A fissure has opened up in Grand Teton National Park just 60 miles (100km) from the Yellowstone volcano, prompting officials to immediately close the area. Experts have detected expanding cracks in the rock buttress, which is being closely monitored by geologists for movement. It is not known how the fissure opened but the area, which sits over the Yellowstone supervolcano, has been urgently shut down due to 'elevated potential for rockfall'. While it hasn't blown its top for more than 600,000 years, scientists are working to better understand Yellowstone in the hopes of predicting the next eruption. Scroll down for video A fissure has opened up in Grand Teton National Park just 60 miles (100km) from the Yellowstone volcano, prompting officials to immediately shut down the area According to a spokesperson for the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, it is not known how long the closure will be in place. 'The Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point areas are currently closed due to elevated potential for rockfall,' the statement read. The Hidden Falls is 100-foot (30-metre) waterfall near the eastern end of Cascade Canyon and Inspiration Point is a stop on a trek overlooking Jenny Lake. 'The area was closed to protect human safety on July 10 after expanding cracks in a rock buttress were detected. 'Geologists are monitoring the buttress for movement and have initiated a risk assessment for the area.' However, according to the spokesperson, other parts of the park are still open, such as the immediate area around Jenny Lake. The area is not far from the potentially devastating Yellowstone Volcano. Vast eruptions from the Yellowstone Volcano occurred 2.2 million, 1.3 million and 630,000 years ago. When it last erupted, the supervolcano produced one of the largest known blasts on Earth, spewing more than 2,000 times as much ash as Mount St Helens did when it erupted in 1980, killing 57 people. It is not known how the fissure opened but the area (pictured), which sits over the Yellowstone supervolcano, has been closed due to 'elevated potential for rockfall' The Hidden Falls (pictured) is 100-foot (30-metre) waterfall near the eastern end of Cascade Canyon. The area is not far from the potentially devastating Yellowstone Volcano Yellowstone is currently recharging as its magma chambers fill with molten rock from the Earth's mantle – the subsurface layer beneath the crust. Last month, it was revealed scientists have devised a new way to find out how quickly magma is building up beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano. The technique allows experts to accurately estimate the amount of magma entering the supervolcano from deep beneath Earth's crust in a process known as recharging. While the new method does not allow scientists to predict when Yellowstone will erupt, it could help to better understand how the volcano replenishes its deadly magma stores. Inspiration Point (pictured) is a stop on a trek near Jenny Lake. Vast eruptions from the Yellowstone Volcano occurred 2.2 million, 1.3 million and 630,000 years ago Researchers at Washington State University said these pools of molten volcanic rock build in subsurface magma chambers and are key to the eruption process. 'It is the coal in the furnace that's heating things up,' said study coauthor Professor Peter Larson. 'It's heating up the boiler. The boiler is what explodes. 'This tells us what is heating the boiler.' Scientists have devised a new way to find out how quickly magma is building up beneath the Yellowstone supervolcano. The technique allows them to accurately estimate the amount of magma entering the volcano. Pictured is Yellowstone National Park's Grand Prismatic Pool Researchers 'spiked' several hot springs in Yellowstone National Park with the stable radioactive isotope deuterium (pictured). The deuterium was harmless to the environment and approved for use by park officials Once these chambers are filled, the landform could explode at any time, potentially erupting within months or several millennia after a magma recharge. The eruption occurs when the magma chambers burst, throwing as much as 240 cubic miles (1,000 cubic kilometres) of magma into the air. A key driver of the volcano's destructive power is an explosive, silica-rich volcanic rock called rhyolite that breaks through the Earth's crust during an eruption. In the new study Professor Larson and his colleagues focused on the plume of magma heating the rhyolite from below. When it last blew the supervolcano produced one of the largest known blasts on Earth, spewing more than 2,000 times as much ash as Mount St. Helens did when it erupted in 1980 (pictured), killing 57 people in the most disastrous eruption in US history 'This gives us an idea of how much magma is recharging the volcano every year,' said Professor Larson. The researchers 'spiked' several hot springs in Yellowstone National Park with the stable radioactive isotope deuterium. Researchers said the chemical was harmless to the environment and approved for use by park officials. The hot springs the team spiked are closely linked to a maze of hydrothermal vents that play a key role in the Yellowstone volcanic system. Using the temperature of the springs and the time taken for the deuterium to return to normal background radiation levels, the team was able to calculate the amount of water and heat flowing out of the springs. Researchers found that previous studies underestimated the amount of water coursing through the springs and the amount of heat leaving the springs.<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox The huge 100ft fissure hissing steam on in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming located six miles from Yellowstone and about 60 miles from the Supervolcano. Park officials have closed off two areas of the park called Inspection Point and Hidden Falls citing fears for people’s safety. Should the monster erupt, blistering lava could swallow Wyoming, Montana and Idaho due to it being located on the border of the US three states. This would devastate the homes of millions of people and put their lives at risk. And the video has forced experts to play down fears, saying it was not related to the Yellowstone super-volcano.