“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
Jul 26, 2025
On My Mind Today:
It’s been awhile since I have posted anything about the Yellowstone Caldera, but I’ve noticed lately that there are both concerning scientific evidence and unsettled physical indications that the caldera is stirring — perhaps seriously.
Consequently I am going to Post one of 3 media posts from today that may be worth tracking further as time goes by.
And there is a rather silly, perhaps meaningless, question here: Will Yellowstone and other calderas and volcanoes beat Nuclear bombs and power plants to the next (6th) extinction on planet Earth? ~llaw
The Yellowstone Caldera is a 30×45 mile (50×70 km) depression which was formed by a cataclysmic eruption some 640,000 years ago.
From MSN and Daily Mail . . . (Note: There are two other media reports in the “Yellowstone Caldera” section at the end of TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS)
Scientists discover ominous sign that Yellowstone’s supervolcano is building up to an eruption
Published: 05:32 EDT, 22 July 2025 | Updated: 05:32 EDT, 22 July 2025
Scientists have discovered an ominous sign which could hint that Yellowstone’s supervolcano is building up to an eruption.
Using machine learning, researchers found there have been over 86,000 hidden earthquakes between 2008 and 2022.
That is 10 times more tremors than scientists had previously detected.
Worryingly, more than half of those earthquakes came in swarms – small groups of interconnected tremors – which have been known to precede volcanic activity.
The researchers say these ‘chaotic’ swarms were found moving along rough, young fault lines running deep below the Yellowstone Caldera.
These clusters of seismic activity are likely caused by hot, mineral-rich water forcing itself through cracks in the rock.
Yellowstone is one of the world’s largest active volcanoes – and if it erupted, it would cover up to two-thirds of the US with ash.
Entire states could become uninhabitable as toxic air sweeps through them, grounding thousands of flights and forcing millions to leave their homes.
Scientists have spotted an ominous sign that the supervolcano below Yellowstone (pictured) could be building up to an eruption
The Yellowstone Caldera is a 30×45 mile (50×70 km) depression which was formed by a cataclysmic eruption some 640,000 years ago.
After the eruption emptied out its enormous magma chamber, the land left on top collapsed into the hollow space to form the caldera.
When scientists want to look for seismic activity around the caldera, they normally have to manually inspect vast amounts of data.
However, by using machine learning techniques, Dr Li and his co-authors were able to comb through years of past seismic recordings to look for previously undetected tremors.
Dr Bing Li, an expert on earthquake mechanics from Western University, says: ‘If we had to do it old school with someone manually clicking through all this data looking for earthquakes, you couldn’t do it. It’s not scalable.’
This revealed that tens of thousands of earthquake swarms had been missed by earlier manual inspections.
Earthquake swarms are not like the familiar shock and aftershock pattern where one big event is followed by a number of smaller tremors.
Instead, swarms occur as clusters of small earthquakes which rapidly spread and shift over a small area within a short period of time.
Scientists used machine learning to detect over 86,000 hidden earthquakes between 2008 and 2022. That is ten times more earthquakes than had previously been spotted. These graphs show where they were found, as well as how deep and far along the fault they occurred
The researchers say these ‘earthquake swarms’ are likely caused by the movement of superheated liquids beneath the volcano caldera. These same geothermal processes are the reason that Yellowstone produces its famous geysers
Are earthquake swarms a sign of an eruption?
Earthquake swarms are groups of small, interconnected earthquakes that spread and shift within a relatively small area over a relatively short period of time.
These can sometimes be caused by the movement of magma deep below the Earth’s surface.
In some cases, this means earthquake swarms can precede volcanic activity.
This has been the case in major eruptions such as those in Iceland last year.
However, swarms can also be caused by shallower movements of gas and liquids in the rock.
These are more common and do not signal that any volcanic activity is likely.
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In some cases, this can be caused by molten magma moving upwards through the mantle and crust, building up pressure which can hint at an upcoming eruption.
However, volcano experts say this is likely not the case in the Yellowstone Caldera.
Professor Valentin Troll, a volcano expert from Uppsala University in Sweden who was not involved in the study, told MailOnline: ‘The seismic record reveals episodic activity that occurs in clusters within the upper 10 km beneath the volcano, primarily along pre-existing fault structures.
‘These clusters are not associated with deep seismicity; in other words, there is no direct evidence of magma recharge from greater depths. Instead, the seismicity is largely confined to the interior of the volcano.’
This kind of activity within the existing volcano is usually caused by the movement of gases and liquids disturbing the ground.
As the authors suggest, pressurised liquids are a particularly likely culprit since they lubricate faults in the rock, leading to slips that cause earthquake swarms.
Professor Troll says that this can lead to ‘hydrous and gas-driven eruptions’ in which steam or gases are ejected out of the ground.
This was demonstrated by the hydrothermal explosion at Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin last summer, in which a blast of steam sent rocks flying hundreds of feet into the air.
Experts say the swarm activity is not an indication of an upcoming major eruption but could lead to ‘hydrous and gas-driven’ eruptions like those which caused a major explosion at Biscuit Basin last summer (pictured)
This comes after a new pool appeared at Yellowstone National Park (pictured), likely formed in a series of mildly explosive events between late December 2024 and early February 2025. The rocks and white material (silica mud) surrounding the pool were probably ejected as the feature formed
Similar explosions are the likely cause of a 13-foot pool which recently appeared at Norris Geyser Basin – one of the hottest, oldest and most dynamic of Yellowstone’s thermal areas.
However, these swarms are not an indication that a devastating magma-driven eruption is on the way.
