Is Yellowstone's north caldera rim rising? (Yellowstone Monthly Update - July 2026)

Over the past few decades, an area on the north rim of Yellowstone Caldera has risen and fallen. Just last year a new period of uplift in this area began!

The Norris Uplift Anomaly is an area along the north rim of Yellowstone Caldera, just south of Norris Geyser Basin and in the vicinity of Gibbon Falls. In the late 1990s to early 2000s, it was found to be uplifting at a rate of a couple of inches per year. After that, it subsided slightly. Subsequent periods of minor uplift occurred in the mid 2010s and early 2020s. Most recently, a new period of uplift began suddenly in June/July 2025. The uplift was detected by continuous GPS stations, semipermanent GPS station (which are installed for a few months every summer to densify the ground deformation monitoring network), and satellite radar measurements.

In January 2026, the uplift stopped just as suddenly as it began. Since then, the area has been stable.

What causes the uplift and subsidence along the north caldera rim? It is most likely a result of magmatic activity occurring about 10 miles beneath the surface. This is not an indication that Yellowstone is about to erupt. Rather, it's a sign of the dynamic nature of the subsurface, where magmatic and hydrothermal fluids are constantly moving around.

During the month of July 2026, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, which monitors and operates the Yellowstone seismic network, located 68 earthquakes; the largest was a magnitude 3.3. Since the beginning of 2026 there has been little net deformation of the caldera, with a small amount of uplift in the summer possibly corresponding to changes in groundwater conditions. Black Diamond Pool, in Biscuit Basin, experienced several eruptions during the month, and a new camera was installed nearby to track activity there and at the site of a nearby hydrothermal explosion on June 13, 2026. Yellowstone volcano remains at normal, background levels of activity.

For questions, email yvowebteam@usgs.gov

Read Caldera Chronicles https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/caldera-chronicles

Visit Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone