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Mike Poland is a research geophysicist with the Cascades Volcano Observatory and the current Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
Mike's area of specialization is volcano geodesy, which emphasizes the surface deformation and gravity fields associated with volcanic activity. This work involves the use of space-based technologies, like Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), as well as ground-based techniques, like microgravity surveys. Mike has taken part in studies on a variety of volcanic systems in the United States, including Mount St. Helens and other volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest, Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes in Hawaii, and the Yellowstone caldera. His recent work has focused on using gravity change over time to understand the character of the fluids that drive volcanic unrest, and also on the potential of satellite data to improve forecasts of future changes in volcanic activity.
Summer is here, and millions of people will be visiting Yellowstone National Park. People with questions. What is this scat I’m seeing? How does a geyser erupt? What makes Yellowstone so special?
Where’s the bathroom?
Summer is here, and millions of people will be visiting Yellowstone National Park. People with questions. What is this scat I’m seeing? How does a geyser erupt? What makes Yellowstone so special?
Where’s the bathroom?
Did you hear that??? Well, Roaring Mountain isn’t quite as loud as it used to be, but it’s still one of the hottest thermal areas in all of Yellowstone National Park!
Did you hear that??? Well, Roaring Mountain isn’t quite as loud as it used to be, but it’s still one of the hottest thermal areas in all of Yellowstone National Park!
Infographic giving earthquake, deformation, thermal emission, and geyser statistics for the Yellowstone region for the year 2024. The graphic accompanies the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
Infographic giving earthquake, deformation, thermal emission, and geyser statistics for the Yellowstone region for the year 2024. The graphic accompanies the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, which includes a summary of earthquake, deformation, and geyser activity, as well as research investigations and other information. The report is freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, which includes a summary of earthquake, deformation, and geyser activity, as well as research investigations and other information. The report is freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
What do Yellowstone National Park and your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate have in common? LONE STAR!!!!!
Lone Star is not just an iconic movie hero of the 1980s (and also next year!). It’s an iconic Yellowstone geyser as well!
What do Yellowstone National Park and your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate have in common? LONE STAR!!!!!
Lone Star is not just an iconic movie hero of the 1980s (and also next year!). It’s an iconic Yellowstone geyser as well!
KABOOM! That’s what Yellowstone is famous for – huge explosive volcanic eruptions. There’s really nothing brewing right now, the magma chamber is mostly solid, but there have been quite a few hydrothermal eruptions and small explosions in both Biscuit Basin and Norris Geyser Basin as water in the hydrothermal system flashes to steam.
KABOOM! That’s what Yellowstone is famous for – huge explosive volcanic eruptions. There’s really nothing brewing right now, the magma chamber is mostly solid, but there have been quite a few hydrothermal eruptions and small explosions in both Biscuit Basin and Norris Geyser Basin as water in the hydrothermal system flashes to steam.
Temperature record from Echinus Geyser outflow channel for February 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. MST to February 7, 2026, at 8 a.m. MST. The plot shows initial baseline temperatures, then two spikes to 50 °C representing water surges, then an eruption marked by a spike to 70 °C followed by a lull to 10 °C, and finally a return to baseline.
Temperature record from Echinus Geyser outflow channel for February 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. MST to February 7, 2026, at 8 a.m. MST. The plot shows initial baseline temperatures, then two spikes to 50 °C representing water surges, then an eruption marked by a spike to 70 °C followed by a lull to 10 °C, and finally a return to baseline.
Meet a friend of ours. This friend has been monitoring changes of the ground surface in Yellowstone for decades and is so good that it can detect movement of just a few millimeters in magnitude (just a fraction of an inch). The friend? A continuous GPS station!
Meet a friend of ours. This friend has been monitoring changes of the ground surface in Yellowstone for decades and is so good that it can detect movement of just a few millimeters in magnitude (just a fraction of an inch). The friend? A continuous GPS station!
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles; arrow length gives displacement rate) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed black line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles; arrow length gives displacement rate) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed black line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Happy New Year! Let's go back and take a look at the top five geologic stories for Yellowstone in 2025.
Number five: Rumors. It was a year of internet rumors, mostly related to animals fleeing the park, and none of which were true.
