSENGER data; and test our hypothesis that edifice construction is favored by late-stage, low-volume effusive eruptions.

Geophagy by yellowstone grizzly bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, D.J.; Green, G.I.; Swalley, R.

1999-01-01

We documented 12 sites in the Yellowstone ecosystem where grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) had purposefully consumed soil (an activity known as geophagy). We also documented soil in numerous grizzly bear feces. Geophagy primarily occurred at sites barren of vegetation where surficial geology had been modified by geothermal activity. There was no evidence of ungulate use at most sites. Purposeful consumption of soil by bears peaked first from March to May and again from August to October, synchronous with peaks in consumption of ungulate meat and mushrooms. Geophageous soils were distinguished from ungulate mineral licks and soils in general by exceptionally high concentrations of potassium (K) and high concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S). Our results do not support the hypotheses that bears were consuming soil to detoxify secondary compounds in grazed foliage, as postulated for primates, or to supplement dietary sodium, as known for ungulates. Our results suggest that grizzly bears could have been consuming soil as an anti-diarrheal.

Planetary Volcanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antonenko, I.; Head, J. W.; Pieters, C. W.

1998-01-01

The final report consists of 10 journal articles concerning Planetary Volcanism. The articles discuss the following topics: (1) lunar stratigraphy; (2) cryptomare thickness measurements; (3) spherical harmonic spectra; (4) late stage activity of volcanoes on Venus; (5) stresses and calderas on Mars; (6) magma reservoir failure; (7) lunar mare basalt volcanism; (8) impact and volcanic glasses in the 79001/2 Core; (9) geology of the lunar regional dark mantle deposits; and (10) factors controlling the depths and sizes of magma reservoirs in Martian volcanoes.

77 FR 38824 - Winter Use Plan, Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [2310-0070-422] Winter Use Plan, Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior...

Growth rate responses of Missouri and lower Yellowstone river fishes to a latitudinal gradient

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pegg, M.A.; Pierce, C.L.

2001-01-01

Growth rate coefficients estimated for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, emerald shiners Notropis atherinoides, freshwater drums Aplodinotus grunniens, river carpsuckers Carpiodes carpio and saugers Stizostedion canadense collected in 1996-1998 from nine river sections of the Missouri and lower Yellowstone rivers at two life-stages (young-of-the-year and age 1 + years) were significantly different among sections. However, they showed no river-wide latitudinal trend except for age 1 + years emerald shiners that did show a weak negative relation between growth and both latitude and length of growing season. The results suggest growth rates of fishes along the Missouri River system are complex and could be of significance in the management and conservation of fish communities in this altered system. ?? 2001 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Grizzly bear predation links the loss of native trout to the demography of migratory elk in Yellowstone.

PubMed

Middleton, Arthur D; Morrison, Thomas A; Fortin, Jennifer K; Robbins, Charles T; Proffitt, Kelly M; White, P J; McWhirter, Douglas E; Koel, Todd M; Brimeyer, Douglas G; Fairbanks, W Sue; Kauffman, Matthew J

2013-07-07

The loss of aquatic subsidies such as spawning salmonids is known to threaten a number of terrestrial predators, but the effects on alternative prey species are poorly understood. At the heart of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, an invasion of lake trout has driven a dramatic decline of native cutthroat trout that migrate up the shallow tributaries of Yellowstone Lake to spawn each spring. We explore whether this decline has amplified the effect of a generalist consumer, the grizzly bear, on populations of migratory elk that summer inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Recent studies of bear diets and elk populations indicate that the decline in cutthroat trout has contributed to increased predation by grizzly bears on the calves of migratory elk. Additionally, a demographic model that incorporates the increase in predation suggests that the magnitude of this diet shift has been sufficient to reduce elk calf recruitment (4-16%) and population growth (2-11%). The disruption of this aquatic-terrestrial linkage could permanently alter native species interactions in YNP. Although many recent ecological changes in YNP have been attributed to the recovery of large carnivores--particularly wolves--our work highlights a growing role of human impacts on the foraging behaviour of grizzly bears.

Grizzly bear predation links the loss of native trout to the demography of migratory elk in Yellowstone

PubMed Central

Middleton, Arthur D.; Morrison, Thomas A.; Fortin, Jennifer K.; Robbins, Charles T.; Proffitt, Kelly M.; White, P. J.; McWhirter, Douglas E.; Koel, Todd M.; Brimeyer, Douglas G.; Fairbanks, W. Sue; Kauffman, Matthew J.

2013-01-01

The loss of aquatic subsidies such as spawning salmonids is known to threaten a number of terrestrial predators, but the effects on alternative prey species are poorly understood. At the heart of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, an invasion of lake trout has driven a dramatic decline of native cutthroat trout that migrate up the shallow tributaries of Yellowstone Lake to spawn each spring. We explore whether this decline has amplified the effect of a generalist consumer, the grizzly bear, on populations of migratory elk that summer inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Recent studies of bear diets and elk populations indicate that the decline in cutthroat trout has contributed to increased predation by grizzly bears on the calves of migratory elk. Additionally, a demographic model that incorporates the increase in predation suggests that the magnitude of this diet shift has been sufficient to reduce elk calf recruitment (4–16%) and population growth (2–11%). The disruption of this aquatic–terrestrial linkage could permanently alter native species interactions in YNP. Although many recent ecological changes in YNP have been attributed to the recovery of large carnivores—particularly wolves—our work highlights a growing role of human impacts on the foraging behaviour of grizzly bears. PMID:23677350

Grizzly bear predation links the loss of native trout to the demography of migratory elk in Yellowstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Middleton, Arthur D.; Morrison, Thomas A.; Fortin, Jennifer K.; Robbins, Charles T.; Proffitt, Kelly M.; White, P.J.; McWhirter, Douglas E.; Koel, Todd M.; Brimeyer, Douglas G.; Fairbanks, W. Sue; Kauffman, Matthew J.

2013-01-01

The loss of aquatic subsidies such as spawning salmonids is known to threaten a number of terrestrial predators, but the effects on alternative prey species are poorly understood. At the heart of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, an invasion of lake trout has driven a dramatic decline of native cutthroat trout that migrate up the shallow tributaries of Yellowstone Lake to spawn each spring. We explore whether this decline has amplified the effect of a generalist consumer, the grizzly bear, on populations of migratory elk that summer inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Recent studies of bear diets and elk populations indicate that the decline in cutthroat trout has contributed to increased predation by grizzly bears on the calves of migratory elk. Additionally, a demographic model that incorporates the increase in predation suggests that the magnitude of this diet shift has been sufficient to reduce elk calf recruitment (4–16%) and population growth (2–11%). The disruption of this aquatic–terrestrial linkage could permanently alter native species interactions in YNP. Although many recent ecological changes in YNP have been attributed to the recovery of large carnivores—particularly wolves—our work highlights a growing role of human impacts on the foraging behaviour of grizzly bears.

