The Norris Geyser Basin felt the seismic bass drop today – all 4.8 worth of it.

No injuries were sustained in the midst of this natural phenomenon common to Yellowstone – even though it was the strongest quake to hit the park since the 80’s. Yet, raised eyebrows about these more intense quakes have had more to do with whether the underlying Supervolcano would get triggered and erupt.

As North America’s largest volcanic field, Yellowstone National Park harbors a caldera (another name by which the Supervolcano goes). Because of the tectonic and volcanic qualities, the caldera realizes roughly 1 to 20 earthquakes daily, per the Yellowstone observatory. So the magnitude 3 and under quakes are fairly ritual and hardly “news” for the area. None of those quakes (nor the 1985 event) set it off, either – unless of course I’m writing this from the afterlife and nobody informed me.

While vain anxiety about an unstoppable natural force seems silly, suffice it to say that seismologists have offered to free us from our fears temporarily anyway. USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory spokesman Peter Cervelli spoke to NBC, indicating that the quake’s damage would be minor and that it is not expected to trigger any volcanic activity.

Residents in Mammoth woke to 5 inches of fresh snow and a magnitude 4.8 earthquake. No damage has been reported. pic.twitter.com/QwHbKO9C9W

— YellowstoneNPS (@YellowstoneNPS) March 30, 2014

Perhaps the best advice on how to proceed serenely with the act of living our lives comes from the following writer for Exotic Hikes: “While scary, the most recent earthquake at Yellowstone National Park should not cause any panic,” he assures, adding: “In fact, it should encourage you to plan a trip and go visit the first National Park. With geysers, animals, amazing waterfalls and a lifetime of memories, let this earthquake serve as the perfect reminder to get outside and enjoy nature…while it is still around.”

Good point! Mother Nature’s not totally malevolent – and so long as there’s a rain check for Armageddon, we might as well revel in it.

Image via Wikimedia Commons