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Tag: Geological discovery

  • Yellowstone Earthquake Causes Little Damage

    A magnitude 4.8 earthquake rattled Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on Sunday near the Montana border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Several aftershocks with a magnitude over 3 were also recorded.

    USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory spokesman Peter Cervelli noted that the epicenter of the quake was situated in the middle of park, near the Norris Geyser Basin. Cervilli added that no damage was reported, and that there were not many visitors during the time of the event.

    The park sits atop of the Yellowstone Caldera, sometimes called the Yellowstone Supervolcano, a volcanic caldera. Seismic activity is commonplace in the region, and the Yellowstone Caldera sees between 1000 and 2000 measurable earthquakes a year, though most register a magnitude 3 or less. On occasion, a flurry of earthquakes is detected in rapid succession, an event called an earthquake swarm.

    Here’s some information on the caldera:

    Cervilli pointed out that Sunday’s quake, which occurred at 12:34 am GMT, will likely generate more secondary shockwaves in addition to the three already recorded, though noted that volcanic activity isn’t expected. Yet, Sunday’s earthquake was the most powerful recorded in the park since 1985, when seismologists logged 3,000 events up to magnitude 4.9 during a three-month period.

    The last major eruption of the Yellowstone Supervolcano was the Lava Creek event which occurred 640,000 years ago, which ejected approximately 240 cubic miles of pyroclastic detritus into the air. A repeat of an eruption of that magnitude today might render a large portion of the western United States uninhabitable for at least a decade.

    Geologists have closely monitored the rise of the Yellowstone Plateau, which has seen an accelerated upward movement of almost 3 inches per year between 2004 and 2008. This rise is indicative of an increase in magma chamber pressure. Seismologist Robert B. Smith, lead author of the study and professor of geophysics at the University of Utah, commented,”Our best evidence is that the crustal magma chamber is filling with molten rock. But we have no idea how long this process goes on before there either is an eruption or the inflow of molten rock stops and the caldera deflates again.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Antarctica Diamonds In Prince Charles Mountains?

    Could Antarctica have hit the jackpot in the sparkling and expensive type of ice? It might just be diamonds – scientists discovered kimberlight rocks which have been known to contain diamonds in the frozen Prince Charles mountains.

    “Kimberlites are a volumetrically minor component of the Earth’s volcanic record, but are very important as the major commercial source of diamonds and as the deepest samples of the Earth’s mantle,” scientists said in a research paper published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.

    Diamonds are formed through carbon and pressure in the earth’s inner mantle, approximately 140 to 190 kilometers deep – and through the heat and pressure found there. Kimberlites are a common rock found in most of the earth’s crust, and they are transporters of diamonds brought to the surface by volcanic activity and eruptions.

    This is the first evidence of Kimberlite in Antarctica.

    Kimberlite is a rare type of rock named after the South African town of Kimberley, famed for a late 19th century diamond rush.

    However, there has been a 50 year ban put in place against mining, initiated in 1991 for environmental reasons under the Antarctic Treaty in an effort to preserve the continent for scientific research and wildlife, from penguins to seals. Unless this ban can be lifted, there won’t be any diamond mining.

    The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, explicitly bans any extraction activity relating to mineral resources, except for scientific purposes.

    The geological team that made the discovery found three samples of Group One kimberlites on the slopes of Mount Meredith in the Prince Charles Mountains.

    “The samples are texturally, mineralogically and geochemically typical of Group I kimberlites from more classical localities,” they noted in the research paper. Group One kimberlites are the most likely to carry diamonds.

    Dr. Teal Riley, a survey geologist with the British Antarctic Survey said “Even amongst the Group One kimberlites, only 10% or so are economically viable, so it’s still a big step to extrapolate this latest finding to any diamond mining activity in Antarctica,” Riley was quoted by the BBC.

    Also, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty of 1991 prohibits “any activity relating to mineral resources, other than scientific research.”

    Mining after the ban in 2041 could be possible, but the technology might not be available to dig into frozen tundra, nor may the ban ever be lifted. “We do not know what the Treaty Parties’ views will be on mining after 2041 or what technologies might exist that could make extraction of Antarctic minerals economically viable,” said Dr. Kevin Hughes from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons