Lidar Technology , Uncovers 'Geological Hazards' Below , Yellowstone National Park.
CBS reports that new data has
revealed "geological hazards"
underneath Yellowstone National Park. .
A team of scientists used lidar technology to shed light on
prehistoric landslides and massive earthquakes that may have
permanently impacted the potentially dangerous geologic area.
Advanced geological surface mapping gave
geologists the clearest view to date of Paradise
Valley and a northern portion of Yellowstone. .
Lidar, short for "light detection and ranging,"
is used to survey large areas of land with
a sensor usually mounted on an airplane.
Geologists have an intense interest in
the area, as Yellowstone National Park
sits atop a known volcanic hotspot.
However, Michael Poland, a geophysicist with the
U.S. Geological Survey, says that the chance of
a volcanic eruption "is very unlikely in our lifetimes.".
Poland added that studying the area remains crucial
due to the likelihood of damaging earthquakes and
hydrothermal explosions in the foreseeable future. .
Yann Gavillot, a geologist with the Geohazards Program at
Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, wrote about the
lidar data in a weekly column by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Gavillot said the work could , "significantly improve hazards maps by allowing
better characterization of the location, geometry,
and activity of known faults and landslides.".
CBS reports that the same technology
helped geologists uncover active faults along
the edges of Yellowstone in August of 2022