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Images related to Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

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relationship between isotopes in hydrothermal gases from Yellowstone and Iceland
Hydrothermal isotopes from Yellowstone and Iceland
Hydrothermal isotopes from Yellowstone and Iceland
Hydrothermal isotopes from Yellowstone and Iceland

The relationship between Δ30 and N2/3He ratios in hydrothermal gases from Iceland and Yellowstone. Δ30 and N2/3He ratios are shown for samples collected from gases in Iceland (yellow circles) and Yellowstone (red circles). The Yellowstone mantle-endmember is arguably indistinguishable in terms of N2/3He from the convecting upper mantle (grey diamonds).

The relationship between Δ30 and N2/3He ratios in hydrothermal gases from Iceland and Yellowstone. Δ30 and N2/3He ratios are shown for samples collected from gases in Iceland (yellow circles) and Yellowstone (red circles). The Yellowstone mantle-endmember is arguably indistinguishable in terms of N2/3He from the convecting upper mantle (grey diamonds).

March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake
March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake viewed on many sensors
March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake viewed on many sensors
March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake viewed on many sensors

Highly sensitive instruments installed deep below the ground surface yield great records of earthquakes near and far. The March 31, 2020, magnitude 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake shows up very clearly in borehole strainmeter station B944's four different sensors.

Highly sensitive instruments installed deep below the ground surface yield great records of earthquakes near and far. The March 31, 2020, magnitude 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake shows up very clearly in borehole strainmeter station B944's four different sensors.

March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake station download location
March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake station download location
March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake station download location
March 31, 2020 M6.5 Stanley Idaho earthquake station download location

For every major earthquake in the U.S., UNAVCO downloads high-rate data from all nearby GPS/GNSS stations. The downloads for the March 31, 2020, magnitude 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake include more than 20 stations in and around Yellowstone. Figure by Christine Puskas (UNAVCO).

For every major earthquake in the U.S., UNAVCO downloads high-rate data from all nearby GPS/GNSS stations. The downloads for the March 31, 2020, magnitude 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake include more than 20 stations in and around Yellowstone. Figure by Christine Puskas (UNAVCO).

Imperial Geyser with colorful water. Yellowstone
Imperial Geyser looking south, Yellowstone
Imperial Geyser looking south, Yellowstone
Imperial Geyser looking south, Yellowstone

Imperial Geyser hot spring pool in Yellowstone National Park is about 30 m (about 100 ft) across and contains alkaline-Cl waters with a steam vent in the pool and mudpots outside the pool area (in the upper right part of this photo). USGS Photo by Pat Shanks, 2019.

Imperial Geyser hot spring pool in Yellowstone National Park is about 30 m (about 100 ft) across and contains alkaline-Cl waters with a steam vent in the pool and mudpots outside the pool area (in the upper right part of this photo). USGS Photo by Pat Shanks, 2019.

Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023, during a winter ski expedition in the park
Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023, during a winter ski expedition in the park
Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023, during a winter ski expedition in the park
Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023, during a winter ski expedition in the park

Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023, during a winter ski expedition in the park. National Park Service photo by Jon Nicholson, January 2020.

Sabrina Brown collecting samples from Yellowstone Lake core YL16-2C
Sabrina Brown collecting samples from Yellowstone Lake core YL16-2C
Sabrina Brown collecting samples from Yellowstone Lake core YL16-2C
Sabrina Brown collecting samples from Yellowstone Lake core YL16-2C

Sabrina Brown collecting samples from Yellowstone Lake core YL16-2C at the National Lacustrine Core Facility (LacCore) at the University of Minnesota.

Mineral stability diagram showing minerals that are stable under changing temperature and dissolved silica concentrations that are found at and just beneath the floor of Yellowstone Lake
Mineral stability diagram showing minerals that are stable under changing temperature and dissolved silica concentrations at and just beneath the floor of Yellowstone Lake
Mineral stability diagram showing minerals that are stable under changing temperature and dissolved silica concentrations at and just beneath the floor of Yellowstone Lake
Mineral stability diagram showing minerals that are stable under changing temperature and dissolved silica concentrations at and just beneath the floor of Yellowstone Lake

Mineral stability diagram showing minerals that are stable under changing temperature and dissolved silica concentrations that are found at and just beneath the floor of Yellowstone Lake.  Two important points illustrated by this diagram are: (1) the minerals that are stable when reacted with vapor-dominated fluids (kaolinite, boehmite) differ substantially fro

Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone
Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone
Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone
Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone

Contrasting photos of Heart Spring on Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin from 1998 (left) and 2019 (right). Can you spot differences in the hot spring? Photos courtesy of the National Park Service.

Contrasting photos of Heart Spring on Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin from 1998 (left) and 2019 (right). Can you spot differences in the hot spring? Photos courtesy of the National Park Service.

Box diagram and map showing sources and fate of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone River
Box diagram and map showing sources and fate of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone River
Box diagram and map showing sources and fate of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone River
Box diagram and map showing sources and fate of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone River

The Yellowstone River is divided into five reaches (labeled and color-coded): Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Tower–Gardner, and Mammoth.  Monitoring stations (yellow dots on map) between each reach of the river reaches allow geochemists to measure river composition and then determine the sources of chloride (Cl) and other solu

The Yellowstone River is divided into five reaches (labeled and color-coded): Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Tower–Gardner, and Mammoth.  Monitoring stations (yellow dots on map) between each reach of the river reaches allow geochemists to measure river composition and then determine the sources of chloride (Cl) and other solu

Color-shaded topographic relief map of the Yellowstone Plateau-Snake River Plain volcanic province
Color-shaded topographic relief map of Yellowstone Plateau Snake River
Color-shaded topographic relief map of Yellowstone Plateau Snake River
Color-shaded topographic relief map of Yellowstone Plateau Snake River

Color-shaded topographic relief map of the Yellowstone Plateau-Snake River Plain volcanic province showing the track of the Yellowstone hot spot. 

