Yellowstone Volcano Update — Video Collection

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. Looking closely, you’ll see the boulders are travertine. They are from ancient, now...

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). Read Caldera Chronicles https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/caldera-chronicles Visit Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website https://www.usgs...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Let’s get you caught up on what we’ve learned about the July 23, 2024, hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin, in this Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update for October 2024. Read Caldera Chronicles Visit Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website

Is it true that there's oil in Yellowstone? Watch this month's Yellowstone Monthly update and find out.

In this month's video, we update you on the Biscuit Basin explosion on July 23, 2024, and discuss the 65th anniversary of the M7.3 Hegben Lake earthquake.

The beautiful Morning Glory pool is located near Old Faithful. However, it has changed over time because of people and past climate. But how?

Up until the 1950s, visitors to the Old Faithful area could take a dip. Not at a geyser, but in a real swimming pool. The full story is in this month’s video update. During the month of May 2024, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, which monitors and operates the Yellowstone seismic network, located 62 earthquakes. Deformation trends observed since 2015 continue. There was one water...

Mount St. Helens and Yellowstone are two of the most well-known volcanoes in the United States. They have some pretty obvious differences, but they have some similarities as well. So, just how similar are Mount St. Helens and Yellowstone?

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. The activity started May 24, 2023. Aurum Geyser began erupting for the first time in two years, and Beehive Geyser began...

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. As soon as the snow melts out, field...

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. Herds of elk or bison make a lot of noise when they walk by a monitoring station. The noise is picked up by the...

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. External events, like large earthquakes or nuclear blasts, can't cause that. This question arose in 2019...

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. To protect the instruments and keep data flowing, seismometers are buried, and solar panels and radio antennas are positioned high enough above ground to prevent them from getting covered in snow. But the pole-like GPS antennas...

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. 2022 was an average year for earthquake activity. About 2,500 earthquakes were located in the Yellowstone region, with over one-third of those being part of a single, long-lived swarm near Grizzly Lake, between Norris Geyser...

Just a few days ago, Mauna Loa, the tallest active volcano on the planet, started erupting for the first time in 38 years. Mike Poland, the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, talks about the parallels and differences between Hawaiian and Yellowstone volcanism and describes recent activity at Yellowstone in this monthly update for December 1, 2022. What’s similar? Both...

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. The update comes to you from Nez Perce Creek in Yellowstone National Park. The creek was named after a Nez...

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. The features start as snowmelt and rainwater percolate deep into the...

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone volcano in this monthly update for September 1, 2022. The update comes to you from beautiful Sapphire Pool in Yellowstone National Park’s Biscuit Basin. This and other features like Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful, form from water, snow melt, and rainwater that circulates down in the...

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone in this monthly update for August 1, 2022. The August 1 update comes to you from beautiful Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Tens of millions of years ago, this area was a shallow inland sea. The bedrock geology includes sandstones and slates, and even limestones composed of...

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone volcano in this monthly update for July 1, 2022. The Yellowstone region saw record flooding owing to heavy rainfall and snowmelt during June 10–13. Several roads and bridges were washed out, and many small landslides and rockfalls occurred, especially in the northern part of Yellowstone...

This monthly video update of activity at Yellowstone Volcano comes to you from Mammoth Hot Springs, in Yellowstone National Park, where the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory consortium had its first face-to-face meeting in four years. During the meeting, YVO talked about science, the latest research, and plans for the future. YVO scientists also discussed revisions to the YVO response plan, which...

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, talks about Yellowstone’s recent earthquakes, trends in ground deformation, and Steamboat Geyser activity in this video update of May 1, 2022. Mike is reporting from the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington. CVO is one of five observatories operated by the USGS. The others are in Hawaii, Alaska, and...

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Mike Poland talks about a recent earthquake swarm in Yellowstone National Park, trends in ground deformation, and water eruptions at Steamboat Geyser, in this video update of recent activity (April 1, 2022). Seismic swarms are nothing new in Yellowstone. In fact, about 50% of all earthquakes in Yellowstone are part of swarms. The recent swarm...