Read More
Is Yellowstone on the brink of erupting? Experts find a HOLE in one of the park’s basins
Instead, the researchers say that their findings are a valuable tool to help understand and prepare for other eruptions in the future.
These same machine learning techniques could be applied to other historical seismic records to help scientists listen to ‘Earth’s volcanic heartbeat’.
Dr Li says: ‘While Yellowstone and other volcanoes each have unique features, the hope is that these insights can be applied elsewhere.
‘By understanding patterns of seismicity, like earthquake swarms, we can improve safety measures, better inform the public about potential risks, and even guide geothermal energy development away from danger in areas with promising heat flow.’
COULD AN ERUPTION AT THE YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO BE PREVENTED?
Recent research found a small magma chamber, known as the upper-crustal magma reservoir, beneath the surface
Nasa believes drilling up to six miles (10km) down into the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park to pump in water at high pressure could cool it.
Despite the fact that the mission would cost $3.46 billion (£2.63 billion), Nasa considers it ‘the most viable solution.’
Using the heat as a resource also poses an opportunity to pay for plan – it could be used to create a geothermal plant, which generates electric power at extremely competitive prices of around $0.10 (£0.08) per kWh.
But this method of subduing a supervolcano has the potential to backfire and trigger the supervolcanic eruption Nasa is trying to prevent.
‘Drilling into the top of the magma chamber ‘would be very risky;’ however, carefully drilling from the lower sides could work.
This USGS graphic shows how a ‘super eruption’ of the molten lava under Yellowstone National Park would spread ash across the United States
Even besides the potential devastating risks, the plan to cool Yellowstone with drilling is not simple.
Doing so would be an excruciatingly slow process that one happen at the rate of one metre a year, meaning it would take tens of thousands of years to cool it completely.
And still, there wouldn’t be a guarantee it would be successful for at least hundreds or possibly thousands of years.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:
There are 6 categories, with the latest addition including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in human and other life.
The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
- All Things Nuclear
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear Power Emergencies
- Nuclear War Threats
- Nuclear War
- Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Saturday, (07/26/2025)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
European countries are set for Iran talks, but expectations for a breakthrough are low
Central Florida Public Media
“There has been great concern in Europe about how to get back to something that looks more like nuclear diplomacy with Iran and less direct kinetic …
European countries hold talks with Iran in Istanbul, with a sanctions threat looming – KLCC
KLCC
All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM The World. 0:00. 0:00. All Things … nuclear activities. The pressure by the Europeans is part of an …
‘Junk Nukes’: Democrat McGovern Tells Trump To Give Up Nuclear Weapons, Talk To Putin | Watch
YouTube
… about the mounting dangers of nuclear conflict. As the world marks 80 years since the Trinity Test and prepares to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Kathy Hochul’s Nuclear Vision Faces Big Questions and Bottlenecks – New York Focus
New York Focus
… nuclear plant and older fossil fuel plants bring once … nuclear power, which is controversial within the Democratic Socialists of America.
China’s next-generation nuclear plans take step forward with fast gigawatt reactor design
South China Morning Post
The China National Nuclear Corporation’s neutron reactor could generate up to 1.2GW and provide a more efficient, cleaner source of power.
Billionaire Peter Thiel backing first privately developed US uranium enrichment facility in Paducah
WKMS
… nuclear power plants. “Seventy-five years ago, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission selected Paducah to help lead the nation’s original enrichment …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Emergency Crews and ATMOS Energy Respond to Compromised Gas Line in – Hoodline
Hoodline
A contractor’s error has led to a gas line breach in White Settlement, with emergency services responding to secure the area.
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Trump says he wants to maintain nuclear limits with Russia | Reuters
Reuters
U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in more than 60 years, in part fueled by Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons in his war against …
Not Just Nuclear, Khamenei Makes Huge Military Declaration Amid Israel Threats, US …
YouTube
… nuclear programs after the deadly June 13 attack … Not Just Nuclear, Khamenei Makes Huge Military Declaration Amid Israel Threats, US Missile Shortage
Iran meets European powers amid threats of U.N. sanctions snapback – The Hindu
The Hindu
European diplomats meet with Iranian counterparts for nuclear talks, amid threats of snapback sanctions under the 2015 deal … war and targeted key …
Nuclear War
NEWS
Report: Growing Evidence War ‘shattered’ Iran’s Nuclear Program, Designs To Build …
i24NEWS
Report: Growing evidence war ‘shattered’ Iran’s nuclear program, designs to build electromagnetic weapon. WaPo cites an Israeli source as detailing …
Opinion | How Israeli and U.S. attacks shattered Iran’s nuclear program – The Washington Post
The Washington Post
Sources said strikes in the first hours of the war killed all of Iran’s first and second tier of physicists and other nuclear scientists, as well as …
Nuclear Weapons in the Age of the DOGE
Next Generation Nuclear Network – CSIS
Nuclear deterrence plays a key role in preventing wars for the U.S. and its allies. For effective nuclear deterrence, our weapons posture must be seen …
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
“They Knew and Stayed Silent”: AI Exposes 86,000 Hidden Earthquakes Under Yellowstone …
Sustainability Times
The Yellowstone caldera is a vast geological depression that stretches across parts of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. It was formed following a volcanic …
Scientists discover ominous sign that Yellowstone’s supervolcano is building up to an eruption – MSN
MSN
Scientists have discovered an ominous sign which could hint that Yellowstone’s supervolcano is building up to an eruption.
Yellowstone is hiding more than 80000 earthquakes below its surface
The Weather Network
“Now, we have a far more robust catalogue of seismic activity under the Yellowstone caldera.”