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Interesting Facts About Yellowstone National Park
By Christina Mulberry
Yellowstone National Park is a well-visited national wonder. Each year millions of US citizens and foreign travelers enjoy the views and unique hydrothermal features of this park. However, there are still many millions of others who are curious about the area who have not had the opportunity to visit. For these individuals, I have put together some interesting facts about the area. 1. Most of Yellowstone is a volcanic caldera formed during an eruption which occured over 640,000 years ago. A crater 47 miles across was formed. This has since filled in with molten lava and ash, creating the area we now know. 2. The area that is now Yellowstone National Park was visited by John Colter, a trapper and explorist, in the 1800's. He was the first white man to see the area and report it's existence although certainly native Americans had seen the area previously. Only a small tribe of Shoshone Indians were known to have actually lived there. Many thought Colter was lying about what he saw there and even the Shoshone seemed to be unaware of all of the hydrothermal features nearby. 3. Yellowstone became the first national park ever established in 1872 when it was first dedicated by President Grant. 4. Yellowstone National Park encompasses 2.2 million acres and covers 3,472 square miles of land. 5. Almost 25% of the world's known geysers are believed to be located within the geyser basins surrounding Old Faithful. 6. While the earth's crust is typically 25-30 miles deep, it is only 2-3 miles thick in most of Yellowstone, which when combined with the abundant water, has created the unique hydrothermal features such as geysers, steam vents (furmaroles), hot springs, and so forth. 7. Rain that falls often ends up in the "plumbing" system (the fissures and cracks) of Yellowstone but it may take the water 500 years to come back out as steam or water expelled from a geyser. 8. Microorganisms, specifically thermoacidiphiles can live in the extremely hot waters in the hot springs. The algae, bacteria, and minerals present in hot springs are responsible for the rainbow of colors seen in these hydrothermal features. Yellow, orange, blue, and black are commonly seen. 9. The hottest features on the surface are the steam vents where steam can reach temperatures of 284 degrees Fahrenheit. The water lower down, near the magma is much hotter. 10. There are estimated to be over 10,000 thermal features/attractions in Yellowstone National Park. 11. While Old Faithful is the best known of the Yellowstone geysers, it is not the largest. Steamboat Geyser is actually the tallest (200 feet) but Old Faithful is the most predicatable. 12. Lodge Pole Pines make up 80% of the forest in Yellowstone. Of course due to fires, their numbers are reduced from what they were during much of the 1900's. Fires are actually beneficial for promoting new growth and allowing greater diversity however, and are most often left to burn themselves out. 13. The Mammoth Hotsprings of Yellowstone can deposit as much as 2 tons of new limestone on it's terraced surfaces each day. This means it can grow by 8 to 24 inches each year. All of the hydrothermal features within the park are constantly changing. Some geysers go dormant, others become more active, new hot springs will emerge, and so forth. Small earthquakes occur regularly and can create changes. 14. Yellowstone National Park provides much more than just geysers, sulpher and hot springs, steam vents, and so forth. It is one of the few places where bison, elk, wolves, and bears roam free. It also features an impressive canyon, rapids, waterfalls and more. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is 1,200 feet deep and the Lower Falls along the river drop 308 feet. Yellowstone National Park is fascinating for casual sightseers and a welcomed challenge for hikers and backpackers. Learning more about the history and geography of the area enriches the experience. |
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I visited you Yellowstone National park lens and it was terrific, especially the pictures.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks for taking a look...glad you enjoyed the photos!
I visited Yellowstone National Park for a couple of days many years ago. It was a remarkable experience. I recommend it to anyone who is planning on traveling out that way.
My gosh girl, ***** star intel! Plus, your photos of Yellowstone are so professional and very inspiring. Just gorgeous... I want everyone to see them, thanks so much!!!
Thank you for sharing this information and the great photos, Christina.
I've never had the pleasure of traveling to Yellowstone, but you sure brought to life.
Best wishes.
Frederick
Those are interesting facts about Yellowstone, which was the first national park I ever visited. It is a beautiful park and so are your photos.
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This intel was contributed by mulberry
mulberry
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May, 2012
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