Yellowstone earthquakes: More than 200 quakes hit national park - here’s what that means

Tremors begin to hit the National Park on February 8, ramping up on February 15 when seismic activity and magnitudes increased markedly.

On the night of February 18, the largest earthquake in the swarm was 2.9-magnitude although this was reportedly not felt.

Swarming is a frequent occurrence in Yellowstone National Park and reports indicate this region is actually a hotbed of seismic activity.

Here is everything we know about the recent earthquakes in Yellowstone.

Swarms typically occur without a single main shock and have two main causes: shifting at major tectonic plates or movements of water, gas or magma under the earth’s surface.

As for Yellowstone, both these reasons could be behind the recent activity.

As well as being situated on the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone hotspot, an area of tectonic activity, the region also has an abundance of hot springs and deep mud pools that gather liquid and gas beneath the surface.

Because of this, small quakes are a frequent occurrence in Yellowstone, which is typically hit by 1,000 to 3,000 quakes a year, according to the National Park Service.