Videos

There’s a lot of hot water in Yellowstone. What’s it heated by? The magma chamber beneath the surface, of course!

If you want to find a lava flow in Yellowstone, look to the trees! The vegetation is telling us more than you might think.

YVO Scientist-in-Charge Mike Poland reveals how vegetation can be used to map geology in this month's update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

The frequency and scale of landslides in a region are determined by both external forcing and inherent, site-specific susceptibility.

Computer simulation of shaking during the April 14, 2025 M5.2 Julian, CA earthquake. As the waves propagate away from the epicenter they interact with different geologic materials, which can slow down and amplify the shaking.

Well look at this mess! What’s going on? 

We’re just south of Mammoth Hot Springs at a place informally known as the Hoodoos. The official designation for the area is Silver Gate, named by an early Yellowstone National Park visitor because of the way the road wound between the closely spaced white and gray boulders. 

The effects of deglaciation on the slope stability of glacial valleys have increasing importance in the context of climate change, with a role on the susceptibility to large-volume rock slides or rock avalanches and catastrophic cascading geohazards.

Is it true roads in Yellowstone National Park are melting? Whatever you might have heard, it's nothing new and it's not due to increased volcanic activity. Get up-to-speed in this month's update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (March 2025).

The global ocean is a significant carbon sink, absorbing about a third of all atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions (Gruber et al., 2019).

The global ocean is a significant carbon sink, absorbing about a third of all atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions (Gruber et al., 2019).

Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions. 

You've probably seen videos of black smokers on the ocean floor, where hydrothermal fluids vent from chimneys. In Yellowstone’s Monument Geyser Basin, you can see similar features right at the surface, and they likely formed in much the same way. Watch to learn more.

This presentation by Dr. Jake Lowenstern was prepared for the AGU 2024-2025 Distinguished Lecture Series. It discusses the challenges of volcano monitoring, eruption forecasting, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

In addition to the December 2024 update, Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, presents YVO’s top five geologic stories from Yellowstone National Park in 2024. 

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

The hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin stole all the headlines. But did you know there was a smaller hydrothermal explosion in Norris Geyser Basin on April 15, 2024? That explosion was detected by a new infrasound sensor installed this past September. Watch to learn more.

Volcanoes tend to have seismicity that waxes and wanes over time. That’s considered normal and not necessarily a cause for concern. Let’s check on Mount Adams to see what USGS scientists are doing to learn more about its recent earthquake activity and what it could mean for this Cascade Range volcano.

Obsidian: It’s not just a valuable commodity in Minecraft. Obsidian was an important resource for Indigenous peoples across western North America. Learn more in this month's update.