The Land Tells the Story - Yellowstone National Park
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 44° 57.654 W 110° 34.052
12T E 534108 N 4978697
A geologic history sign along the half mile long boardwalk for the Forces of the Northern Range Self-Guiding Trail in Yellowstone National Park.
Waymark Code: WMD9Z6
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 12/11/2011
Views: 3
“The rocky outcropping in front of you tells part of a violent story of Yellowstone’s volcano -- one of the largest volcanoes on Earth.
About two million years ago Yellowstone’s volcano -- so enormous that it is called a ‘supper volcano’ -- exploded violently, coating the earth with ash for thousands of miles! Near the eruption, ashfall buried the ground in deep layers. Then the ash became compressed or ‘welded’ creating a layer of rock now called ‘Huckleberry Ridge Tuff.’
Yellowstone’s super volcano erupted two more times. The most recent eruption left a gigantic crater, or caldera, in the heart of Yellowstone. This massive caldera, about 30 miles wide and 45 miles long, was first verified with the use of satellite photography.
Yellowstone’s immense eruptions were many times larger than the catastrophic Mount St. Helens, Washington, explosion in 1980.
Yellowstone’s Big Blasts
Yellowstone’s volcano is still alive today. Two dome-like areas rise and fall as magma moves beneath the park. Although geologists cannot predict when it will erupt again, these ‘resurgent domes’ give clues about the future.”
Marker Name: The Land Tells the Story
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information:
The three giant Yellowstone volcanic eruptions
0.64 million years ago -- 240 cubic miles
1.3 million years ago -- 67 cubic miles
2.1 million years ago -- 600 cubic miles
Worldwide historic eruptions
1883 eruption of Krakatau -- 4.3 cubic miles
1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens -- 0.24 cubic miles
1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo -- 2.4 cubic miles
Group Responsible for Placement: National Park Service
Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
Date Dedicated: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Wyoming history please include that in your log.