from The Express

Yellowstone Volcano latest: 100-FOOT fissure sparks URGENT park closure

A 100-foot fissure has opened up in the Grand Teton National Park – not far from the potentially catastrophic Yellowstone volcano.

By SEAN MARTIN

The giant crack in the Wyoming–based national park has prompted officials to shut down areas from tourists in case of landslides.

WoodTV.com, a US-news site affiliated with NBC, reported: “A 100-foot long fissure has prompted the closing of part of Grand Teton National Park.”

The Grand Teton National Park said in a statement: “The Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point areas are currently closed due to elevated potential for rockfall.

“The area was closed to protect human safety on July 10 after expanding cracks in a rock buttress were detected.

“It is unknown how long the closure will be in effect. Geologists are monitoring the buttress for movement and have initiated a risk assessment for the area.”

It is currently unclear how the crack opened but it is likely due to normal seismic activity in the national park area.

Despite being around 100 kilometres from the Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton does sit over the Yellowstone supervolcano.

If it was seismic activity beneath Grand Teton which caused the fissure, it could be a sign that Yellowstone is reawakening.

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