Chapter II: Part 2

In the early stages of Pinedale Glaciation, an enormous icefield built up in the high Absaroka Range southeast of the Park area. A glacier, fed by this icefield, flowed northward down the upper Yellowstone valley and into the basin now occupied by Yellowstone Lake. At about the same time, another great icefield formed in the mountains north of the Park and sent long tongues of ice southward toward the lower Yellowstone and Lamar River valleys. Smaller valley glaciers flowed westward out of the Absaroka Range along the east edge of the Park, and still others formed along the main ridges and valleys of the Gallatin Range, in the northwestern part of the Park. Thus, many huge masses of ice from the north, east, and southeast converged and met in the Park. At this stage, probably about 15,000 years ago, only the west edge of the Park, and perhaps a few of the highest peaks and ridges within the Park, remained free of ice. It is interesting to note that although ice moved across and buried the ancestral Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, it did not flow down and scour the canyon (fig. 36). If it had, the canyon would look much different than it does today (fig. 41).

For the next 10,000 years, the ice thickened and spread out over more and more of the Park area. The mass centered over the Yellowstone Lake basin grew to a depth of 3,000 feet or more and dominated the entire scene; it formed a broad “mountain” of ice which became so high that it caused more snow to fall upon itself and was cold enough to prevent much of this snow from melting. Eventually the Pinedale glaciers covered about 90 percent of Yellowstone (fig. 38).

After their maximum advance, the Pinedale glaciers began to melt, leaving behind the rock debris they had gouged from the landscape and had pushed or carried along with them. These glacial moraines are now found in many areas throughout the Park. In places, glacial ice and (or) rock debris formed natural dams across stream valleys, thereby impounding lakes. Parts of Hayden Valley, for example, contain layers of very fine sand, silt, and clay several tens of feet thick (fig. 39) that accumulated along the bottom of a large lake. This lake formed behind a glacial dam across the Yellowstone River near Upper Falls. Some of the glacial dams broke and released water catastrophically, causing giant floods; the occurrence of one such flood is particularly evident along the Yellowstone River valley near Gardiner, Montana.

By about 12,000 years ago the thick Pinedale ice sheet had melted entirely from the Yellowstone Lake basin and most other areas of the Park, although valley glaciers continued to exist in the mountains until about 8,500 years ago. Then, following a short period of total disappearance, small icefields formed again in the heads of some of the higher mountain valleys. Since the melting of the Pinedale ice, however, none has descended as a glacier into the lower stretches of the valleys. Even though a few snowfields persist locally throughout the summers (except during the warmest years), no glaciers exist in the Park at the present time.

A, Lewis Falls on the Lewis River. The falls cascade over the steep
edge of a rhyolite lava flow.]

Running water—canyons and waterfalls

Yellowstone is, among its many attributes, the source of large and mighty rivers. Located across the Continental Divide, the Park feeds two of the most extensive drainage systems in the nation—(1) the Missouri River system (and ultimately the Mississippi River) on the Atlantic side, via the Yellowstone, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers, and (2) the Columbia River system on the Pacific side, via the Snake River (fig. 1). These streams are fed by an annual precipitation which averages about 17 inches at Old Faithful and Mammoth, but which is considerably greater in the mountain ranges.

Many stretches of the main river valleys in Yellowstone are broad and flat bottomed. In these, the stream gradients range from about 10 to 30 feet per mile, and there is little erosion going on at present (Hayden Valley is a good example, fig. 4). But here and there the gradients are steeper, and the valleys are narrow and rugged. In some places these streams drop 50 or even 100 feet per mile, and the fast-moving waters have carved deep V-shaped gorges (fig. 36).

Waterfalls, features for which Yellowstone is also justly famous (fig. 40), generally result from abrupt differences in rock hardness. If a stream flows over rocks that are more resistant to erosion than the rocks immediately downstream, a ledge or bench will form across the streambed at that place because the less resistant rocks are worn away faster. And, as the ledge becomes higher, the softer downstream rocks will erode even faster. A true waterfall is one in which there is a free, vertical fall of water. If the ledge or ledges form only a rough, steep runway in the streambed, then the term “rapids” or “cascades” is more appropriate.