Development of a portable active long-path differential optical absorption spectroscopy system for volcanic gas measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vita, Fabio; Kern, Christoph; Inguaggiato, Salvatore

2014-01-01

Active long-path differential optical absorption spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) has been an effective tool for measuring atmospheric trace gases for several decades. However, instruments were large, heavy and power-inefficient, making their application to remote environments extremely challenging. Recent developments in fibre-coupling telescope technology and the availability of ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDS) have now allowed us to design and construct a lightweight, portable, low-power LP-DOAS instrument for use at remote locations and specifically for measuring degassing from active volcanic systems. The LP-DOAS was used to measure sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from La Fossa crater, Vulcano, Italy, where column densities of up to 1.2 × 1018 molec cm−2 (~ 500 ppmm) were detected along open paths of up to 400 m in total length. The instrument's SO2 detection limit was determined to be 2 × 1016 molec cm−2 (~ 8 ppmm), thereby making quantitative detection of even trace amounts of SO2 possible. The instrument is capable of measuring other volcanic volatile species as well. Though the spectral evaluation of the recorded data showed that chlorine monoxide (ClO) and carbon disulfide (CS2) were both below the instrument's detection limits during the experiment, the upper limits for the X / SO2 ratio (X = ClO, CS2) could be derived, and yielded 2 × 10−3 and 0.1, respectively. The robust design and versatility of the instrument make it a promising tool for monitoring of volcanic degassing and understanding processes in a range of volcanic systems.

Volcanism and associated hazards: the Andean perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilling, R. I.

2009-12-01

Andean volcanism occurs within the Andean Volcanic Arc (AVA), which is the product of subduction of the Nazca Plate and Antarctica Plates beneath the South America Plate. The AVA is Earth's longest but discontinuous continental-margin volcanic arc, which consists of four distinct segments: Northern Volcanic Zone, Central Volcanic Zone, Southern Volcanic Zone, and Austral Volcanic Zone. These segments are separated by volcanically inactive gaps that are inferred to indicate regions where the dips of the subducting plates are too shallow to favor the magma generation needed to sustain volcanism. The Andes host more volcanoes that have been active during the Holocene (past 10 000 years) than any other volcanic region in the world, as well as giant caldera systems that have produced 6 of the 47 largest explosive eruptions (so-called "super eruptions") recognized worldwide that have occurred from the Ordovician to the Pleistocene. The Andean region's most powerful historical explosive eruption occurred in 1600 at Huaynaputina Volcano (Peru). The impacts of this event, whose eruptive volume exceeded 11 km3, were widespread, with distal ashfall reported at distances >1000 km away. Despite the huge size of the Huaynaputina eruption, human fatalities from hazardous processes (pyroclastic flows, ashfalls, volcanogenic earthquakes, and lahars) were comparatively small owing to the low population density at the time. In contrast, lahars generated by a much smaller eruption (<0.05 km3) in 1985 of Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) killed about 25 000 people - the worst volcanic disaster in the Andean region as well as the second worst in the world in the 20th century. The Ruiz tragedy has been attributed largely to ineffective communications of hazards information and indecisiveness by government officials, rather than any major deficiencies in scientific data. Ruiz's disastrous outcome, however, together with responses to subsequent hazardous eruptions in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and

Volcanism and associated hazards: The Andean perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tilling, R.I.

2009-01-01

Andean volcanism occurs within the Andean Volcanic Arc (AVA), which is the product of subduction of the Nazca Plate and Antarctica Plates beneath the South America Plate. The AVA is Earth's longest but discontinuous continental-margin volcanic arc, which consists of four distinct segments: Northern Volcanic Zone, Central Volcanic Zone, Southern Volcanic Zone, and Austral Volcanic Zone. These segments are separated by volcanically inactive gaps that are inferred to indicate regions where the dips of the subducting plates are too shallow to favor the magma generation needed to sustain volcanism. The Andes host more volcanoes that have been active during the Holocene (past 10 000 years) than any other volcanic region in the world, as well as giant caldera systems that have produced 6 of the 47 largest explosive eruptions (so-called "super eruptions") recognized worldwide that have occurred from the Ordovician to the Pleistocene.

The Andean region's most powerful historical explosive eruption occurred in 1600 at Huaynaputina Volcano (Peru). The impacts of this event, whose eruptive volume exceeded 11 km3, were widespread, with distal ashfall reported at distances >1000 km away. Despite the huge size of the Huaynaputina eruption, human fatalities from hazardous processes (pyroclastic flows, ashfalls, volcanogenic earthquakes, and lahars) were comparatively small owing to the low population density at the time. In contrast, lahars generated by a much smaller eruption (<0.05 km 3) in 1985 of Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia) killed about 25 000 people - the worst volcanic disaster in the Andean region as well as the second worst in the world in the 20th century. The Ruiz tragedy has been attributed largely to ineffective communications of hazards information and indecisiveness by government officials, rather than any major deficiencies in scientific data. Ruiz's disastrous outcome, however, together with responses to subsequent hazardous eruptions in Chile, Colombia

Volcanic Aerosol Radiative Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lacis, Andrew

2015-01-01

Large sporadic volcanic eruptions inject large amounts of sulfur bearing gases into the stratosphere which then get photochemically converted to sulfuric acid aerosol droplets that exert a radiative cooling effect on the global climate system lasting for several years.

Long term volcanic hazard analysis in the Canary Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becerril, L.; Galindo, I.; Laín, L.; Llorente, M.; Mancebo, M. J.

2009-04-01

Historic volcanism in Spain is restricted to the Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago formed by seven volcanic islands. Several historic eruptions have been registered in the last five hundred years. However, and despite the huge amount of citizens and tourist in the archipelago, only a few volcanic hazard studies have been carried out. These studies are mainly focused in the developing of hazard maps in Lanzarote and Tenerife islands, especially for land use planning. The main handicap for these studies in the Canary Islands is the lack of well reported historical eruptions, but also the lack of data such as geochronological, geochemical or structural. In recent years, the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and the improvement in the volcanic processes modelling has provided an important tool for volcanic hazard assessment. Although this sophisticated programs are really useful they need to be fed by a huge amount of data that sometimes, such in the case of the Canary Islands, are not available. For this reason, the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) is developing a complete geo-referenced database for long term volcanic analysis in the Canary Islands. The Canarian Volcanic Hazard Database (HADA) is based on a GIS helping to organize and manage volcanic information efficiently. HADA includes the following groups of information: (1) 1:25.000 scale geologic maps, (2) 1:25.000 topographic maps, (3) geochronologic data, (4) geochemical data, (5) structural information, (6) climatic data. Data must pass a quality control before they are included in the database. New data are easily integrated in the database. With the HADA database the IGME has started a systematic organization of the existing data. In the near future, the IGME will generate new information to be included in HADA, such as volcanological maps of the islands, structural information, geochronological data and other information to assess long term volcanic hazard analysis. HADA will permit

Constraints of texture and composition of clinopyroxene phenocrysts of Holocene volcanic rocks on a magmatic plumbing system beneath Tengchong, SW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jun-Hao; Song, Xie-Yan; He, Hai-Long; Zheng, Wen-Qin; Yu, Song-Yue; Chen, Lie-Meng; Lai, Chun-Kit

2018-04-01

Understanding processes of magma replenishment in a magma plumbing system is essential to predict eruption potential of a dormant volcano. In this study, we present new petrologic and thermobarometric data for youngest lava flows from the Holocene Heikongshan volcano in the Tengchong area, SW China. Clinopyroxene phenocrysts from the trachytic lava flows display various textural/compositional zoning styles (i.e., normal, reverse and oscillatory). Such zoning patterns are indicative of an open magmatic plumbing system with multiphase magma replenishment and mixing, which were likely a key drive of the volcanic eruptions. Thermobarometric calculations of these zoned clinopyroxene phenocrysts yield crystallization pressures of 3.8-7.1 kbar (peak at 4.5-7.0 kbar), corresponding to a magma chamber at depths of 14-21 km. The calculated depths are consistent with the large low-resistivity body at 12-30 km beneath the Heikongshan volcano, implying that the magmatic plumbing system may still be active. Recent earthquakes in the Tengchong area suggest that the regional strike-slip faulting are still active, and may trigger future volcanic eruptions if the magma chamber(s) beneath the Tengchong volcanic field is disturbed, in spite of the volcanic quiescence since 1609 CE.