<doc-sep>Yellowstone: HUGE fissure appears in a Wyoming national park top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Ear Spring geyser burst back to life on September 15, the fourth eruption in 60 years. It spewed massive streams of boiling hot water and, worryingly, human litter, which officials say can damage the geyser's natural activity. The US Geological Survey said in a statement: “Ear Spring, normally a docile hot pool, had a water eruption that reached 20 to 30 feet high on Saturday, September 15, 2018. “The eruption ejected not only rocks, but also material that had fallen or been thrown into the geyser in years past, like coins, old cans, and other human debris.” While the geyser is likely the result of normal seismic activity in the area, any movement relating to Yellowstone prompts concern over what could be the most catastrophic eruption of all time. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has a colour-coded alert level for all its volcanos, ranging from green (normal) to red (eruption imminent or underway). Yellowstone is at green level, so there is no cause for concern. However, the volcano is certainly not extinct and continues to put on an impressive display of activity. The Steamboat geyser has entered a period of frequent massive water eruptions but these have no implications for future volcanic eruptions. Yellowstone volcano eruption: The supervolcano is one of the most dynamic sites on earth And in June 2018 alone, 76 earthquakes were detected in the Yellowstone National Park region. Every year, the Yellowstone caldera (a large cauldron-like hollow) subsides a few centimetres, a pattern that began in 2015. What would happen if Yellowstone erupted? While the supervolcano hasn’t seen an active eruption in 664,000 years, scientists consider it worth monitoring constantly. A supervolcano is thousands of times more powerful than a regular volcano and could result in changes felt across the globe. While the chances of this happening are very low, in 2014 a team of scientists publishes a paper exploring what a Yellowstone super-eruption might look like. In the hypothetical report, the scientists found the eruption would be preceded by massive, unmissable warning signs. Extraordinary images of America’s national parks from SPACE Tue, May 1, 2018 NASA has released out of this world images showing views of US National Parks from space. Play slideshow Twitter 1 of 11 Yellowstone National Park Intense seismic activity would be felt across the whole park, with the earthquakes taking weeks or months to break up the rocks above the magma. When the eruption finally came it would be 1,000 times more powerful than a regular volcanic eruption. The volcano would eject at least 240 cubic miles of material - and lava wouldn’t be the problem. A pyroclastic flow would cause volcanic ash to be ejected miles into the air and scattered across the whole of the United States. Yellowstone volcano: Possible distribution of ash from a month-long Yellowstone super-eruption. Yellowstone volcano eruption: The Steamboat geyser has entered a period of frequent water eruptions This could conceivably bury the northern Rockies in three feet of ash and devastate the states of Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Utah. The Midwest and both coasts would get a few inches of ash. This amount of ash would be devastating. It could kill people, plants, animals, crush buildings and flatten cities. Even outlying areas would feel the impact, with farms destroyed, roads and sewers blocked and respiratory problems aggravated. Yellowstone volcano eruption: A supervolcano is thousands of times more powerful than usual<doc-sep>
Yellowstone volcano: Nearby geyser spews huge cloud of steam Grand Teton is located about 60 miles from the Yellowstone National Park, in the wester US-state Wyoming. Last week, park officials discovered a huge crack in the rocks which is about 100 feet long and runs horizontally along a rock wall that’s at least 100 feet tall. “Yesterday, Exum guides noticed cracks in the rocks,” Teton park spokeswoman Denise Germann said. “They communicated that to rangers this morning, and when they went to investigate they realized it had actually gotten bigger and expanded.” The Yellowstone-Grand Teton National Park area is among the most geologically active in the country. However, that activity does not mean a super eruption is imminent. Is huge fissure a sign of eruption looming? Rangers temporarily closed the Hidden Falls and the area around the giant crack amid safety concerns a rock wall could collapse and "tumble down onto onlookers”. It is currently unclear how the crack opened but it is likely due to normal seismic activity in the national park area. Yellowstone volcano: The caldera formed in the last three super eruptions in the past 2.1 million While it could be a sign that Yellowstone is reawakening. The reawakening of the volcano would be devastating for the USA as an estimated 87,000 people would be killed immediately as two-thirds the USA would be destroyed. However, Teton park spokeswoman Denise Germann has stresesd there is no need to panic about an impending eruption. Grand Teton does not sit directly above Yellowstone’s magma chambers, but the whole area is susceptible to ground movement due to geological activity, so cracks are not unusual. Yellowstone super volcano in pictures Wed, February 14, 2018 The volcano at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana sits atop a huge reserve of magma and last erupted 640,000 years ago Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 18 Belgian Pool, hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming And the USGS says the odds of Yellowstone erupting are 0.00014 percent — lower than the odds of getting hit by a civilisation-destroying asteroid. In fact, some say that the supervolcano may never erupt again. What is the Yellowstone volcano? The caldera formed during the last three super eruptions over the past 2.1 million years. Yellowstone volcano: Tourists from around the world flock to see the volcano Yellowstone volcano: A map shows the volcano's activity