about

Yellowstone National Park.

     The Yellowstone area in northwestern Wyoming was first discovered by mountain man Jim Bridger in 1856.  He described the scene of brilliantly colored hot spring pools, bubbling mud pits. steaming fumeroles, and erupting geysers as "the place where Hell bubbled up."  It wasn't until the federal geological survey traveled through the same area in 1871 that he was taken seriously.  On March 1, 1872, Congress, under President Ulysses S. Grant, established Yellowstone as a National Park.  It was the world's first national park.

     The geological origin of Yellowstone's geothermal features is the result of a combination of an abundant supply of water, heavily fractured rock formations, and a source of unlimited geothermal energy.  This source of geothermal energy is known as the "Yellowstone hot spot."  Geologists believe that only 4.5 miles below the surface is partially melted rock with pockets of pressurized gas.  Compare this with the fact that in most places these conditions exist at least 40 miles below the surface. 

      The Yellowstone that we see today was created by 3 catastrophic volcanic eruptions.  The first happened about 2.1 million years ago, the second 1.2 million years ago, and the most recent just 600,000 years ago.  The last eruption created a caldera 25 miles wide.  The caldera, or collapsed volcanic system, straddles the 2 older calderas. 

      Yellowstone is actually the youngest part of a volcanic system extending from eastern Oregon through southern Idaho to northwestern Wyoming.  The volcanic system is created by plate tectonics, the constant shifting of the Earth's crust.  There is a 260-mile-long line of calderas created over 17 million years, from eastern Oregon to northwestern Wyoming.  That would be a drift rate of 15 miles per million years, which matches the tectonic drift of the North American Plate precisely.  The Yellowstone hot spot is stable.  The plate moving over it is what caused the location to change. 

     The water source is created by the heavy winter snowfall in the area which seeps down through fractures.  The water becomes super heated and rises back up through the fractures.  As it passes through the limestone and calcite, it alters the limestone causing it to release carbon dioxide from the limestone.  The carbon dioxide disolves in the water creating a weak acid which disolves the calcite.  These disolved minerals are what creates the fantastic features that we enjoy today.  Yellowstone Park has the greatest concentration of geothermal features on the planet (more than 10,000 fumeroles, hot springs, mud pots, travertine terraces, and geysers). 

     "Geysers are geothermal features that periodically erupt with steam and columns of boiling water.   As it rises, superheated  water encounters decreased pressure near the surface, begins to boil, and releases clouds of steam.  This steam, dramatically expanded from the original volume of water, surges upward through conduits until constrictions block its ascent.  The steam then compresses until it lifts the overlying column of water.  Immediately below the surface, violent boiling generates even greater volumes of steam that finally force a jet of water to erupt on the surface as a geyser."  The above information was taken from an article in Rock and Gem magazine by Steve Voynick.  Steve Voynick October 2015. The Hot Springs of Yellowstone. Rock and Gem magazine. 

     The main loop around the park is well over 100 miles with an equal or greater number miles of criss-crosses and side trips to the various attractions within the park.  You should allow more than one day if you plan to see the entire park (especially if it is during the tourist season-which alway slows things down).  It is extremely important to follow the rules within the park, especially with regard to the water.  It is really hot and you could be scalded to death if you accidently fell in.  In the past there have been reports that fish caught in the lake or rivers have been dangled into the hot springs or pools while still on the line and cooked (that's pretty hot).  The practice is currently discouraged.

      My intent here, with the Yellowstone photos, is not to go into verbal depth on anything.  But, to let the photos and their sub-titles speak for themselves.  We add new items and information, to the site, monthly.  Be sure to look for page links.  Over half the site (and ALL of the really cool non-product information-like this page) is buried in these page links.  So, just like at the museum, look for all the little things (links) that might otherwise be overlooked.  Enjoy!!!

 

Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone River.

Calcite Springs (northern part of park).

Dragon's Mouth Spring .

Mud Volcano information site .

Mud PIts .

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Old Faithful.

Old Faithful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Yellowstone Lake .

Yellowstone River with buffalo.

Hot spring at Dragon's Mouth Spring.

Dragon's Mouth Spring.

Mud Volcano.

Hot spring with orange iron staining .

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Old Faithful.

Yours truly and better half at Old Faithful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellowstone Park.

Buffalo parade with 30 to 40+ cars.

Hot spring at Dragon's Mouth Spring .

Mud Geyser information site.

Mud Volcano.

Hot spring.

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Other geyser - Old Faithful area.

Old Faithful.

 

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Yellowstone Park.

Calcite Springs information site .

Dragon's Mouth Spring information site.

Mud Geyser .

Mud Pits .

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs.

Old Faithful.

Old Faithful.