The purpose of our study is to monitor caldera unrest at the Yellowstone Caldera by annually collecting GPS data and hot springs temperatures from a network of data collection points. Although the data collected in this study can contribute to more detailed monitoring efforts of the caldera, the primary goal of this project is to provide an on-going, hands-on field experience for undergraduate geology majors at the Eastern Illinois University Geology Field Camp.

From June 29-July1, 1999, we deployed 3 Trimble 4000Ssi receivers at pre-established GPS control stations along park roads or pullouts. During a 48 hour period, data was collected from 8 different control stations along a NW-SE traverse across the Yellowstone Caldera. Data collection times ranged from 1 to 8 hours at each control station, and each station was reoccuppied several times during the collection period. The GPS team (Bill Toothill and Sid Halsor, Wilkes University) set up each station and trained 2 field camp students in data recording, battery changing, and overall instrument monitoring before leaving them with the receivers for 4 hour intervals. All 24 students from the EIU Geology Field Camp took turns learning how to use and monitoring the equipment during data collection.

Following the survey, the data was processed and a set of 8 GPS baseline coordinates for our study has been established. In June/July 2000, the GPS team will reoccupy these 8 stations with the help of students from the EIU Geology Field Camp. After reducing the data collected during the 2000 campaign, ground deformation at these sites can then be assessed by comparing the new data to the baseline data collected during 1999. We plan to continue this study in subsequent years as part of an active GPS educational component of the EIU Geology Field Camp. In addition, this research-quality data, will contribute and complement other ongoing caldera monitoring studies of the Yellowstone Caldera. A more detailed report of this study, including data tables and a map is available at the following world wide web site: http://wilkes.edu/~gis/yellowstone.

A second component of our hands-on caldera monitoring effort at the EIU Geology Field Camp is monitoring hot springs temperatures at selected thermal areas within the Yellowstone Caldera. From June 29-July 1 we measured hot springs temperatures from several areas in the Upper Geyser Basin (Myriad, Geyser Hill, Grand, Round Spring, Daisy, Grotto, Chain Lake, Morning Glory, Biscuit, and Black Sand), and the West Thumb thermal area. EIU faculty members (Craig Chesner and Bob Jorstad) led small groups of students along the trails at these thermal areas. Two Omega thermocouples with 1 meter extension rods were used to collect the temperature data. Some hot springs could be measured without leaving the trail by simply extending the measurement rod at arms length. However, several other hot springs could not be reached from the main trail. To measure the temperature of these springs, one student would leave the trail and walk to the edge of the spring, after consultation with the faculty member concerning safety and the best location. Each data location point was recorded precisely in terms of latitude and longitude using a roving GPS unit carried by one student.

During two days of data collection, all 24 students learned to use the thermocouple and the roving GPS unit. Temperatures of about 100 thermal springs were measured and maps of this data have been produced. The 1999 data will serve as a baseline to which data collected during the 2000 campaign will be compared. We plan to continue this data collection in subsequent years as part of a thermal springs temperature mapping project by the EIU Geology Field Camp. In addition, we envision that this data will contribute to and complement other ongoing caldera monitoring studies of the Yellowstone Caldera. Data tables and maps for this study can be viewed at the following world wide web site: http://oldsci.eiu.edu/geology/camp/YNP/99calwu.htm.

Click here for a map of the geyser data sample locations. - 350 kb

Click here for a table of our data from 1999. (This will be arriving soon.)

EIU Geology Yellowstone National Park Research Program