Distinguishing high surf from volcanic long-period earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, John; Haney, Matt; Fee, David; Paskievitch, John F.

2014-01-01

Repeating long-period (LP) earthquakes are observed at active volcanoes worldwide and are typically attributed to unsteady pressure fluctuations associated with fluid migration through the volcanic plumbing system. Nonvolcanic sources of LP signals include ice movement and glacial outburst floods, and the waveform characteristics and frequency content of these events often make them difficult to distinguish from volcanic LP events. We analyze seismic and infrasound data from an LP swarm recorded at Pagan volcano on 12–14 October 2013 and compare the results to ocean wave data from a nearby buoy. We demonstrate that although the events show strong similarity to volcanic LP signals, the events are not volcanic but due to intense surf generated by a passing typhoon. Seismo-acoustic methods allow for rapid distinction of volcanic LP signals from those generated by large surf and other sources, a critical task for volcano monitoring.

Water quality in the Yellowstone River Basin, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, David A.; Bartos, Timothy T.; Clark, Melanie L.; Miller, Kirk A.; Porter, Stephen D.; Quinn, Thomas L.

2004-01-01

This report contains the major findings of a 1999?2001 assessment of water quality in the Yellowstone River Basin. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public interest groups, or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report also is for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the Yellowstone River Basin summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed from http://wy.water.usgs.gov/YELL/index.htm. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report, in addition to reports in this series from other basins, can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Genesis of the post-caldera eastern Upper Basin Member rhyolites, Yellowstone, WY: from volcanic stratigraphy, geochemistry, and radiogenic isotope modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, Chad J.; Larson, Peter B.

2012-08-01

An array of samples from the eastern Upper Basin Member of the Plateau Rhyolite (EUBM) in the Yellowstone Plateau, Wyoming, were collected and analyzed to evaluate styles of deposition, geochemical variation, and plausible sources for low δ18O rhyolites. Similar depositional styles and geochemistry suggest that the Tuff of Sulphur Creek and Tuff of Uncle Tom's Trail were both deposited from pyroclastic density currents and are most likely part of the same unit. The middle unit of the EUBM, the Canyon flow, may be composed of multiple flows based on a wide range of Pb isotopic ratios (e.g., 206Pb/204Pb ranges from 17.54 to 17.86). The youngest EUBM, the Dunraven Road flow, appears to be a ring fracture dome and contains isotopic ratios and sparse phenocrysts that are similar to extra-caldera rhyolites of the younger Roaring Mountain Member. Petrologic textures, more radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr in plagioclase phenocrysts (0.7134-0.7185) than groundmass and whole-rock ratios (0.7099-0.7161), and δ18O depletions on the order of 5‰ found in the Tuff of Sulphur Creek and Canyon flow indicate at least a two-stage petrogenesis involving an initial source rock formed by assimilation and fractional crystallization processes, which cooled and was hydrothermally altered. The source rock was then lowered to melting depth by caldera collapse and remelted and erupted. The presence of a low δ18O extra-caldera rhyolite indicates that country rock may have been hydrothermally altered at depth and then assimilated to form the Dunraven Road flow.

Continued warming could transform Greater Yellowstone fire regimes by mid-21st century

Treesearch

Anthony L. Westerling; Monica G. Turner; Erica A. H. Smithwick; William H. Romme; Michael G. Ryan

2011-01-01

Climate change is likely to alter wildfire regimes, but the magnitude and timing of potential climate-driven changes in regional fire regimes are not well understood. We considered how the occurrence, size, and spatial location of large fires might respond to climate projections in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem (GYE) (Wyoming), a large wildland ecosystem dominated...

Volcanic Plume Measurements with UAV (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinohara, H.; Kaneko, T.; Ohminato, T.

2013-12-01

Volatiles in magmas are the driving force of volcanic eruptions and quantification of volcanic gas flux and composition is important for the volcano monitoring. Recently we developed a portable gas sensor system (Multi-GAS) to quantify the volcanic gas composition by measuring volcanic plumes and obtained volcanic gas compositions of actively degassing volcanoes. As the Multi-GAS measures variation of volcanic gas component concentrations in the pumped air (volcanic plume), we need to bring the apparatus into the volcanic plume. Commonly the observer brings the apparatus to the summit crater by himself but such measurements are not possible under conditions of high risk of volcanic eruption or difficulty to approach the summit due to topography etc. In order to overcome these difficulties, volcanic plume measurements were performed by using manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. The volcanic plume measurements by manned aerial vehicles, however, are also not possible under high risk of eruption. The strict regulation against the modification of the aircraft, such as installing sampling pipes, also causes difficulty due to the high cost. Application of the UAVs for the volcanic plume measurements has a big advantage to avoid these problems. The Multi-GAS consists of IR-CO2 and H2O gas analyzer, SO2-H2O chemical sensors and H2 semiconductor sensor and the total weight ranges 3-6 kg including batteries. The necessary conditions of the UAV for the volcanic plumes measurements with the Multi-GAS are the payloads larger than 3 kg, maximum altitude larger than the plume height and installation of the sampling pipe without contamination of the exhaust gases, as the exhaust gases contain high concentrations of H2, SO2 and CO2. Up to now, three different types of UAVs were applied for the measurements; Kite-plane (Sky Remote) at Miyakejima operated by JMA, Unmanned airplane (Air Photo Service) at Shinomoedake, Kirishima volcano, and Unmanned helicopter (Yamaha) at Sakurajima

Io - Volcanic Eruption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

This photo of a volcanic eruption on Jupiter's satellite Io (dark fountain-like feature near the limb) was taken March 4, 1979, about 12 hours before Voyager 1's closest approach to Jupiter. This and the accompanying photo present the evidence for the first active volcanic eruption ever observed on another body in the solar system. This photo taken from a distance of 310,000 miles (499,000 kilometers), shows a plume-like structure rising more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface, a cloud of material being produced by an active eruption. At least four eruptions have been identified on Voyager 1 pictures and many more may yet be discovered on closer analysis. On a nearly airless body like Io, particulate material thrown out of a volcano follows a ballistic trajectory, accounting for the dome-like shape of the top of the cloud, formed as particles reach the top of their flight path and begin to fall back. Spherical expansion of outflowing gas forms an even larger cloud surrounding the dust. Several regions have been identified by the infrared instrument on Voyager 1 as being several hundred degrees Fahrenheit warmer than surrounding terrain, and correlated with the eruptions. The fact that several eruptions appear to be going on simultaneously makes Io the most active surface in the solar system and suggests to scientists that Io is undergoing continuous volcanism, revising downward the age of Io's surface once again. JPL manages and controls the Voyager Project for NASA's Office of Space Science.