Small acidic hot spring in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park
Small acidic hot spring in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park
Small acidic hot spring in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park
Small acidic hot spring in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park

An unnamed small acidic (pH ~3) hot spring (with a temperature of about 55°C at the source) in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. The yellow region is due to the precipitation of sulfur by sulfide-oxidizing chemotrophic microorganisms.

An unnamed small acidic (pH ~3) hot spring (with a temperature of about 55°C at the source) in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. The yellow region is due to the precipitation of sulfur by sulfide-oxidizing chemotrophic microorganisms.

Several adult wetsalts tiger beetles hunting and basking on and around an alkaline hot spring near Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park
Adult tiger beetles near Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Adult tiger beetles near Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Adult tiger beetles near Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Several adult wetsalts tiger beetles hunting and basking on and around an alkaline hot spring near Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Robert K. D. Peterson, 2019.

Two images showing magma storage beneath Yellowstone Volcano
Two models of magma storage beneath Yellowstone.
Two models of magma storage beneath Yellowstone.
Two models of magma storage beneath Yellowstone.

Models of magma storage. Part (A) depicts the standard model of magma storage—a single, large body of crystal-poor melt, surrounded by crystalline mush. Although this is the standard 'mush' model, geophysical studies fail to find evidence of this type of magma storage at many active systems.

Models of magma storage. Part (A) depicts the standard model of magma storage—a single, large body of crystal-poor melt, surrounded by crystalline mush. Although this is the standard 'mush' model, geophysical studies fail to find evidence of this type of magma storage at many active systems.

Map showing three types of young faults in Yellowstone National Park
Map showing three types of young faults in Yellowstone National Park
Map showing three types of young faults in Yellowstone National Park
Map showing three types of young faults in Yellowstone National Park

Map showing three types of young faults in Yellowstone National Park. 1) Resurgent dome faults. 2) Volcanism and caldera faults. 3) Basin and Range faults. Courtesy of the Wyoming State Geological Survey.

Image of Yellowstone Lake showing location of core YL16-2C
Image of Yellowstone Lake showing location of core YL16-2C
Image of Yellowstone Lake showing location of core YL16-2C
Image of Yellowstone Lake showing location of core YL16-2C

A digital elevation map of Yellowstone National Park (left) with the location of Yellowstone Lake indicated by the white box. Satellite image (right) of the study site with collection location of core YL16-2C shown by the red circle. Map was originally published in Sabrina Brown’s dissertation (2019).

A digital elevation map of Yellowstone National Park (left) with the location of Yellowstone Lake indicated by the white box. Satellite image (right) of the study site with collection location of core YL16-2C shown by the red circle. Map was originally published in Sabrina Brown’s dissertation (2019).

Four maps displaying the stages of evolution of volcanism in Yellowstone Caldera
Maps of evolution stages of recent volcanism in Yellowstone Caldera
Maps of evolution stages of recent volcanism in Yellowstone Caldera
Microtomography 3D image and cathodluminescence slice from quartz crystal Lava Creek Tuff Yellowstone
Microscopic image of quartz crystal from Lave Creek Tuff Yellowstone
Microscopic image of quartz crystal from Lave Creek Tuff Yellowstone
Microscopic image of quartz crystal from Lave Creek Tuff Yellowstone

Synchrotron X-Ray microtomography 3D image (a) and cathodoluminescence slice (b) from the same reentrant-bearing quartz crystal from the Lava Creek Tuff. The reentrants are in darker blue in (a) and the black cavities in (b). Note their relationship to quartz growth bands. Red domains are small magnetite crystals.

Synchrotron X-Ray microtomography 3D image (a) and cathodoluminescence slice (b) from the same reentrant-bearing quartz crystal from the Lava Creek Tuff. The reentrants are in darker blue in (a) and the black cavities in (b). Note their relationship to quartz growth bands. Red domains are small magnetite crystals.

Summary diagram of the geological record and timing of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff eruption
Summary geologic record of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff eruption
Summary geologic record of the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff eruption
Alkaline hot spring outflow channel in the Biscuit Basin with a wide array of phototrophic microbial community textures
Alkaline hot spring outflow channel in the Biscuit Basin
Alkaline hot spring outflow channel in the Biscuit Basin
Alkaline hot spring outflow channel in the Biscuit Basin

A wide array of phototrophic microbial community textures exhibited in an alkaline (pH ~8.5) hot spring outflow channel in the Biscuit Basin, including thick mats, toadstools, ropes, and pinnacles. The differences in color are due to pigments (chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls, and carotenoids) produced by phototrophic microorganisms.

A wide array of phototrophic microbial community textures exhibited in an alkaline (pH ~8.5) hot spring outflow channel in the Biscuit Basin, including thick mats, toadstools, ropes, and pinnacles. The differences in color are due to pigments (chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls, and carotenoids) produced by phototrophic microorganisms.

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