Happy New Year! Let's go back and take a look at the top five geologic stories for Yellowstone in 2025.
Number five: Rumors. It was a year of internet rumors, mostly related to animals fleeing the park, and none of which were true.
Plot of numbers of earthquakes per day in the immediate vicinity of the Norris Uplift Anomaly during 2024-2025. An increase in the rate of seismicity occurred in September-December 2025, especially in November. The largest earthquake during that time was M2.7.
Plot of numbers of earthquakes per day in the immediate vicinity of the Norris Uplift Anomaly during 2024-2025. An increase in the rate of seismicity occurred in September-December 2025, especially in November. The largest earthquake during that time was M2.7.
Map of seismicity (red circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2025. Gray lines are roads, black dashed line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dot-dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Map of seismicity (red circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2025. Gray lines are roads, black dashed line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dot-dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed red line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed red line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Just last week, Kīlauea put on another dramatic display of lava fountaining and flows within the caldera, during its 37th episode of this most recent eruption. It doesn't seem like Hawaii and Yellowstone have a lot in common, but actually, those two magmatic systems have a common cause.
Just last week, Kīlauea put on another dramatic display of lava fountaining and flows within the caldera, during its 37th episode of this most recent eruption. It doesn't seem like Hawaii and Yellowstone have a lot in common, but actually, those two magmatic systems have a common cause.
Interferogram created from satellite radar data collected on October 7, 2024, and October 2, 2025, over the Yellowstone region by the Sentinel-1 satellite system. Colored fringes indicate a change in distance (called range change) between the satellite and ground surface that is caused by surface deformation during the time spanned.
Interferogram created from satellite radar data collected on October 7, 2024, and October 2, 2025, over the Yellowstone region by the Sentinel-1 satellite system. Colored fringes indicate a change in distance (called range change) between the satellite and ground surface that is caused by surface deformation during the time spanned.
The Yellowstone caldera is vast – 45 miles across by 30 miles wide. You could fit over 60 islands of Manhattan in this area. There are deep canyons, like the one on the Yellowstone River, that reveal a complex geologic history. And, forested landscapes and features remind us that this special place is ever-changing.
The Yellowstone caldera is vast – 45 miles across by 30 miles wide. You could fit over 60 islands of Manhattan in this area. There are deep canyons, like the one on the Yellowstone River, that reveal a complex geologic history. And, forested landscapes and features remind us that this special place is ever-changing.
EarthScope engineers Brendan Hodge (left) and Lia Lajoie (right) perform upgrades at the WLWY (White Lake) continuous GPS station in Yellowstone National Park. The white box contains the receiver, while the barrel on the ground contains batteries. The tower holds the solar panels, as well as a cellular modem and meteorological sensors that were recently
EarthScope engineers Brendan Hodge (left) and Lia Lajoie (right) perform upgrades at the WLWY (White Lake) continuous GPS station in Yellowstone National Park. The white box contains the receiver, while the barrel on the ground contains batteries. The tower holds the solar panels, as well as a cellular modem and meteorological sensors that were recently
Picture a Yellowstone eruption. What comes to mind? It’s a huge explosion, right? Like the one that formed the caldera about 631,000 years ago. But the most common form of eruption in Yellowstone isn’t a huge explosion, it’s a lava flow.
Picture a Yellowstone eruption. What comes to mind? It’s a huge explosion, right? Like the one that formed the caldera about 631,000 years ago. But the most common form of eruption in Yellowstone isn’t a huge explosion, it’s a lava flow.
Just over one year ago, early morning visitors to Yellowstone’s Black Diamond Pool suddenly found themselves filming a spectacular event. The July 23, 2024 hydrothermal explosion threw material hundreds of feet high, including rocks that were a foot or more across.
Just over one year ago, early morning visitors to Yellowstone’s Black Diamond Pool suddenly found themselves filming a spectacular event. The July 23, 2024 hydrothermal explosion threw material hundreds of feet high, including rocks that were a foot or more across.