Preliminary Findings of Petrology and Geochemistry of The Aladaǧ Volcanic System and Surrounding Areas (Kars, Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, Olgun; Keskin, Mehmet

2017-04-01

Between the towns of Sarıkamış and Kaǧızman, NE Turkey, a medium-sized strato-volcano with satellite cones and domes on its slopes unconformably overlies the Erzurum-Kars Volcanic Plateau (EKVP) with a subhorizontal contact. It is called the Aladaǧ volcanic system (AVS). Dating results indicate that the AVS is Pliocene in age. The EKVP is known to be formed by a widespread volcanism between Middle Miocene to Pliocene. The young volcanism in E Turkey including the study area is linked to a collision between the Eurasia and Arabian continents, started almost 15 Ma ago. The EKVP lies over 2000 m above the sea level, and is deeply cut by the river Aras. On the slopes of the valley, one of the best volcano-stratigraphic transects of Eastern Anatolia, almost half a km thick, is exposed. That transect is composed of aphyric andesites-dacites, ignimbrites, tuffs, perlite and obsidian bands. Pyroclastic fall and surge-related pumice deposits are also widespread. Top of the plateau is composed of the andesitic to basaltic andesitic lavas containing plagioclase (Plg) and ortho/clino pyroxene (Opx/Cpx) phenocrysts set in glassy groundmass. In the northwest of the study area, an eroded stratovolcano, probably coeval with the plateau sequence is situated. It also consists of high-silica rhyolites and pyroclastic equivalents. The AVS is composed basically of intermediate lavas. The largest volcanic edifice of the Aladaǧ volcanic system, namely the Greater Aladaǧ stratovolcano reaches up to 3000 m height and includes a horseshoe shaped crater open to the North. Small volcanic cones and domes sit on the flanks of the Greater Aladaǧ volcano. The Aladaǧ lavas are divided into four sub-groups on the basis of their stratigraphic positions, mineral assemblages and textural properties. (1) The oldest products of the Greater Aladaǧ stratovolcano are andesitic and dasitic lavas. They directly sit on the EKVP. These are Plg and Opx/Cpx bearing lavas with porphric, vitrophyric

Payún Volcanic Field

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-04

Situated in the southern Andes Mountains, the Payún volcanic field of Argentina is a complex landscape that formed over hundreds of thousands of years. Sprawling over 5,200 square kilometers (2,000 square miles), Payún is a massive shield volcano—a broad formation resembling an ancient warrior shield. This false-color image is a composite of observations acquired on February 7 and March 20, 2001 by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on the Landsat 7 satellite. It was made from a combination of visible and infrared light, where green indicates vegetation, black indicates lava flows, and orange is bare rock rich in iron oxides. Part of the back-arc volcanism of the Andes, Payún lies about 530 kilometers (330 miles) east from where the Nazca plate subducts below the South America plate. Not surprisingly, a volcanic zone extends over some 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) north-to-south in this region. According to a study published in 2010, the regional geology and chemical composition of the rocks indicate that the volcanic field likely formed within the past 300,000 years. The dominant feature of the volcanic field is Payún Matru, an elliptical caldera measuring roughly 9 by 7 kilometers (6 by 4 miles). Geologists surmise that the caldera formed after the old magma chamber emptied and the summit collapsed. Southwest of the caldera is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of compacted ash, hardened lava, and rocks ejected during previous eruptions. This stratovolcano, Payún, rises to 3,680 meters (12,073 feet) above sea level. (The entire volcanic field sits at 2,000 meters, or 6,600 feet.) The stratovolcano may be the most prominent feature in the volcanic field but it is by no means the only one. More than 300 eruptive features litter the shield volcano, most of them occupying an east-west line. West of Payún Matru is an area known as Los Volcanes, a mass of strombolian cones and basaltic lava flows. Image courtesy Michael P. Taylor, Landsat Data

On a Possible Unified Scaling Law for Volcanic Eruption Durations

PubMed Central

Cannavò, Flavio; Nunnari, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Volcanoes constitute dissipative systems with many degrees of freedom. Their eruptions are the result of complex processes that involve interacting chemical-physical systems. At present, due to the complexity of involved phenomena and to the lack of precise measurements, both analytical and numerical models are unable to simultaneously include the main processes involved in eruptions thus making forecasts of volcanic dynamics rather unreliable. On the other hand, accurate forecasts of some eruption parameters, such as the duration, could be a key factor in natural hazard estimation and mitigation. Analyzing a large database with most of all the known volcanic eruptions, we have determined that the duration of eruptions seems to be described by a universal distribution which characterizes eruption duration dynamics. In particular, this paper presents a plausible global power-law distribution of durations of volcanic eruptions that holds worldwide for different volcanic environments. We also introduce a new, simple and realistic pipe model that can follow the same found empirical distribution. Since the proposed model belongs to the family of the self-organized systems it may support the hypothesis that simple mechanisms can lead naturally to the emergent complexity in volcanic behaviour. PMID:26926425

On a Possible Unified Scaling Law for Volcanic Eruption Durations.

PubMed

Cannavò, Flavio; Nunnari, Giuseppe

2016-03-01

Volcanoes constitute dissipative systems with many degrees of freedom. Their eruptions are the result of complex processes that involve interacting chemical-physical systems. At present, due to the complexity of involved phenomena and to the lack of precise measurements, both analytical and numerical models are unable to simultaneously include the main processes involved in eruptions thus making forecasts of volcanic dynamics rather unreliable. On the other hand, accurate forecasts of some eruption parameters, such as the duration, could be a key factor in natural hazard estimation and mitigation. Analyzing a large database with most of all the known volcanic eruptions, we have determined that the duration of eruptions seems to be described by a universal distribution which characterizes eruption duration dynamics. In particular, this paper presents a plausible global power-law distribution of durations of volcanic eruptions that holds worldwide for different volcanic environments. We also introduce a new, simple and realistic pipe model that can follow the same found empirical distribution. Since the proposed model belongs to the family of the self-organized systems it may support the hypothesis that simple mechanisms can lead naturally to the emergent complexity in volcanic behaviour.

The Impact of Field Experiences in Yellowstone National Park on Practice in Secondary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrew, Christopher N.

