The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, also known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano or the Yellowstone Volcano, is a complex volcano, volcanic plateau and volcanic field located mostly in the western U.S. state of Wyoming, but it also stretches into Idaho and Montana. It is a popular site for tourists.
| Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field | |
|---|---|
 Mount Sheridan, the highest peak in the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, from Heart Lake | |
   | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 10,313[1] ft (3,143 m) |
| Coordinates | 44°28′16″N 110°30′07″W / 44.471031°N 110.501862°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | |
| Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Yellowstone National Park |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | ~2,080,000–70,000 years[3] |
| Mountain type | Complex volcano, volcanic plateau and volcanic field[2] |
| Last eruption | approximately 631,000 years ago (caldera-forming); 70,000 years ago (in the caldera) |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike/auto/bus |
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field began forming around 2 Ma (million years ago).[4]. It has had over 110 different eruptions and has created mostly rhyolitic plains, with over 6000 km3 of rhyolitic material formed.[4] Scientists have discovered three major eruptions that formed calderas. They used methods of geological mapping, with both satellites and field work, and potassium-argon dating, to discover the eruptions.[5] The three major eruptions are:
- The first large eruption was about 2.08 Ma and created the Huckleberry Ridge Caldera[6]. This eruption produced more than 2,500 km2 of magma[4] through at least three volcanic vents that produced large ash sheets across the area [6].
- The second large eruption was about 1.3 Ma and created the Henrys Fork Caldera [6]. This eruption produced more than 280 km2 of magma [4] and was nested within a portion of a larger caldera, the Huckleberry Ridge Caldera [6].
- The third large eruption was about 0.6 Ma and created the Yellowstone Caldera [6]. This eruption produced 1,000 km2 of magma [4] through at least two volcanic vents [6].
Resurgent doming then occurred at both the NE and SW sides of the caldera, and voluminous 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) intracaldera rhyolitic lava flows were erupted between 150,000 and 70,000 years ago. Phreatic eruptions produced local tephras during the early Holocene. The caldera presently contains one of the world's largest hydrothermal systems including the world's largest concentration of geysers.[7] Much of the plateau is located within Yellowstone National Park.
References
edit- ^ "Yellowstone Plateau". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ "Yellowstone". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ USGS. "The evolution of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field: Past, present, and future!". United States Geological Survey.
- ^ a b c d e HILDRETH, W.; HALLIDAY, A. N.; CHRISTIANSEN, R. L. (1991-02-01). "Isotopic and Chemical Evidence Concerning the Genesis and Contamination of Basaltic and Rhyolitic Magma Beneath the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field". Journal of Petrology. 32 (1): 63–138. doi:10.1093/petrology/32.1.63. ISSN 0022-3530.
- ^ "How do we know about the calderas in Yellowstone? | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "The evolution of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field: Past, present, and future! | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ "Volcanic History of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
44°28′16″N 110°30′07″W / 44.471031°N 110.501862°W
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