Yellowstone Caldera
Wyoming's volcanic crater
The Yellowstone Caldera is a massive volcanic crater in Yellowstone National Park, formed by catastrophic eruptions over the past two million years.
Spanning roughly 30 by 45 miles, it sits atop a hotspot of molten rock that powers the park's geysers and hot springs.
Often called a "supervolcano," it draws both scientific monitoring and occasional doomsday speculation: The Yellowstone Caldera last erupted 640,000 years ago.
Pale volcanic igneous rock
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- obsidianGlassy igneous rock
- tuffSolidified volcanic ash
- lava flowMoving volcanic discharge
volcanic ash · pumice · fault lines · uplift · subsidence · seismic activity · volcanic plateau · volcanic glass
Subsurface pocket holding liquefied rock
- hotspotArea of notable activity
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- geochronologyStudy of geological ages
- partial meltingIncomplete transition to liquid
Punctual Wyoming geyser
- hot springsHeated groundwater emerging naturally
- mudpotsBubbling geothermal clay pools
- fumarolesVolcanic gas vents
- hydrothermalHot water underground
thermal pools · steam vents · travertine · thermophiles · heat flow
Protected land for conservation
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- bison herdsCongregations of shaggy prairie cattle
- wolf packsOrganized canine hunting units
- grizzly bearsLarge North American ursines
elk · Yellowstone Lake · hiking trails · backcountry · campgrounds · ranger station · conservation · ecosystem
Earthquake measuring device
- USGSFederal earth science agency
- early warningAlert before event occurs
- gas emissionsReleased airborne pollutants
- hazard assessmentIdentifying and analyzing dangers
rhyolite
Pale volcanic igneous rock
lava flow · volcanic ash · pumice · fault lines · uplift · subsidence · seismic activity · volcanic plateau · volcanic glass · geologic history
magma chamber
Subsurface pocket holding liquefied rock
- hotspotArea of notable activity
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- geochronologyStudy of geological ages
Old Faithful
Punctual Wyoming geyser
- hot springsHeated groundwater emerging naturally
- mudpotsBubbling geothermal clay pools
- fumarolesVolcanic gas vents
hydrothermal · thermal pools · steam vents · travertine · thermophiles · heat flow
national park
Protected land for conservation
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- bison herdsCongregations of shaggy prairie cattle
- wolf packsOrganized canine hunting units
grizzly bears · elk · Yellowstone Lake · hiking trails · backcountry · campgrounds · ranger station · conservation · ecosystem · lodgepole pine
seismograph
Earthquake measuring device
- USGSFederal earth science agency
- early warningAlert before event occurs
- gas emissionsReleased airborne pollutants