2012-01-01

The current study focused on how six participants of a 2009 professional development activity at Yellowstone National Park described their experience and classroom instructional impact. The author focused on words and phrases illustrating perspective gathering, reflection and public performance to determine the impact of both the experience at…

Space Radar Image of Yellowstone Park, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

These two radar images show the majestic Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, the oldest national park in the United States and home to the world's most spectacular geysers and hot springs. The region supports large populations of grizzly bears, elk and bison. In 1988, the park was burned by one of the most widespread fires to occur in the northern Rocky Mountains in the last 50 years. Surveys indicated that 793,880 acres of land burned. Of that, 41 percent was burned forest, with tree canopies totally consumed by the fire; 35 percent was a combination of unburned, scorched and blackened trees; 13 percent was surface burn under an unburned canopy; 6 percent was non-forest burn; and 5 percent was undifferentiated burn. Six years later, the burned areas are still clearly visible in these false-color radar images obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar on board the space shuttle Endeavour. The image at the left was obtained using the L-band radar channel, horizontally received and vertically transmitted, on the shuttle's 39th orbit on October 2, 1994. The area shown is 45 kilometers by 71 kilometers (28 miles by 44 miles) in size and centered at 44.6 degrees north latitude, 110.7 degrees west longitude. North is toward the top of the image (to the right). Most trees in this area are lodge pole pines at different stages of fire succession. Yellowstone Lake appears as a large dark feature at the bottom of the scene. At right is a map of the forest crown, showing its biomass, or amount of vegetation, which includes foliage and branches. The map was created by inverting SIR-C data and using in situ estimates of crown biomass gathered by the Yellowstone National Biological Survey. The map is displayed on a color scale from blue (rivers and lakes with no biomass) to brown (non-forest areas with crown biomass of less than 4 tons per hectare) to light brown (areas of canopy burn with biomass of between 4 and 12 tons per hectare). Yellow

The permeability of fractured rocks in pressurised volcanic and geothermal systems.

PubMed

Lamur, A; Kendrick, J E; Eggertsson, G H; Wall, R J; Ashworth, J D; Lavallée, Y

2017-07-21

The connectivity of rocks' porous structure and the presence of fractures influence the transfer of fluids in the Earth's crust. Here, we employed laboratory experiments to measure the influence of macro-fractures and effective pressure on the permeability of volcanic rocks with a wide range of initial porosities (1-41 vol. %) comprised of both vesicles and micro-cracks. We used a hand-held permeameter and hydrostatic cell to measure the permeability of intact rock cores at effective pressures up to 30 MPa; we then induced a macro-fracture to each sample using Brazilian tensile tests and measured the permeability of these macro-fractured rocks again. We show that intact rock permeability increases non-linearly with increasing porosity and decreases with increasing effective pressure due to compactional closure of micro-fractures. Imparting a macro-fracture both increases the permeability of rocks and their sensitivity to effective pressure. The magnitude of permeability increase induced by the macro-fracture is more significant for dense rocks. We finally provide a general equation to estimate the permeability of intact and fractured rocks, forming a basis to constrain fluid flow in volcanic and geothermal systems.

Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Monogenetic Volcanic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiyosugi, Koji

Achieving an understanding of the nature of monogenetic volcanic fields depends on identification of the spatial and temporal patterns of volcanism in these fields, and their relationships to structures mapped in the shallow crust and inferred in the deep crust and mantle through interpretation of geochemical, radiometric and geophysical data. We investigate the spatial and temporal distributions of volcanism in the Abu Monogenetic Volcano Group, Southwest Japan. E-W elongated volcano distribution, which is identified by a nonparametric kernel method, is found to be consistent with the spatial extent of P-wave velocity anomalies in the lower crust and upper mantle, supporting the idea that the spatial density map of volcanic vents reflects the geometry of a mantle diapir. Estimated basalt supply to the lower crust is constant. This observation and the spatial distribution of volcanic vents suggest stability of magma productivity and essentially constant two-dimensional size of the source mantle diapir. We mapped conduits, dike segments, and sills in the San Rafael sub-volcanic field, Utah, where the shallowest part of a Pliocene magmatic system is exceptionally well exposed. The distribution of conduits matches the major features of dike distribution, including development of clusters and distribution of outliers. The comparison of San Rafael conduit distribution and the distributions of volcanoes in several recently active volcanic fields supports the use of statistical models, such as nonparametric kernel methods, in probabilistic hazard assessment for distributed volcanism. We developed a new recurrence rate calculation method that uses a Monte Carlo procedure to better reflect and understand the impact of uncertainties of radiometric age determinations on uncertainty of recurrence rate estimates for volcanic activity in the Abu, Yucca Mountain Region, and Izu-Tobu volcanic fields. Results suggest that the recurrence rates of volcanic fields can change by more

Volcanic observation data and simulation database at NIED, Japan (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, E.; Ueda, H.; Kozono, T.

2009-12-01

NIED (Nat’l Res. Inst. for Earth Sci. & Disast. Prev.) has a project to develop two volcanic database systems: (1) volcanic observation database; (2) volcanic simulation database. The volcanic observation database is the data archive center obtained by the geophysical observation networks at Mt. Fuji, Miyake, Izu-Oshima, Iwo-jima and Nasu volcanoes, central Japan. The data consist of seismic (both high-sensitivity and broadband), ground deformation (tiltmeter, GPS) and those from other sensors (e.g., rain gauge, gravimeter, magnetometer, pressure gauge.) These data is originally stored in “WIN format,” the Japanese standard format, which is also at the Hi-net (High sensitivity seismic network Japan, http://www.hinet.bosai.go.jp/). NIED joins to WOVOdat and we have prepared to upload our data, via XML format. Our concept of the XML format is 1)a common format for intermediate files to upload into the WOVOdat DB, 2) for data files downloaded from the WOVOdat DB, 3) for data exchanges between observatories without the WOVOdat DB, 4) for common data files in each observatory, 5) for data communications between systems and softwares and 6)a for softwares. NIED is now preparing for (2) the volcanic simulation database. The objective of this project is to support to develop a “real-time” hazard map, i.e., the system which is effective to evaluate volcanic hazard in case of emergency, including the up-to-date conditions. Our system will include lava flow simulation (LavaSIM) and pyroclastic flow simulation (grvcrt). The database will keep many cases of assumed simulations and we can pick up the most probable case as the first evaluation in case the eruption started. The final goals of the both database will realize the volcanic eruption prediction and forecasting in real time by the combination of monitoring data and numerical simulations.

The climate adaptation programs and activities of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

Treesearch

Wendy L. Francis

2011-01-01

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is an innovative transboundary effort to protect biodiversity and facilitate climate adaptation by linking large protected core areas through compatible land uses on matrix lands. The Y2Y organization acts as the keeper of the Y2Y vision and implements two interconnected programs - Science and Action, and Vision...

Population viability of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steed, Amber C.; Zale, Alexander V.; Koel, Todd M.; Kalinowski, Steven T.

2010-01-01

The fluvial Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus is restricted to less than 5% of its native range in the contiguous United States and was relisted as a category 3 candidate species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2010. Although fluvial Arctic grayling of the lower Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, were considered to have been extirpated by 1935, anglers and biologists have continued to report catching low numbers of Arctic grayling in the river. Our goal was to determine whether a viable population of fluvial Arctic grayling persisted in the Gibbon River or whether the fish caught in the river were downstream emigrants from lacustrine populations in headwater lakes. We addressed this goal by determining relative abundances, sources, and evidence for successful spawning of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River. During 2005 and 2006, Arctic grayling comprised between 0% and 3% of the salmonid catch in riverwide electrofishing (mean < 1%; SE < 1%) and snorkeling (mean = 1%; SE = 1%) surveys; Arctic grayling constituted 0–14% of the salmonid catch obtained by targeted angling (3 of 22 fish; mean = 4%; SE = 5%). Low values of the genetic differentiation index (F ST = 0.0021 ± 0.002 [mean ± 95% confidence interval]) between headwater lake and river Arctic grayling indicated that fish from throughout the Gibbon River system probably belonged to the same population. Back-calculated lengths at most ages were similar among all fish, and successful spawning within the Gibbon River below the headwater lakes was not documented. Few Arctic grayling adults and no fry were detected in the Gibbon River, implying that a reproducing fluvial population does not exist there. These findings have implications for future Endangered Species Act considerations and management of fluvial Arctic grayling within and outside of Yellowstone National Park. Our comprehensive approach is broadly applicable to the management of sparsely detected aquatic species worldwide.

