Yellowstone News and Information

Ferdinand Hayden And The Founding Of Yellowstone National Park By  Yellowstone Volcano Observatory   October 30, 2023 Geologist Ferdinand Hayden directed the first scientific exploration of Yellowstone in 1871, leading directly to the founding of the world’s first national park in the following year. Hayden’s noteworthy achievements in science and conservation, however, are clouded by his views of indigenous people.     Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Cole Messa, Ph.D. student, and Ken Sims, Professor of Geology and Geophysics, both at the University of Wyoming. Yellowstone—the " land of the burning ground "—has been known to indigenous people for at least 11,000 years. In fact, in 1805 the  governor of Louisiana Territory described a map drawn on a bison hide by an indigenous American showing a “volcano” on the Yellowstone River . It wasn’t

Which Is more Hazardous to Tourists? Wildlife or Hot Springs? Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Yellowstone National Park is home to an array of “charismatic megafauna”—for instance, elk, bears, bison, wolves, and other large mammals.  And as the term “wildlife” implies, these animals are, well, wild.  Yellowstone National Park requires all visitors to stay at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from all other large animals, like bison and elk. Despite these well-publicized warnings, stories of people approaching too close to animals, and sometimes being injured, appear every year. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Early visitors at Handkerchief Pool, Black Sand Basin, around

Hypoliths: Life thriving under the beach-white sinters of Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas While most attention is given to the hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, and mud pots in Yellowstone’s hydrothermal areas, there are lessons just beneath the surface about how life might have taken shape on Earth billions of years ago. Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Dr. Jeff Havig and Professor Trinity Hamilton, researchers in Plant and Microbial Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota. A s one walks along the boardwalks in one of the many hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone National Park, there is a feast for the senses—the rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulfide, the blasting spray of geysers, the bubbling and boiling water in hot springs, the hiss of gas escaping fumaroles, the low thumping of mud pots, and the dazzlingly brig

Acknowledging Annie: How research and monitoring get done in Yellowstone Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Better knowledge of Yellowstone’s past volcanism and current behavior is key for understanding the potential for  future hazardous activity, like volcanic eruptions, strong earthquakes and hydrothermal explosions .  Data collection, however, must be balanced against the impact on Yellowstone National Park,  much of which is managed as a wilderness . Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Annie Carlson, Research Permitting Coordinator for Yellowstone National Park during 2017–2023. National Park Service photo by Jake Frank, May 2022. Scientists can’t simply install a seismometer or collect a rock sample wherever they want without consi

Yellowstone Lake Water Levels Can Tell Us More than You Might Think A relatively simple measurement—lake level—has yielded big dividends in Yellowstone. By tracking the level of Yellowstone Lake over time, it is possible to understand more about a range of subjects, from the hydrology of stream flow to the physical properties of the magma reservoir beneath Yellowstone Caldera! Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Scott K. Johnson, Science Communication Associate the EarthScope Consortium. The strongest Yellowstone Lake seiche wave (primary mode) has a 78-minute period, but other weaker seiche waves are also present simultaneously. The importance of tide gauges is apparent to anyone who has lived near a coastline, but there are a host of reasons to measure the water level of inland water bodies, too. Sometimes that’s to monitor water cycle trends, like drou

The Grand Story of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a natural wonder that almost defies description.  The reaction of explorer Charles Cook when he first viewed the canyon in 1869 seems appropriate: “ I sat there in amazement, while my companions came up, and after that, it seemed to me that it was five minutes before anyone spoke. ” Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, photographed during a helicopter flyover on August 19, 2019. Stretching from the  Lower Falls to the Tower Falls area , the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is about 28 km (17 miles) long, 250–350 meters (820–1150 feet) d