The Yellowstone Super Volcano: Past, Present, and Future

CBS/CBE Distinguished Lecture Series in Honor of Professor Herbert Morawetz Presents

Robert B. Smith

Professor of Geophysics and Emeritus Professor, University of Utah

Abstract

Some of the Earth’s most violent forces have produced the magnificent scenery of Yellowstone National Park, its renowned geysers and the largest volcanic field in North America. The energy responsible for Yellowstone is a plume of magma hundreds of kilometers deep within the Earth’s mantle. Professor Smith will discuss his recent studies of this plume.

Bio

Robert B. Smith is a professor of geophysics and emeritus professor at the University of Utah. He has conducted research in the Yellowstone-Teton region for over 50 years and serves as a coordinating scientist of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory where he directs the Yellowstone Seismic and GPS networks. He is the senior author of the highly popular “Windows into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.” He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America as well as the 2009 recipient of the National Park Service’s Directors Award for Natural Resource Research.

Refreshments at 10:30 a.m.