Kawah Ijen volcanic activity: A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caudron, Corentin; Syahbana, Devy Kamil; Lecocq, Thomas; van Hinsberg, Vincent; McCausland, Wendy; Triantafyllou, Antoine; Camelbeeck, Thierry; Bernard, Alain; Surono,

2015-01-01

Kawah Ijen is a composite volcano located at the easternmost part of Java island in Indonesia and hosts the largest natural acidic lake in the world. We have gathered all available historical reports on Kawah Ijen’s activity since 1770 with the purpose of reviewing the temporal evolution of its activity. Most of these observations and studies have been conducted from a geochemical perspective and in punctuated scientific campaigns. Starting in 1991, the seismic activity and a set of volcanic lake parameters began to be weekly available. We present a database of those measurements that, combined with historical reports, allow us to review each eruption/unrest that occurred during the last two centuries. As of 2010, the volcanic activity is monitored by a new multi-disciplinary network, including digital seismic stations, and lake level and temperature measurements. This detailed monitoring provides an opportunity for better classifying seismic events and forecasting volcanic unrest at Kawah Ijen, but only with the understanding of the characteristics of this volcanic system gained from the historical review presented here.

Thermal controls of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and invasive fishes under climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Al-Chokhachy, Robert K.; Alder, Jay R.; Hostetler, Steven W.; Gresswell, Robert E.; Shepard, Bradley

2013-01-01

We combine large observed data sets and dynamically downscaled climate data to explore historic and future (2050–2069) stream temperature changes over the topographically diverse Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (elevation range = 824–4017 m). We link future stream temperatures with fish growth models to investigate how changing thermal regimes could influence the future distribution and persistence of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) and competing invasive species. We find that stream temperatures during the recent decade (2000–2009) surpass the anomalously warm period of the 1930s. Climate simulations indicate air temperatures will warm by 1 °C to >3 °C over the Greater Yellowstone by mid-21st century, resulting in concomitant increases in 2050–2069 peak stream temperatures and protracted periods of warming from May to September (MJJAS). Projected changes in thermal regimes during the MJJAS growing season modify the trajectories of daily growth rates at all elevations with pronounced growth during early and late summer. For high-elevation populations, we find considerable increases in fish body mass attributable both to warming of cold-water temperatures and to extended growing seasons. During peak July to August warming, mid-21st century temperatures will cause periods of increased thermal stress, rendering some low-elevation streams less suitable for YCT. The majority (80%) of sites currently inhabited by YCT, however, display minimal loss (<10%) or positive changes in total body mass by midcentury; we attribute this response to the fact that many low-elevation populations of YCT have already been extirpated by historical changes in land use and invasions of non-native species. Our results further suggest that benefits to YCT populations due to warmer stream temperatures at currently cold sites could be offset by the interspecific effects of corresponding growth of sympatric, non-native species, underscoring the importance of developing

Contrasting past and current numbers of bears visiting Yellowstone cutthroat trout streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haroldson, Mark A.; Schwartz, Charles C.; Teisberg, Justin E.; Gunther, Kerry A.; Fortin, Jennifer K.; Robbins, Charles T.

2014-01-01

Spawning cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) were historically abundant within tributary streams of Yellowstone Lake within Yellowstone National Park and were a highly digestible source of energy and protein for Yellowstone’s grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (U. americanus). The cutthroat trout population has subsequently declined since the introduction of non-native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and in response to effects of drought and whirling disease (Myxobolus cerebralis). The trout population, duration of spawning runs, and indices of bear use of spawning streams had declined in some regions of the lake by 1997–2000. We initiated a 3-year study in 2007 to assess whether numbers of spawning fish, black bears, and grizzly bears within and alongside stream corridors had changed since 1997– 2000. We estimated numbers of grizzly bears and black bears by first compiling encounter histories of individual bears visiting 48 hair-snag sites along 35 historically fished streams.We analyzed DNA encounter histories with Pradel-recruitment and Jolly-Seber (POPAN) capture-mark-recapture models. When compared to 1997–2000, the current number of spawning cutthroat trout per stream and the number of streams with cutthroat trout has decreased. We estimated that 48 (95% CI¼42–56) male and 23 (95% CI¼21–27) female grizzly bears visited the historically fished tributary streams during our study. In any 1- year, 46 to 59 independent grizzly bears (8–10% of estimated Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population) visited these streams. When compared with estimates from the 1997 to 2000 study and adjusted for equal effort, the number of grizzly bears using the stream corridors decreased by 63%. Additionally, the number of black bears decreased between 64% and 84%. We also document an increased proportion of bears of both species visiting front-country (i.e., near human development) streams. With the recovery of cutthroat trout, we suggest bears

Renewed uplift at the Yellowstone caldera measured by leveling surveys and satellite radar interferometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dzurisin, D.; Wicks, Charles; Thatcher, W.

1999-01-01

A first-order leveling survey across the northeast part of the Yellowstone caldera in September 1998 showed that the central caldera floor near Le Hardy Rapids rose 24±5 mm relative to the caldera rim at Lake Butte since the previous survey in September 1995. Annual surveys along the same traverse from 1985 to 1995 tracked progressive subsidence near Le Hardy Rapids at an average rate of –19±1 mm/year. Earlier, less frequent surveys measured net uplift in the same area during 1923–1976 (14±1 mm/year) and 1976–1984 (22±1 mm/year). The resumption of uplift following a decade of subsidence was first detected by satellite synthetic aperture radar interferometry, which revealed approximately 15 mm of uplift in the vicinity of Le Hardy Rapids from July 1995 to June 1997. Radar interferograms show that the center of subsidence shifted from the Sour Creek resurgent dome in the northeast part of the caldera during August 1992 to June 1993 to the Mallard Lake resurgent dome in the southwest part during June 1993 to August 1995. Uplift began at the Sour Creek dome during August 1995 to September 1996 and spread to the Mallard Lake dome by June 1997. The rapidity of these changes and the spatial pattern of surface deformation suggest that ground movements are caused at least in part by accumulation and migration of fluids in two sill-like bodies at 5–10 km depth, near the interface between Yellowstone's magmatic and deep hydrothermal systems.