Happy 150th birthday to Yellowstone National Park! The Park is truly a wonderland, and a place of continuous inspiration and learning. Listen, as Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Mike Poland recounts some of its unique history and provides an update of recent earthquakes, ground deformation, and geyser activity. Did you know, that a thermophilic bacterium from a Yellowstone hot...

This monthly update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory begins with a story. Many would enjoy the adventure of a bicycle expedition to Yellowstone National Park. But imagine doing this before pavement, lightweight cycles, and modern camping equipment. In 1896, the Buffalo Soldiers, who made up the volunteer Bicycle Corps of the 25th Infantry Regiment, were up to the challenge. Stationed in...

Before we get into what happened during the month of December 2021, let’s review what happened at Yellowstone over the past year. 2021 Seismicity Typically, there are 1,500 to 2,500 earthquakes located every year in the Yellowstone region. In 2021, there were 2,773 located earthquakes scattered throughout the Park. Consistent with previous years, most earthquakes were caused by water circulating...

Some people have characterized the seasonal rise and fall of Yellowstone as being like breathing. During the summer there is a little pause in the overall trend of subsidence and sometimes even a short episode of slight uplift. The trend reverses in early winter. These summertime episodes are caused by groundwater recharge. As the snowmelt percolates into the subsurface, the ground expands like a...

The November 2021 YVO Yellowstone Volcano update comes to you from a very snowy Norris Geyser Basin with a story about Porkchop Geyser’s 1989 explosion. Porkchop Geyser was named in the 1960s because it had a shape that looked a lot like a pork chop. In the 1970s to 1980s, it started having intermittent geyser eruptions, becoming more and more active. On September 5, 1989, Porkchop Geyser exploded...

Yellowstone’s semi-permanent GPS sensors head home for the winter. Mike Poland, the Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, provides the October update from the warehouse at the Cascades Volcano Observatory, where the YVO field team is getting ready to head out to Yellowstone to pick up instruments that have been collecting data on ground surface changes all summer. Yellowstone...

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge Mike Poland tells the story behind the color change of Morning Glory Pool and shows how to recognize seasonal changes in ground deformation data in this September 1, 2021 video update of volcano and earthquake activity at Yellowstone Volcano. Morning Glory has a cautionary tale to tell about how humans can impact the way thermal features look and...

During July, Yellowstone caught everyone’s attention with 1,000+ earthquakes located in seven distinct earthquake swarms. The largest swarm occurred beneath Yellowstone Lake and had 764 earthquakes, the largest of which was a Magnitude 3.6. While this seems like a lot of earthquakes, it is not the most Yellowstone has experienced in any given month and the volcano alert level remains unchanged...

From the boardwalk near Echinus Geyser (the largest acid geyser in the world), Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Mike Poland provides an update on activity in Yellowstone during the month of June. The Yellowstone Seismic Network located 445 earthquakes in the Yellowstone National Park region. Subsidence of Yellowstone Caldera, which has been ongoing since 2015, slowed during May...

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge Mike Poland provides the YVO monthly update from the rim of Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon. The V-shaped gorge tells an amazing geologic story. About half a million years ago, a large rhyolite lava flow erupted. Over time, hot water and gases heated by the magma chamber rose through faults in the lava flow. And as it rose, it began altering the rock...

It's May, the snow is melting and the roads are mostly open, so it's time for geologists, geophysicist and geochemists to head into Yellowstone to start projects they have been planning for the last several months. Next week, a field team will deploy a temporary GPS network to help “densify” the network of continuous GPS stations already in place. The temporary GPS stations are low profile, low...

There are thousands of volcanic features distributed throughout the southwest United States, which are grouped together in volcanic fields. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory monitors these volcanoes using a combination of techniques. While YVO hasn’t seen anything to suggest magma is on the move, the area is stretched and pulled apart to produce numerous tectonic earthquakes. YVO keeps an eye on...

Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, debunks the misconception that if Yellowstone were to erupt, it would be Armageddon. In fact, the most common form of eruptive activity at Yellowstone is a lava flow, and even those aren't that common. They happen only once every few tens of thousands of years. Learn more in this monthly overview of activity at Yellowstone...

Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, gives an overview of activity at Yellowstone Volcano during January 2021.

Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, provides an overview of activity at Yellowstone during December 2020.