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Yellowstone’s Supervolcano

Alla Khananashvili/shutterstock

Yellowstone National Park sits atop a giant “supervolcano” known as the Yellowstone Caldera, spanning parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, where the magma is just three to eight miles below the surface. Though rare, past eruptions have been massive, with the largest two occurring millions of years ago. The 30-by-45-mile caldera (defined as a large, cauldron-like hollow formed when a volcano collapses inward) has been undergoing episodes of uplift (rising) and subsidence (sinking) for thousands of years, resulting in ground deformations that significantly alter the Earth’s surface.

Scientists believe this activity is a type of natural pressure release, and the chances of an eruption are extremely low. Nevertheless, they continually monitor the area for seismic activity using radar maps, GPS satellites and 17 ground stations. About 1,500 to 2,000 earthquakes are documented annually, and a 19-mile-wide dome was recently discovered at the northern rim of the Yellowstone Caldera, in northwest Wyoming. While this bulge is expected to reverberate for years, experts believe it is unlikely to erupt.

 

In-Print National Content Global Brief Global and Health Briefs April 2026

 

 

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Tick Tackler

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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