Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
06:55
Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling
Published on: August 5, 2016
Recent crustal uplift in yellowstone national park
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 7, 1979
Summary
The Yellowstone caldera is experiencing rapid uplift, with ground levels rising over 700 millimeters since 1923. This geological deformation is likely caused by a recent influx of magma beneath the surface.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Volcanology
- Geodesy
Background:
- The Yellowstone caldera is a large volcanic system with a history of massive eruptions.
- Understanding crustal deformation is crucial for monitoring volcanic activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze historical precise leveling data to detect ground deformation at the Yellowstone caldera.
- To investigate the cause of observed surface uplift.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of precise leveling measurements from 1923 with data from 1975, 1976, and 1977.
- Analysis of vertical ground displacement over time.
Main Results:
- Significant relative uplift of the Yellowstone caldera (over 700 mm) was detected since 1923.
- Average uplift rate is approximately 14 mm per year, indicating rapid deformation.
- The uplift is unusually large compared to typical geological processes.
Conclusions:
- The observed rapid uplift suggests a recent influx of molten or partially molten material into the crust beneath the Yellowstone caldera.
- This geological event indicates potential unrest within the volcanic system.
- Continued monitoring is essential to understand the implications of this magmatic activity.
More Related Videos
07:58Data Processing Methods for 3D Seismic Imaging of Subsurface Volcanoes: Applications to the Tarim Flood Basalt
Published on: August 7, 2017
08:09Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management
Published on: September 12, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
01:15Quarrying of Stone
Quarrying is the process of extracting stone from a quarry, where specialized techniques are employed to remove large blocks of stone safely and efficiently. This process can involve controlled explosions or more precision-oriented methods such as cutting and drilling.
One common method involves using a diamond belt saw to cut large blocks from the quarry face. These blocks can be about 50 feet long and 12 feet high. After the initial vertical cut, drilling is performed at the base of the block.
One common method involves using a diamond belt saw to cut large blocks from the quarry face. These blocks can be about 50 feet long and 12 feet high. After the initial vertical cut, drilling is performed at the base of the block.
01:12Temperature Dependent Deformation
In a nonhomogeneous rod made up of steel and brass, restrained at both ends and subjected to a temperature change, several steps are involved in calculating the stress and compressive load. Due to the problem's static indeterminacy, one end support is disconnected, allowing the rod to experience the temperature change freely. Next, an unknown force is applied at the free end, triggering deformations in the rod's steel and brass portions. These deformations are then calculated and added together...
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
02:56The Fossil Record
The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
01:28Significance of Displacement Current
A displacement current is analogous to a real current in Ampère's law, participating in Ampère's law the same way as the usual conduction current. However, it is produced by a changing electric field. Displacement current is defined in terms of a time-varying electric field, and also has an associated displacement current density. By adding a term accounting for displacement current, Maxwell modified the existing Ampère's law, which is now called generalized Ampère's law.