The Dynamics of the Yellowstone Hydrothermal System

The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field is characterized by extensive seismicity, episodes of uplift and subsidence, and a hydrothermal system that comprises more than 10,000 thermal features. Some of the recent advances include more refined geophysical images of the magmatic system, characterization of fluid sources and water-rock interactions, quantitative estimates of heat and magmatic volatile fluxes, discovering and quantifying the role of thermophile microorganisms in the geochemical cycle, defining possible links between hydrothermal activity, deformation, and seismicity; quantifying the dynamics of geyser eruptions, and the discovery of extensive hydrothermal activity in Yellowstone Lake.

Speaker: Shaul Horowitz, USGS