Yellowstone+National+Park



I think Yellowstone is one of the most unique natural areas I have ever visited. I have visited the park three times and spent a few days backpacking through it as well.

One of the reasons I love Yellowstone is because of it's geothermal geology and violent history. Yellowstone national park sits above a large plume of magma that has partially pushed throught the Earth's crust. Geologists call this a hot spot. The Hawaiian islands were formed from a different hotspot. This magma is close enough to the surface to heat the rock below Yellowstone and cause the Geysers, bubbling mud and other strange features like those below:
 * __Geology__**

Yellostone also has a violent past with a history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In fact, three of those previous eruptions were called supereruptions because of there huge size. Each one was thousands of times larger than the Mt. Saint Helens in 1980. The eruptions covered much of the United States in ash and ejected huge amounts of volcanic gasses in the atmosphere, creating massive global cooling and mass extinctions. Scientists continue to debate if Yellowstone is capable of such an eruption again. Here is a couple of links that discuss this. Click here for some quick facts on the supervolcanoes: [|Discovery Channel/supervolcano] and for a detailed discussion of this and general tectonic acitivity below Yellowstone click here: [|Geology of Yellowstone]

I also love visiting Yellowstone National Park to see how the geology of Yellowstone has created amazing lakes, rivers, and mountains. Within these areas lies amazing biodiversity in an ecosystem that has minimal influence from people. As a child, I remember being awestruck at how the bison, elk, and other animals had lost their fear of people. I watched trout swim in the rivers and birds of prey fly overhead. The recent reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone completes a ancient cycle of predator and prey not seen in the west for many years. On a backpacking trip, I vividly remember seeing deep, long claw marks extending nearly nine feet onto the pole I used to keep my food from the bears. All of this was amazing and I can't wait to return. Here is a great website that talks all about the park: Yellowstone National Park
 * __Biology__**