Impact of major volcanic eruptions on stratospheric water vapour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löffler, Michael; Brinkop, Sabine; Jöckel, Patrick

2016-05-01

Volcanic eruptions can have a significant impact on the Earth's weather and climate system. Besides the subsequent tropospheric changes, the stratosphere is also influenced by large eruptions. Here changes in stratospheric water vapour after the two major volcanic eruptions of El Chichón in Mexico in 1982 and Mount Pinatubo on the Philippines in 1991 are investigated with chemistry-climate model simulations. This study is based on two simulations with specified dynamics of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Hamburg - Modular Earth Submodel System (ECHAM/MESSy) Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model, performed within the Earth System Chemistry integrated Modelling (ESCiMo) project, of which only one includes the long-wave volcanic forcing through prescribed aerosol optical properties. The results show a significant increase in stratospheric water vapour induced by the eruptions, resulting from increased heating rates and the subsequent changes in stratospheric and tropopause temperatures in the tropics. The tropical vertical advection and the South Asian summer monsoon are identified as sources for the additional water vapour in the stratosphere. Additionally, volcanic influences on tropospheric water vapour and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are evident, if the long-wave forcing is strong enough. Our results are corroborated by additional sensitivity simulations of the Mount Pinatubo period with reduced nudging and reduced volcanic aerosol extinction.

Forecasts of 21st Century Snowpack and Implications for Snowmobile and Snowcoach Use in Yellowstone National Park

PubMed Central

Tercek, Michael; Rodman, Ann

2016-01-01

Climate models project a general decline in western US snowpack throughout the 21st century, but long-term, spatially fine-grained, management-relevant projections of snowpack are not available for Yellowstone National Park. We focus on the implications that future snow declines may have for oversnow vehicle (snowmobile and snowcoach) use because oversnow tourism is critical to the local economy and has been a contentious issue in the park for more than 30 years. Using temperature-indexed snow melt and accumulation equations with temperature and precipitation data from downscaled global climate models, we forecast the number of days that will be suitable for oversnow travel on each Yellowstone road segment during the mid- and late-21st century. The west entrance road was forecast to be the least suitable for oversnow use in the future while the south entrance road was forecast to remain at near historical levels of driveability. The greatest snow losses were forecast for the west entrance road where as little as 29% of the December–March oversnow season was forecast to be driveable by late century. The climatic conditions that allow oversnow vehicle use in Yellowstone are forecast by our methods to deteriorate significantly in the future. At some point it may be prudent to consider plowing the roads that experience the greatest snow losses. PMID:27467778

Automated Identification of Volcanic Plumes using the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flower, V. J. B.; Oommen, T.; Carn, S. A.

2015-12-01

Volcanic eruptions are a global phenomenon which are increasingly impacting human populations due to factors such as the extension of population centres into areas of higher risk, expansion of agricultural sectors to accommodate increased production or the increasing impact of volcanic plumes on air travel. In areas where extensive monitoring is present these impacts can be moderated by ground based monitoring and alert systems, however many volcanoes have little or no monitoring capabilities. In many of these regions volcanic alerts are generated by local communities with limited resources or formal communication systems, however additional eruption alerts can result from chance encounters with passing aircraft. In contrast satellite based remote sensing instruments possess the capability to provide near global daily monitoring, facilitating automated volcanic eruption detection. One such system generates eruption alerts through the detection of thermal anomalies, known as MODVOLC, and is currently operational utilising moderate resolution MODIS satellite data. Within this work we outline a method to distinguish SO2 eruptions from background levels recorded by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) through the identification and classification of volcanic activity over a 5 year period. The incorporation of this data into a logistic regression model facilitated the classification of volcanic events with an overall accuracy of 80% whilst consistently identifying plumes with a mass of 400 tons or higher. The implementation of the developed model could facilitate the near real time identification of new and ongoing volcanic activity on a global scale.

Variations of System IV period of the sulfur ions in the Io torus for the volcanic event in 2015 observed by the HISAKI/EXCEED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryo, A.; Misawa, H.; Tsuchiya, F.; Kagitani, M.; Yoshioka, K.; Yoshikawa, I.; Kimura, T.; Murakami, G.; Yamazaki, A.

2017-12-01

Previous ground-based and probe observations of Io plasma torus (IPT) in various wavelengths have detected a periodic variation which is longer than System III period (9.925 h). It has been called System IV period. Although various ideas to explain the origin of System IV period are proposed , little progress has been made. A previous study reported that the System IV period was 10.07 h during the Cassini's Jupiter flyby in 2000. This period was shorter than the typical period of 10.21h (Brown 1995). The Io's volcanic event just before Cassini's flyby might shorten the System IV period (Steffl et al., 2006). However, the certainty of this inference is not clear from the Cassini observation. Here, we analyzed time variations in intensities of EUV emissions from IPT obtained by the HISAKI satellite to understand the mechanism responsible for the System IV period and the influence of Io's volcanic event on IPT. The data used in this study was obtained from Dec. 2014 to the middle of May 2015. During this period, the Io's volcanic event from Jan. to Mar. 2015 was reported from the observation of Iogenic sodium emission (Yoneda et al., 2015). To find variations of the System IV period, the temporal variation of System III longitude at peak EUV intensity was derived by fitting light curves of three ion species (S II 76.5 nm + 126 nm, S III 68 nm, and S IV 65.7 nm + 140.5 nm). The System IV periods of S II before and after the Io's volcanic event were 10.16±0.008 h and 10.03±0.006 h, respectively. On the other hands, the System IV period of S II was 9.95±0.003 h during the Io's volcanic event. This is the first observational evidence which shows that the System IV period has shortened during the Io's volcanic event, which is consistent with the result from Cassini observation. Origin of the System IV period has been discussed with sub-corotation of plasma in IPT. Since the sub-corotation occurs due to mass loading of newly picked-up ions into IPT, it is expected that

The Geologic Story of Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keefer, William Richard

1971-01-01

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the United States expanded the exploration of her western frontiers to gain a measure of the vast lands and natural resources in the region now occupied by our Rocky Mountain States. As part of this effort, the Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories was organized within the Department of the Interior, and staffed by a group of hardy, pioneering scientists under the leadership of geologist F. V. Hayden. During the summer of 1871, these men, accompanied by photographer William H. Jackson and artist Thomas Moran, made a reconnaissance geological study of the legendary and mysterious 'Yellowstone Wonderland' in remote northwestern Wyoming Territory. The scientific reports and illustrations prepared by Hayden and his colleagues, supplementing the startling accounts that had been published by members of the famous Washburn-Doane Expedition a year earlier, erased all doubts that this unique land was eminently worthy of being set aside 'for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.' By Act of Congress on March 1, 1872, our first National Park was established. During the past century, 50 million people have toured Yellowstone National Park, marveling at its never-ending display of natural wonders. No doubt many have paused to wonder about the origin of these unusual and complex geological features - a question, needless to say, that has intrigued and challenged scientists from the very first days of the Hayden Survey. During the past decade a group of U. S. Geological Survey scientists, in cooperation with the National Park Service and aided by the interest of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in remote sensing of the geologic phenomena, has been probing the depths and farthest corners of the Park seeking more of the answers. Some of the results of this work, and those of earlier studies, are described in this book to provide a better understanding and enjoyment of this great National Park.

Investigating Crustal Scale Fault Systems Controlling Volcanic and Hydrothermal Fluid Processes in the South-Central Andes, First Results from a Magnetotelluric Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearce, R.; Mitchell, T. M.; Moorkamp, M.; Araya, J.; Cembrano, J. M.; Yanez, G. A.; Hammond, J. O. S.

