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Caldera Chronicles

By Yellowstone

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles

A weekly article by scientists with the YVO.

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

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Caldera Chronicles

Filter Total Items: 343
The case of the Lava Creek Tuff and the empty reentrants

The case of the Lava Creek Tuff and the empty reentrants

Geoscientists have never observed an active magma reservoir firsthand because magmas are stored inaccessibly deep underground. However, crystals are...

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Just how many thermal features are there in Yellowstone?

Just how many thermal features are there in Yellowstone?

Yellowstone National park hosts more than 10,000 hydrothermal features including hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, and mud pots. But did you know that...

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Yellowstone's newest thermal area: An up-close and personal visit!

Yellowstone's newest thermal area: An up-close and personal visit!

USGS and Yellowstone National Park scientists visited a newly discovered thermal site in the park. They mapped the extent of the area and took the...

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Helium isotopes carry messages from the mantle

Helium isotopes carry messages from the mantle

Scientists who work at Yellowstone are interested in finding physical and chemical signals from the deep magmatic system, both to better understand...

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What caused Yellowstone's past eruptions, and how do we know?

What caused Yellowstone's past eruptions, and how do we know?

What does cause an eruption at volcanoes like Yellowstone? To answer this question, we look at small crystals that formed in erupted volcanic rocks! 

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60 years since the 1959 M7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake: its history and effects on the Yellowstone region

60 years since the 1959 M7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake: its history and effects on the Yellowstone region

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's...

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Yellowstone's icy past

Yellowstone's icy past

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's...

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Alterations to go! Hydrothermal alteration in Yellowstone

Alterations to go! Hydrothermal alteration in Yellowstone

What is hydrothermal alteration, and why is it important? Most visitors to Yellowstone National Park are only vaguely aware of hydrothermal (hot water...

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A new view of Old Faithful's underground plumbing system

A new view of Old Faithful's underground plumbing system

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's...

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Will the southern California earthquakes cause Yellowstone to erupt? Spoiler alert: no.

Will the southern California earthquakes cause Yellowstone to erupt? Spoiler alert: no.

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's...

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How old is Yellowstone Caldera's current magma reservoir, and how do we know?

How old is Yellowstone Caldera's current magma reservoir, and how do we know?

How long has the magma chamber existed? And how can we explore such a complex question, given that we can't directly see several kilometers deep...

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How do geysers work? Knowledge gained from two centuries of scientific research and observations

How do geysers work? Knowledge gained from two centuries of scientific research and observations

Have you ever wondered why geysers are rare and what causes them to erupt? And why scientists study geysers?

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