What Is The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory?

What is the role of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory? USGS graphic.

It was only a couple of weeks ago when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the investment of $15.2 million in the country's five volcano observatories.

The money, he said, would be used to help the observatories better monitor volcanic activity in their regions. The five observatories keep tabs on Alaskan volcanoes, those in Hawaii, those in the Cascades, the Yellowstone caldera, and California's Long Valley Caldera.

In this USGS video, Jake Lowenstern, the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, explains its purpose and how it operates.

Tomorrow: When was the last time Yellowstone's super volcano erupted?