yellowstone volcano observatory

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Busy year for Yellowstone supervolcano rumors

Steam rises from Excelsior Geyser Crater and Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.

Have you heard about what's happening with the Yellowstone supervolcano? The biggest earthquake in more than 30 years hit Yellowstone National Park in March. Bison were seen this winter pushing outside the park's boundaries. Extremely high levels of helium are rushing out of hot springs and fumaroles. Seismic detection gear has gone haywire. The roads are melting! All of this can only mean one thing: an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano is imminent, right? Continue Reading →

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Yellowstone thermal features produce unexpectedly high amounts of helium

Researchers collect gas samples form a fumarole in Yellowstone National Park as part of a study aimed at learning more about the processes at work beneath the park's thermal features.

Scenic vistas, abundant wildlife, and now, new research shows there's yet another uplifting reason to visit Yellowstone National Park. Scientists studying the thermal features in Yellowstone have found that a surprisingly high amount of helium escapes every day through vents, pools and other cracks in the earth's crust. Continue Reading →

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Yellowstone volcano risk may hinder Wyoming data center efforts

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Gateway communities around Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks benefit greatly from the parks' millions of annual visitors, who spent more than $750 million in the region in 2010. But Cody and other Wyoming communities east of Yellowstone could miss out on an emerging economic development opportunity because of fears about volcanic activity in the park. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has made it an economic development priority for the state to attract large-scale data centers like a planned $112 million cloud computing hub to be built in Cheyenne by software giant Microsoft, Corp. But a recent statewide assessment of Wyoming's ability to attract and support such data centers found that some industry leaders are wary of locating facilities in the state's northwestern corner, citing the risk of a volcanic eruption in Yellowstone Park. Continue Reading →

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