Imperial Geyser in eruption. The geyser, which apparently formed in 1927, is located in Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
Imperial Geyser in eruption. The geyser, which apparently formed in 1927, is located in Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the US, and one of the largest in the world. The boiling lake was named for the spectacular array of colors along its rim.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the US, and one of the largest in the world. The boiling lake was named for the spectacular array of colors along its rim.
Summer is here, and millions of people will be visiting Yellowstone National Park. People with questions. What is this scat I’m seeing? How does a geyser erupt? What makes Yellowstone so special?
Where’s the bathroom?
Summer is here, and millions of people will be visiting Yellowstone National Park. People with questions. What is this scat I’m seeing? How does a geyser erupt? What makes Yellowstone so special?
Where’s the bathroom?
Did you hear that??? Well, Roaring Mountain isn’t quite as loud as it used to be, but it’s still one of the hottest thermal areas in all of Yellowstone National Park!
Did you hear that??? Well, Roaring Mountain isn’t quite as loud as it used to be, but it’s still one of the hottest thermal areas in all of Yellowstone National Park!
Infographic giving earthquake, deformation, thermal emission, and geyser statistics for the Yellowstone region for the year 2024. The graphic accompanies the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
Infographic giving earthquake, deformation, thermal emission, and geyser statistics for the Yellowstone region for the year 2024. The graphic accompanies the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, which includes a summary of earthquake, deformation, and geyser activity, as well as research investigations and other information. The report is freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2024 annual report, which includes a summary of earthquake, deformation, and geyser activity, as well as research investigations and other information. The report is freely available online at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1566.
What do Yellowstone National Park and your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate have in common? LONE STAR!!!!!
Lone Star is not just an iconic movie hero of the 1980s (and also next year!). It’s an iconic Yellowstone geyser as well!
What do Yellowstone National Park and your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate have in common? LONE STAR!!!!!
Lone Star is not just an iconic movie hero of the 1980s (and also next year!). It’s an iconic Yellowstone geyser as well!
KABOOM! That’s what Yellowstone is famous for – huge explosive volcanic eruptions. There’s really nothing brewing right now, the magma chamber is mostly solid, but there have been quite a few hydrothermal eruptions and small explosions in both Biscuit Basin and Norris Geyser Basin as water in the hydrothermal system flashes to steam.
KABOOM! That’s what Yellowstone is famous for – huge explosive volcanic eruptions. There’s really nothing brewing right now, the magma chamber is mostly solid, but there have been quite a few hydrothermal eruptions and small explosions in both Biscuit Basin and Norris Geyser Basin as water in the hydrothermal system flashes to steam.
Temperature record from Echinus Geyser outflow channel for February 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. MST to February 7, 2026, at 8 a.m. MST. The plot shows initial baseline temperatures, then two spikes to 50 °C representing water surges, then an eruption marked by a spike to 70 °C followed by a lull to 10 °C, and finally a return to baseline.
Temperature record from Echinus Geyser outflow channel for February 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. MST to February 7, 2026, at 8 a.m. MST. The plot shows initial baseline temperatures, then two spikes to 50 °C representing water surges, then an eruption marked by a spike to 70 °C followed by a lull to 10 °C, and finally a return to baseline.
Meet a friend of ours. This friend has been monitoring changes of the ground surface in Yellowstone for decades and is so good that it can detect movement of just a few millimeters in magnitude (just a fraction of an inch). The friend? A continuous GPS station!
Meet a friend of ours. This friend has been monitoring changes of the ground surface in Yellowstone for decades and is so good that it can detect movement of just a few millimeters in magnitude (just a fraction of an inch). The friend? A continuous GPS station!
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles; arrow length gives displacement rate) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed black line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles; arrow length gives displacement rate) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed black line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Happy New Year! Let's go back and take a look at the top five geologic stories for Yellowstone in 2025.
Number five: Rumors. It was a year of internet rumors, mostly related to animals fleeing the park, and none of which were true.
Happy New Year! Let's go back and take a look at the top five geologic stories for Yellowstone in 2025.
Number five: Rumors. It was a year of internet rumors, mostly related to animals fleeing the park, and none of which were true.
Plot of numbers of earthquakes per day in the immediate vicinity of the Norris Uplift Anomaly during 2024-2025. An increase in the rate of seismicity occurred in September-December 2025, especially in November. The largest earthquake during that time was M2.7.
