Heart of the Caldera - Yellowstone National Park
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 44° 46.062 W 110° 27.311
12T E 543113 N 4957289
A geologic history sign along Grand Loop Road about 3 miles north of Canyon Junction in Yellowstone National Park.
Waymark Code: WMDC8K
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 12/23/2011
Views: 9
“The eastern ridgeline is the rim of a huge crater. Here a volcanic eruption blew cubic miles of glassy material into the atmosphere -- remnants carried as far as Texas and California -- then the crust collapsed, forming a caldera or basin. Though a catastrophe 600,000 years ago seems unimaginably remote, subsurface activity has been ongoing. Bare patches in the forest reveal Washburn Hot Springs, where superheated water boils up along caldera fracture lines.
The volcano’s energy source lies beneath your feet, centered only 10 miles to the southeast. From the summit of Purple Mountain or Mount Washburn you can see not only the extent of the caldera but also mysterious bulges in the relatively level plateau. The same twin magma chambers that fired the eruption are now upwarping or doming, forecasting future volcanism.”
Marker Name: Heart of the Caldera
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Group Responsible for Placement: National Park Service
Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
Addtional Information: Not listed
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.