Earthquake Threat in Yellowstone Region Bigger Than First Thought

Jason M. Vaughn
Wednesday 3:07pm
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In a new report that's sure to eventually set your Facebook feed all aflutter with fresh volcanically-charged paranoia, scientists say that the risk for damaging earthquakes in the Yellowstone region is greater than originally thought.
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According to the United States Geological Survey, the region-already one of the most seismically hazardous areas in the nation (Yellowstone is a gigantic volcano, remember)-has shown a relative increase in earthquake hazards since the last USGS hazard report in 2006.
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It's important to note that earthquakes in the region are more than just a threat to, say, Old Faithful-a major quake could cause damage over an area stretching from Montana to Utah.
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University of Utah geophysicist Bob Smith told the Associated Press that the overall net increase since 2006 isn't exactly huge-5 to 10 percent of peak acceleration-but the stakes in the region in terms of life and property are getting higher.
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