Videos

Is there a wrecked ship rising out of Yellowstone Lake or is it an April Fool's joke? Watch to learn more!

Volcanic ash in Kansas? It's true there's thick deposits there, but where are the source volcanoes? Geologists began puzzling over this in the late 1800s when these deposits were first recognized. 

If a geyser erupts and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Of course it does, and now we can hear it no matter when it happens thanks to a new monitoring station in Yellowstone National Park.

In this monthly update of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, we present our take on the top five headlines for 2023.

0:12 - Earthquakes, Deformation

1:20 - Steamboat Geyser Eruptions

2:30 - New Monitoring for Hydrothermal

3:24 - Volcanic Eruptions at Yellowstone

4:34 - Magma Chamber below Yellowstone

Steamboat Geyser is the tallest geyser in the world. It has been putting on a show the last few years for visitors at Yellowstone National Park with a record number of water eruptions, 48 eruptions each in 2019 and 2020. But it's only had eight eruptions in 2023. Is Steamboat losing steam? 

Lava flows are one of the coolest (or maybe hottest!) features about volcanoes, but what would a lava flow look like if you could peel away the surface and take a peek underneath?

Yellowstone is a geologic wonderland with over 2 billion years of Earth's history recorded in the rocks. But some of that history is missing. Where did it go? We’ll look into that mystery in the October 2023 update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

What geologic hazard is most likely to occur in the Yellowstone region on human timescales? The answer might not be what you think.

What geologic hazard is most likely to occur in the Yellowstone region on human timescales?

Geysers and hot springs are some of the most dynamic geologic features on the planet. They are always changing and sometimes that change happens in places where we can see and appreciate it. This has been the case on Geyser Hill, near Old Faithful, in Yellowstone National Park.

Old Faithful, one of the icons of Yellowstone National Park and probably the most famous geyser in the world. But how faithful is it really? That's the question we're going to tackle in this June 1, 2023 update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

May is traditionally the start of the field season and plans are underway to strengthen monitoring networks, collect data, and conduct research to better understand volcanic activity in the Yellowstone region. Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, outlines upcoming projects in this YVO monthly video update for May 1, 2023.

Do animals prank humans? It sometimes feels that way, says Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s scientist-in-charge Mike Poland. Mike shows some of the ways animals have “interacted” with monitoring equipment in this April 1, 2023 monthly update of activity at Yellowstone Volcano.

Could an external event trigger a Yellowstone eruption? No, says Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s scientist-in-charge Mike Poland, that’s not how volcanoes work. Most of the pressure that drives a volcano toward eruption comes from within, from the exsolution of gases in the magmatic system.

Winter has arrived in the Yellowstone region. The deep snow and cold temperatures are harsh for animals, harsh for humans, and also harsh for volcano monitoring equipment.

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, provides an overview of 2022 events and December activity in this monthly update for January 1, 2023. 

Just a few days ago, Mauna Loa, the tallest active volcano on the planet, started erupting for the first time in 38 years.

November is Native American Heritage Month. Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, talks about Indigenous peoples in the Yellowstone region and describes Yellowstone’s recent seismic, deformation, and geyser activity in this November 1, 2022 monthly update.

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone in this monthly update for October 1, 2022. 

The update comes to you from Artist Paintpots in Yellowstone National Park. The paintpots are acid sulfate springs, one of three different types of thermal features in Yellowstone. 

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone volcano in this monthly update for September 1, 2022.

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone in this monthly update for August 1, 2022.