Yellowstone scientist compares park heat maps to soccer tracking

“We are measuring the temperature of the surface and trying to assess how much heat is radiating away from the surface and how that changes with time,” Vaughan said. 

Shifts in surface temperature can indicate changes happening below ground. 

“If the ground is deforming or if there is a swarm of earthquakes or a new slug of gas coming up to the surface, all those things could be related,” he added. 

Researchers use satellites, aircraft and drones to capture thermal imaging of the park. They also use standard photography in winter to see where snow is melting and where it is freezing to help understand surface temperatures. 

Vaughan pointed to a heat map of Norris Geyser Basin and explained that warmer colors showed higher temperatures. In an article he wrote for USGS's Caldera Chronicles column, he compared that technology with soccer field tracking maps that show where players spend most of their time. Vaughan is a lifelong soccer player. 

“And I'm a coach, I'm a ref, I'm a fan, I'm a parent, you know, all things soccer. So, very excited for the World Cup going on,” he said. 

On the heat maps of soccer fields, you can see where players, like goaltenders or right wingers, spend most of their time. 

“It's not literally a heat map," Vaughan said. "And that's used to assess player performance and fitness and tactics as well as that sort of thing." 

Vaughan has worked for Yellowstone Volcano Observatory since 2008 and in that time has seen many changes in the park. New thermal areas have appeared, old areas have cooled off, some have moved andaround and some have new features. 

Two years ago, the Black Diamond pool at Biscuit Basin blew up in a large explosion. In June of 2026, the basin experienced a much smaller explosion, but the result was a new pool that showed activity similar to a geyser along with newly formed cracks. 

Monitoring the park through methods like thermal imaging helps scientists keep records of changes and helps them understand if something is wrong, similar to an annual checkup with your doctor even if you feel healthy. 

"We monitor the ground moving up and up and down. We might the earthquakes, which is like the heartbeat of Yellowstone. And we monitor the temperature at the surface," Vaughan said. "And again, we measure these things under normal conditions so that we know how to recognize unusual things if they ever happen."