YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — The largest earthquake in 29 years shook Yellowstone National Park early Sunday morning.
A 4.8 earthquake was measured by University of Utah Seismograph Stations at 6:34 a.m. on Sunday, March 30. It struck approximately four miles north-northwest of the Norris Geyser Basin near the center of the park. The quake was felt in the Montana border towns of West Yellowstone and Gardiner, both about 20 miles from the epicenter.
There were no immediate reports of damage and there are few visitors in the park this time of year.
Sunday’s earthquake was the most powerful measured within the national park’s boundaries in 29 years. For a three-month period beginning on Oct. 4, 1985, over 3,000 quakes were documented, with the largest measured at around 4.8 on the Richter scale.
A swarm of over 1,600 quakes shook Yellowstone in early 2010. The largest had a magnitude of 3.8.
Yellowstone sees frequent small earthquakes. Since Thursday, March 27, scientists have measured at least 25. The nation’s first national park may experience 1,000 to 2,000 earthquakes every year, many of which are too weak to be felt, according to Yellowstone’s website.
Yellowstone is home to a supervolcano that would devastate the United States and much of the world if it were to erupt. Last year, scientists discovered that the supervolcan
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