The existence of many waterfalls in Yellowstone today is due in large part to the fact that, because of recent volcanism and glaciation, much of the region’s topography is very young in terms of geologic time. Streams, even some of the largest ones, have not had enough time to wear away all the features that may produce waterfalls, cascades, or rapids along their channels. This is particularly true along the margins of lava flows, where there are sharp dropoffs between the tops of the flows and the lower ground beyond. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Upper and Lower Falls, well illustrate the erosive power of running water.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Except for Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is probably the best known and most talked about and photographed feature in the Park (fig. 41). Although not so deep or wide as some of the other great canyons in America, its sheer ruggedness and beauty are breathtaking. Here the aptness of the name “Yellowstone” can be fully appreciated and understood, for the viewer is at once engulfed in a sea of yellow hues streaked and tinted with various shades of red and brown.

C: As it appears today
Yellowstone Lake
Hayden Valley
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Upper Falls
Lower Falls
Inspiration Point
North edge of Yellowstone caldera
Confluence of Lamar and Yellowstone Rivers
B: A stage somewhat before 300,000 years ago
Profile of Yellowstone River today
A: A stage somewhat before 600,000 years ago
Profile of Yellowstone River today

At first glance, the canyon may appear to be a giant crack which suddenly opened up and into which the Yellowstone River then plunged headlong over high waterfalls at its southwest end. This, of course, is not the way the canyon formed. Nevertheless, it is apparent that certain unusual conditions caused the river, after winding slowly through flat-floored Hayden Valley for about 13 miles, to cut a precipitous gorge 1,000-1,500 feet deep and 20 miles long (fig. 42C). A full explanation must be based on all the many events surrounding the eruption of the Yellowstone Tuff, the collapse of the Yellowstone caldera, the outpouring of the Plateau Rhyolite, and the various episodes of glaciation. Geologic studies show that all these events took place while the canyon was being cut, and that each one played an important role in its development. Hot-water and steam activity likewise was a significant factor. However, despite its many complexities, the history of the Grand Canyon can be divided into a few major stages, as outlined below:

1. From more than 2,000,000 years ago to about 600,000 years ago, a
shallow canyon was gradually being cut into the Absaroka volcanic
sequence by the ancestral Yellowstone River as it eroded headward from
a point near the present confluence of the Yellowstone and Lamar
Rivers (fig. 33). By the time of the climactic volcanic eruption in
central Yellowstone 600,000 years ago, the head of the “old” canyon
probably had been eroded southward nearly to the place where the north
rim of the Yellowstone caldera was to form later (fig. 42A). This
point now lies about 5 miles below Lower Falls.

2. Ash-flow tuffs that were erupted 600,000 years ago filled the “old”
canyon, and the river recarved its channel, chiefly along its previous
course.

3. A large lake formed behind (south of) the north rim of the caldera,
the damming resulting in part from lava flows of Plateau Rhyolite that
poured out across the caldera floor in this area between 600,000 and
500,000 years ago. Eventually the lake rose and spilled northward into
the head of the “old” canyon, causing additional downcutting in what
is now the lower 15-mile stretch of the canyon.

4. As the lake emptied, the river began to erode upstream into the
thick rhyolite lava flows toward the present site of Lower Falls; the
process was very similar to that of a common stream gully eroding
headward into a hillside. At a stage somewhat more than 300,000 years
ago, the head of the canyon probably lay near the falls, and the river
had cut a channel 400-600 feet deep along this upper 5-mile stretch
(fig. 42B).

