The USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory relies on a number of GPS monitoring stations to keep an eye on seismic, volcanic, and hydrothermal activity throughout the vast Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park. Many of those sites are easy to access and close to roads, but with the Caldera sitting at 45 miles across and 30 miles wide, some have to be in rather remote locations.
The White Lake GPS site is in one of those remote locations, placed on the Sour Creek resurgent dome and requiring a helicopter to access. It’s one of the most important stations in the park, measuring the constant movement of the dome as it rises and sinks. Unfortunately the White Lake station went offline during the summer of 2024, and there hasn’t been an opportunity to visit until just this past month.
A field team from the USGS and the EarthScope Consortium were able to fly out to the location and conduct repairs on the GPS, finding that water had corroded the antenna cable. The antenna cable was replaced and additional upgrades were performed, adding weather sensors and converting the communications from an older radio link to a new cellular system.
