Yellowstone National Park was shaken by more than 1.2 thousand earthquakes in just a month, seismologists say.
Scientists have been observing the seismic storm since June 12 and have already counted 1284 events. The strongest earthquake has reached a magnitude of 4.4. While the activity has fueled fears of an impending supervolcano eruption, experts assure that the risk of such an event is low and the level of preparedness remains normal.
Experts from seismological stations at the University of Utah (USA) have been monitoring the ongoing series of tremors on the western edge of Yellowstone since June 12. Earthquakes of this kind occur here and account for 50% of the seismic activity in Yellowstone.
"The series contains one earthquake with a magnitude higher than 4, 7 shocks with a magnitude higher than 3, 105 - with a magnitude higher than 2, 407 - with a magnitude of 1+, 736 - with a magnitude of 0+ and 28 seismic events with a magnitude less than zero," seismologists report.
University of Utah
"These earthquakes occur at a depth of ~ 0.0 km to ~ 14 km above sea level."
If the Yellowstone volcano ever explodes, the eruption will be 1,000 times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, experts say, adding, however, that the risk of such a cataclysm is minimal. "Yellowstone has not erupted for 70,000 years, so it will take massive earthquakes and earthquakes for the eruption to begin," explains the US Geological Survey.
"In addition to intense series of earthquakes (when the magnitude of many aftershocks is higher than 4 and 5), a rapid and significant rise around the caldera will be expected (possibly by tens of centimeters per year)."
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