An Electromagnetic View of How Magma is Stored beneath Yellowstone
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Ninfa Bennington, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Yellowstone caldera is one of the largest volcanic systems in the world. Past volcanic activity at the caldera has ranged from the output of lava flows to the explosion of large volumes of ash, and the last eruption in the region—a lava flow—was over 70,000 years ago. In a recent study, USGS investigators with collaborators at Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison used
FAAST Blast —Funding for Future Pilots & Mechanics, How to Avoid Med Certificate Delay from Name Error, How to Talk Like a Pilot
FAAST Blast — Week of January 06 - 12, 2025 Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update FAA Offers Fresh Funding to Inspire Future Pilots & Maintenance Technicians The FAA is helping to develop the next generation of aviation professionals through two grants aimed at creating a more diverse pool of pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. The Aircraft Pilots Workforce Development Grants (www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang/grants/awd/pilots) fund programs that educate students to become aircraft pilots or unmanned aircraft systems operators. The Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grants (www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang/grants/awd/technical) fund programs that prepare people to be aviation maintenance technicians. Representatives of eligible organizations can submit applications
What are gasoline sulfur credits, and how do they work?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Gasoline Sulfur program sets limits on the sulfur content of gasoline sold in the United States, with the aim of reducing a variety of vehicle emissions. The program relies on tradable credits that allow U.S. refiners and gasoline importers to reach compliance with sulfur specifications. For the second year in a row, in 2023, gasoline suppliers obtained and retired more sulfur credits than they generated, a trend that could increase supplier compliance costs and the price of octane in gasoline if it continues.
Volcano Watch — It’s All About Perspective: How to Interpret an Interferogram
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Today's article is by Tyler Paladino, a Postdoctoral Fellow with the U.S. Geological Survey. Panels A and B show what an interferogram would look like for a simple expanding spherical magma chamber from an ascending and descending orbital perspective. The star shows the true center of the inflating magma source. The arrow and bar denote satellite flight direction and look direction respectively. Each fringe represents approximately 1.55 cm. Panels C and D show the same event in a cross-section view.
April 24 – The FAA encourages general aviation pilots to learn how to meet the BasicMed requirements
General aviation pilots can now prepare to fly under BasicMed without holding a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate as long as they meet certain requirements. They can fly under BasicMed beginning on May 1, the effective date of the January 10 final rule. It offers pilots an alternative to the FAA’s medical qualification process for third class medical certificates, while keeping general aviation pilots safe and flying affordable. General aviation pilots may take advantage of the regulatory relief in the BasicMed rule or opt to continue to use their FAA medical certificate. Under BasicMed, a pilot will be
Volcano Watch — How have eruptions shaped Hawaii? Volcano Awareness Month 2025, with a twist
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. From Lēʻahi (Diamond Head) on Oʻahu to the changing caldera at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi, our landscape is shaped by volcanic processes and events. 2024 has been another year of dynamic volcanic activity on the Island of Hawaiʻi, with Kīlauea eruptions occurring outside of Kaluapele (the summit caldera) for the first time since 2018. Multiple intrusions into the upper portions of the Southwest Rift Zone and East Rift Zone culminated in a one-day eruption
What’s normal for a volcano? How CalVO scientists decide when to raise an alarm (or not)
In this spectrogram from November 30, 2024, at Mammoth Mountain, earthquakes in a swarm appear as bright blips of color, arriving rapid-fire and very close in time at nearby stations. Every day, CalVO duty scientists check the number, intensity, and character of earthquakes happening at our volcanoes. It's actually quite common for an active volcano - meaning one that has eruptible magma somewhere in its plumbing - to experience small quakes and shakes. There's always something going on, whether it's magma gurgling, gases and fluids flowing through a hydrothermal system, or the bulk of the volcano settling and shifting. The
Volcano Watch — Tilting towards lava: How tiltmeters monitor volcano activity
A tiltmeter is a sensitive instrument designed to detect very slight changes in deformation of the ground. They are installed around volcanoes to monitor changes in the Earth’s surface caused by magma moving underground. These movements often precede eruptions, as pressure from magma pushes against the surrounding rock, causing the surface to bulge or shift slightly. Imagine a carpenter’s level laid on the ground at Kīlauea, oriented radially away from Kaluapele (the summit caldera). As magma enters the magma reservoir beneath the caldera and the volcano inflates, the end of the carpenter’s level closest to the caldera is raised upwards
(Some) Assembly Required: How to sign your organization up for the Great ShakeOut
Did you feel that? The annual Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is coming on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, at 10:17 a.m. (local time, wherever you are). We never know where or when an earthquake may happen, but preparing is easier than assembling a piece of Scandinavian furniture. Don’t believe us? Take a look at this step-by-step guide. You can follow these basic steps to take part in the drill and learn more about how to prepare for earthquakes. There are even some additional things you can do to make your drill perfect – such as creating an emergency kit – that