Ok, I’m officially worried- usually these experts say “nothing to worry about- happens all the time.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hklq5saMBlMynv31EbfNSka-SpOwD95CL4J80
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Scientists are closely monitoring more than 250 small earthquakes that have occurred in Yellowstone National Park since Friday.
Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone. But Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah, says it’s very unusual to have so many over several days.
The largest tremor was Saturday and measured magnitude 3.8.
Smith says it’s hard to say what might be causing the tremors but notes that Yellowstone is very geologically active.
I remember there was a swarm of earthquakes earlier this year in Reno, Nevada that had scientists pretty worried....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_earthquakes_of_2008
A lot of the time it means magma movement.
"Yellowstone is very geologically active."......
Mr. Smith, how does it feel to be the new Capt. Obvious?
Considering the past history of events, we are about 100,000 yrs overdue for another blow.
It could happen! Just ask the weather channel.
LibConservative: there have been signs for the last several years - trees dying off (increase in ground temp), increase in the temp of water, increase in gasses, etc.
One thing to remember here is the scale we are talking about. The size of the Yellowstone system is nothing short of mind boggling. Mt St Helen would be a mere pimple compared to this. But things have to happen before it blows, at least by what we now know. Earthquake swarms over a huge area, wide spread ground heating, etc.
By no means am I an expert (slept in my bed last night!), just very intersted in this stuff.
No doubt it is building up for another eruption, and we don't want to be around for that, but think 'scale'. This is not on our time-scale, it's mother nature's time scale.
From what we know now, eruption prediction does not exist. We just don't know enough.
I'm betting I'll be here in 10, 20 years. And I'll buy ya a beer / soda.