Yellowstone Hotspot Stretches the Landscape 150 Miles Away
Billings, MT – Scientists say that a giant volcanic
hotspot beneath Yellowstone National Park has been changing the landscape 150 miles away, even when the hotspot is inactive. The findings defy long-standing beliefs that earthquakes triggered by volcanic activity account for the changes.
University of Utah professor Robert Smith says the results could
help in forecasting future earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Smith and his colleagues used satellite data to measure movements of the earth's crust over the past 17 years. They found that the earth's surface was stretching by up to four
millimeters a year ... fueled by energy the hotspot generates.