2017-12-01

At convergent plate boundaries, volcanic orogeny is largely controlled by major thrust fault systems that act as magmatic and hydrothermal fluid conduits through the crust. In the south-central Andes, the volcanically and seismically active Tinguiririca and Planchon-Peteroa volcanoes are considered to be tectonically related to the major El Fierro thrust fault system. These large scale reverse faults are characterized by 500 - 1000m wide hydrothermally altered fault cores, which possess a distinct conductive signature relative to surrounding lithology. In order to establish the subsurface architecture of these fault systems, such conductivity contrasts can be detected using the magnetotelluric method. In this study, LEMI fluxgate-magnetometer long-period and Metronix broadband MT data were collected at 21 sites in a 40km2 survey grid that surrounds this fault system and associated volcanic complexes. Multi-remote referencing techniques is used together with robust processing to obtain reliable impedance estimates between 100 Hz and 1,000s. Our preliminary inversion results provide evidence of structures within the 10 - 20 km depth range that are attributed to this fault system. Further inversions will be conducted to determine the approximate depth extent of these features, and ultimately provide constraints for future geophysical studies aimed to deduce the role of these faults in volcanic orogeny and hydrothermal fluid migration processes in this region of the Andes.

Progress in Near Real-Time Volcanic Cloud Observations Using Satellite UV Instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krotkov, N. A.; Yang, K.; Vicente, G.; Hughes, E. J.; Carn, S. A.; Krueger, A. J.

2011-12-01

Volcanic clouds from explosive eruptions can wreak havoc in many parts of the world, as exemplified by the 2010 eruption at the Eyjafjöll volcano in Iceland, which caused widespread disruption to air traffic and resulted in economic impacts across the globe. A suite of satellite-based systems offer the most effective means to monitor active volcanoes and to track the movement of volcanic clouds globally, providing critical information for aviation hazard mitigation. Satellite UV sensors, as part of this suite, have a long history of making unique near-real time (NRT) measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ash (aerosol Index) in volcanic clouds to supplement operational volcanic ash monitoring. Recently a NASA application project has shown that the use of near real-time (NRT,i.e., not older than 3 h) Aura/OMI satellite data produces a marked improvement in volcanic cloud detection using SO2 combined with Aerosol Index (AI) as a marker for ash. An operational online NRT OMI AI and SO2 image and data product distribution system was developed in collaboration with the NOAA Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution. Automated volcanic eruption alarms, and the production of volcanic cloud subsets for multiple regions are provided through the NOAA website. The data provide valuable information in support of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration goal of a safe and efficient National Air Space. In this presentation, we will highlight the advantages of UV techniques and describe the advances in volcanic SO2 plume height estimation and enhanced volcanic ash detection using hyper-spectral UV measurements, illustrated with Aura/OMI observations of recent eruptions. We will share our plan to provide near-real-time volcanic cloud monitoring service using the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS).

Attributes of Yellowstone cutthroat trout redds in a tributary of the Snake River, Idaho

Treesearch

Russell F. Thurow; John G. King

1994-01-01

We characterized spawning sites of Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri, described the microhabitat of completed redds, and tested the influence of habitat conditions on the morphology of completed redds in Pine Creek, Idaho. Cutthroat trout spawned in June as flows subsided after peak stream discharge. During spawning, minimum and maximum water...

77 FR 74027 - Winter Use Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement Amended Record of Decision, Yellowstone...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-12

..., Yellowstone National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of... Wyoming. On December 3, 2012, the Regional Director, Intermountain Region, approved the Amended Record of... online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yell . Dated: December 2, 2012. John Wessels, Regional Director...

76 FR 68503 - Winter Use Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-04

... to 318 commercially guided, best available technology snowmobiles and 78 commercially guided... available technology snowmobiles and 78 commercially guided snowcoaches would be allowed in the park per day... and a detailed history of winter use in Yellowstone, is available at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit...

Aspen overstory recruitment in northern Yellowstone National Park during the last 200 years

Treesearch

Eric J. Larsen; William J. Ripple

2001-01-01

Using a monograph provided by Warren (1926) and two sets of aspen increment cores collected in 1997 and 1998, we analyzed aspen overstory recruitment in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) over the past 200 years. We found that successful aspen overstory recruitment occurred on the northern range of YNP from the middle to late 1700s until the 1920s, after which it...

Hydrothermal disturbances at the Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park (USA) in 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowenstern, J. B.; Heasler, H.; Smith, R. B.

2003-12-01

The Norris Geyser Basin in north-central Yellowstone National Park (YNP) experienced a series of notable changes during 2003, including formation of new hot springs and fumaroles, renewed activity of dormant geysers and elevated ground temperatures. This abstract provides a short synopsis of the new hydrothermal activity. In 2000, Yellowstone's tallest geyser, Steamboat, erupted after a dormant period of nearly 9 years. It erupted twice in 2002 and then again on 26 March and 27 April 2003. Surges in flux of thermal water preceding the eruptions (preplay) were recorded by a couplet of temperature data loggers placed in the outlet stream. The data indicated pulses of water flow with 1 and ~3 day intervals. On 10 July 2003, a new thermal feature was reported just west of Nymph Lake, ~ 3.5 km northwest of the Norris Museum. A linear series of vigorous fumaroles, about 75 m long had formed in a forested area, ~ 200 m up a hill on the lake's west shore. Fine particles of rock and mineral fragments coated nearby vegetation. Fumarole temperatures were around the local boiling temperature of water (92° C). After two months, somewhat reduced steam emission was accompanied by discharge of ~ 3-10 gallons per minute of near-neutral thermal water. Trees within 4 meters of the lineament were dead and were being slowly combusted. Porkchop Geyser in Norris' Back Basin had been dormant since it exploded in 1989, littering the nearby area with boulders up to over 1 m in diameter. Since that time, its water had remained well below the boiling temperature of water. From 1 April through 1 July `03, the temperature of waters in Porkchop's vent increased continuously from 67° to 88° C. Each Summer, Norris' Back Basin experiences an "annual disturbance" where individual hot springs and geysers typically show anomalous boiling, and have measurable increases in turbidity, acidity and SO4/Cl ratios. The disturbance has been linked to depressurization of the hydrothermal system as the

Validation of Volcanic Ash Forecasting Performed by the Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salemi, A.; Hanna, J.

2009-12-01

In support of NOAA’s mission to protect life and property, the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) uses satellite imagery to monitor volcanic eruptions and track volcanic ash. The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) was established in late 1997 through an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). A volcanic ash advisory (VAA) is issued every 6 hours while an eruption is occurring. Information about the current location and height of the volcanic ash as well as any pertinent meteorological information is contained within the VAA. In addition, when ash is detected in satellite imagery, 6-, 12- and 18-hour forecasts of ash height and location are provided. This information is garnered from many sources including Meteorological Watch Offices (MWOs), pilot reports (PIREPs), model forecast winds, radiosondes and volcano observatories. The Washington VAAC has performed a validation of their 6, 12 and 18 hour airborne volcanic ash forecasts issued since October, 2007. The volcanic ash forecasts are viewed dichotomously (yes/no) with the frequency of yes and no events placed into a contingency table. A large variety of categorical statistics useful in describing forecast performance are then computed from the resulting contingency table.