Plot of numbers of earthquakes per day in the immediate vicinity of the Norris Uplift Anomaly during 2024-2025. An increase in the rate of seismicity occurred in September-December 2025, especially in November. The largest earthquake during that time was M2.7.
Map of seismicity (red circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2025. Gray lines are roads, black dashed line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dot-dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Map of seismicity (red circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2025. Gray lines are roads, black dashed line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dot-dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed red line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Map of horizontal velocities between July and December 2025 at Global Positioning System (GPS) stations P711 and NRWY (arrows and yellow circles) in the area between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction. Dashed red line indicates boundary of Yellowstone Caldera and gray lines are roads.
Just last week, Kīlauea put on another dramatic display of lava fountaining and flows within the caldera, during its 37th episode of this most recent eruption. It doesn't seem like Hawaii and Yellowstone have a lot in common, but actually, those two magmatic systems have a common cause.
Just last week, Kīlauea put on another dramatic display of lava fountaining and flows within the caldera, during its 37th episode of this most recent eruption. It doesn't seem like Hawaii and Yellowstone have a lot in common, but actually, those two magmatic systems have a common cause.
Interferogram created from satellite radar data collected on October 7, 2024, and October 2, 2025, over the Yellowstone region by the Sentinel-1 satellite system. Colored fringes indicate a change in distance (called range change) between the satellite and ground surface that is caused by surface deformation during the time spanned.
Interferogram created from satellite radar data collected on October 7, 2024, and October 2, 2025, over the Yellowstone region by the Sentinel-1 satellite system. Colored fringes indicate a change in distance (called range change) between the satellite and ground surface that is caused by surface deformation during the time spanned.
The Yellowstone caldera is vast – 45 miles across by 30 miles wide. You could fit over 60 islands of Manhattan in this area. There are deep canyons, like the one on the Yellowstone River, that reveal a complex geologic history. And, forested landscapes and features remind us that this special place is ever-changing.
The Yellowstone caldera is vast – 45 miles across by 30 miles wide. You could fit over 60 islands of Manhattan in this area. There are deep canyons, like the one on the Yellowstone River, that reveal a complex geologic history. And, forested landscapes and features remind us that this special place is ever-changing.
EarthScope engineers Brendan Hodge (left) and Lia Lajoie (right) perform upgrades at the WLWY (White Lake) continuous GPS station in Yellowstone National Park. The white box contains the receiver, while the barrel on the ground contains batteries. The tower holds the solar panels, as well as a cellular modem and meteorological sensors that were recently
EarthScope engineers Brendan Hodge (left) and Lia Lajoie (right) perform upgrades at the WLWY (White Lake) continuous GPS station in Yellowstone National Park. The white box contains the receiver, while the barrel on the ground contains batteries. The tower holds the solar panels, as well as a cellular modem and meteorological sensors that were recently
Picture a Yellowstone eruption. What comes to mind? It’s a huge explosion, right? Like the one that formed the caldera about 631,000 years ago. But the most common form of eruption in Yellowstone isn’t a huge explosion, it’s a lava flow.
Picture a Yellowstone eruption. What comes to mind? It’s a huge explosion, right? Like the one that formed the caldera about 631,000 years ago. But the most common form of eruption in Yellowstone isn’t a huge explosion, it’s a lava flow.
Just over one year ago, early morning visitors to Yellowstone’s Black Diamond Pool suddenly found themselves filming a spectacular event. The July 23, 2024 hydrothermal explosion threw material hundreds of feet high, including rocks that were a foot or more across.
Just over one year ago, early morning visitors to Yellowstone’s Black Diamond Pool suddenly found themselves filming a spectacular event. The July 23, 2024 hydrothermal explosion threw material hundreds of feet high, including rocks that were a foot or more across.
Imperial Geyser in eruption. The geyser, which apparently formed in 1927, is located in Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
Imperial Geyser in eruption. The geyser, which apparently formed in 1927, is located in Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the US, and one of the largest in the world. The boiling lake was named for the spectacular array of colors along its rim.
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the US, and one of the largest in the world. The boiling lake was named for the spectacular array of colors along its rim.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government