What could this mean for Yellowstone?

[conestogo_flood]

There has bound to be someone here who knows something about Yellowstone.

Over the past few years, I can't find any earthquakes above 3.0 in Yellowstone, but in the hour there has been a 3.2. Could this come as a possible sign to some major changes in the caldera? The quake was in the eastern part just above the lake, still in the caldera. What does anyone have to say about what this might mean?

Magnitude 3.2 - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING

2006 February 26 01:08:20 UTC
A minor earthquake occurred at 01:08:20 (UTC) on Sunday, February 26, 2006. The magnitude 3.2 event has been located in YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING. The hypocentral depth was poorly constrained. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

Earthquake Details
Magnitude 3.2
Date-Time Sunday, February 26, 2006 at 01:08:20 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Saturday, February 25, 2006 at 6:08:20 PM
= local time at epicenter

Location 44.663°N, 110.434°W
Depth 0.3 km (~0.2 mile) (poorly constrained)
Region YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
Distances 47 km (29 miles) SSE (152°) from Gardiner, MT
53 km (33 miles) E (90°) from West Yellowstone, MT
55 km (34 miles) SW (225°) from Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
451 km (280 miles) NNE (15°) from Salt Lake City, UT

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.7 km (0.4 miles); depth +/- 2.5 km (1.6 miles)
Parameters Nst= 24, Nph= 24, Dmin=11 km, Rmss=0.38 sec, Gp= 47°,
M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=3
Source University of Utah Seismograph Stations

Event ID uu00007613

[JonathanBelles]

could this be trouble for rainer?

[brunota2003]

na...dont mark my words though, but as far as I know, it really doesnt mean anything other than Yellowstone is still active...

[conestogo_flood]

I don't know, I've been researching latelly, and ground uplift is increasing at Yellowstone. Could a 3.2 cause something at the caldera? All that pressure needs to escape, maybe this might cause the beginning of a crack or something. This has me edgy.

[Derek Ortt]

well... the 9.0 on Boxing Day on Sumatra and subsequent 6-7.0 quakes did not affect Toba, despite the concerns that Toba would blow

[Brent]

If there are a series of quakes(especially 5 or higher), then I'd start to get concerned... but I wouldn't worry about one magnitude 3.

[kevin]

It means that Yellowstone is geologically active.

[wxmann_91]

Yellowstone has always been geologically active... no worries. Heck there have been magnitude 7 quakes that have occurred the last century.

[MiamiensisWx]

Actually, Yellowstone could erupt. It has done so in the past.

[Brent]

Actually, Yellowstone could erupt. It has done so in the past.

640,000 years ago.

It will erupt someday... but not anytime soon IMO. We'll probably all be long gone when it happens(hopefully).

[JonathanBelles]

dont quote me but i heard for every earthquake we are a year closer to a major eruption

[brunota2003]

dont quote me but i heard for every earthquake we are a year closer to a major eruption

if that were true, then it should of erupted a while ago...look at the earthquake chart...if this pic works:

[JonathanBelles]

true whats the red line mean?

[brunota2003]

i guess its the outer boundary of the caldera...

[brunota2003]

heres the site that I got the chart from: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/

[JonathanBelles]

i know what the site is but ive never seen the red line before

[conestogo_flood]

The red line is the outline of the caldera/magma chamber.

[sprites]

actually yellowstone is much over due for one, but when is the issue.

[WindRunner]

If there are a series of quakes(especially 5 or higher), then I'd start to get concerned... but I wouldn't worry about one magnitude 3.

Exactly. We've had stronger earthquakes than a 3.2 occur in VA - and there is NOTHING that is tectonically exciting about Virginia. A few 5s within a week or two of each other would start to scare me, but nothing less.

[conestogo_flood]

Virginia isn't Yellowstone though. Yellowstone is a super volcano, over due for an eruption. There is a difference between ground movement and intense pressure built up underground waiting to get out in a massive eruption. Especially when there hasn't been any 3.0s+ at Yellowstone in the past few years.