The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory says in its monthly update that 98 earthquakes happened in the Yellowstone National Park region in October.
The largest quake measured 2.7 magnitude, and occurred on October 29 at 3:55 p.m. about 11 miles south-southwest of West Thumb.
The quake was part of a small swarm of 15 earthquakes that occurred over six hours.
The observatory, which utilizes the University of Utah’s Yellowstone Seismic Network for the report, said that the earthquake activity in October is considered “at low background levels.”
The previous update was for September. There were 71 earthquakes in the region that month, the largest being a 3.2 magnitude quake on September 24 at about 9 miles south of Mammoth. There were no earthquake swarms in September.
The activity was also labeled “at low background levels” in September.
Ground deformation was also reported in north-central Yellowstone. The rate of subsidence is holding steady at about 5 centimeters a year.
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) provides long-term monitoring of volcanic and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone National Park region. Yellowstone is the site of the largest and most diverse collection of natural thermal features in the world and the first National Park. YVO is one of the five USGS Volcano Observatories that monitor volcanoes within the United States for science and public safety.
