(ORDO NEWS) — In September, 205 earthquakes were recorded in the Yellowstone supervolcano area, which is a lot, especially when compared with previous months. Could this be a sign that an eruption is about to take place? Experts cannot give an unambiguous answer to this question so far.
Yellowstone last erupted 640 thousand years ago. Before this, eruptions took place 1.3 and 2.1 million years ago. Some people believe that the volcano erupts at regular intervals. This means that it has been ready for a long time and the eruption can begin at any moment. At the same time, you can see a huge number of records on social networks that 2020 will be a great time for a supervolcano to erupt.
The activity of the supervolcano is closely monitored by the US Geological Survey. According to the latest data, 205 aftershocks of various strengths were recorded last month, 125 of which were underground. The strongest earthquake reached 2.8 points. From September 10 to September 16, experts recorded a whole swarm of 29 aftershocks. Eight of them had a strength of more than 2.5 points. Experts were quick to assure that there is no cause for concern, because such a sequence of earthquakes is the norm for this region.
It is worth noting that in September they also found a slight deformation of the surface of the earth near the Yellowstone volcano, but no “major changes” were recorded. Scientists said the caldera began subsiding back in 2015. For a year, it sags by an average of 2-3 centimeters. In general, nothing unusual happened to the supervolcano, so it is too early to panic, according to experts.
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