5. Approximately 300,000 years ago the canyon area was covered by ice
during pre-Bull Lake glaciation. During and after the retreat of this
ice, sediments accumulated in a lake that occupied the upper reaches
of the canyon between the present site of Upper Falls and Inspiration
Point. Subsequently, very little downcutting was accomplished until
about 150,000-125,000 years ago, when the canyon was eroded nearly to
its present depth.

6. Canyon development was further interrupted by the advance and
retreat of glaciers during Bull Lake and Pinedale Glaciations. During
and since the melting of the Pinedale glaciers about 12,000 years ago,
the canyon has attained its present depth, and its walls have acquired
much of their picturesque erosional form. The Yellowstone River now
maintains a fairly uniform gradient (60-80 feet per mile) throughout
the 20-mile-long gorge, even though different segments of the canyon
were cut at different times and through different kinds of rocks (fig.
42C).

The spectacular erosional development in the upper 5-mile segment of the Grand Canyon, which is the only part seen by most Park visitors, except for the very lower end near Tower Falls (fig. 33), has taken place mostly within the past 150,000-125,000 years. One reason for such a rapid rate of erosion stems from the fact that this part of the canyon overlies one of the wide ring fracture zones of the Yellowstone caldera (fig. 22). The fracture zone extends to great depth, providing a ready avenue of travel for the upflow of hot water and steam rising in the Yellowstone thermal system, as described in the following chapter. Through many thousands of years, the upward percolation of the hot fluids has caused severe chemical and physical changes (known as _hydrothermal alteration_) in the rhyolite lava flows. One spectacular result of the alteration has been the change from the normal brown and gray color of the rhyolites to the bright yellow and other colorful hues now seen in the canyon walls (as well as in many other places throughout the Park). Another significant result of alteration has been the weakening of the rocks; that is, the altered rocks are softer and less resistant to erosion than unaltered rocks. Hence, the river has been able to erode these softer rocks, upstream to Lower Falls, at a very rapid rate.

The position of Lower Falls, as might be expected, coincides with a change from highly altered to less altered rhyolite; the difference in the erosion rates of the two kinds of rocks here is self-evident (figs. 41 and 42C). The position of Upper Falls is likewise closely controlled by differences in rock hardnesses. The rhyolites on the upstream side are hard and dense, whereas those on the downstream side contain a high proportion of volcanic glass which causes them to be more easily eroded (fig. 42C).

A, Hot springs and terraces colored by algae at Mammoth Hot
Springs.]

Hot-Water and Steam Phenomena

Although Yellowstone is geologically outstanding in many ways, the great abundance, diversity, and spectacular nature of its thermal (hot-water and steam) features were undoubtedly the primary reasons for its being set aside as our first National Park (fig. 43). The unusual concentration of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles provides that special drawing card which has, for the past century, made the Park one of the world’s foremost natural attractions.

To count all the individual thermal features in Yellowstone would be virtually impossible. Various estimates range from 2,500 to 10,000, depending on how many of the smaller features are included. They are scattered through many regions of the Park, but most are clustered in a few areas called geyser basins, where there are continuous displays of intense thermal activity. (See frontispiece.) The “steam” that can be seen in thermal areas is actually fog or water droplets condensed from steam; so the appearance of individual geyser basins depends largely on air temperature and humidity. On a warm, dry summer day, for example, the activity may seem very weak (fig. 44), except where individual geysers are erupting. On cold or very humid days, however, “steam” plumes are seen rising from every quarter.

How a thermal system operates

An essential ingredient for thermal activity is heat. A body of buried molten rock, such as the one that produced volcanic eruptions in Yellowstone as late as 60,000 to 75,000 years ago, takes a long time to cool. During cooling, tremendous quantities of heat are transmitted by conduction into the solid rocks surrounding the magma chamber (fig. 45). Eventually the whole region becomes much hotter than non-volcanic areas (fig. 46). Normally, rock temperatures increase about 1°F per 100 feet of depth in the earth’s crust, but in the thermally active areas of Yellowstone the rate of temperature increase is much greater. The amount of heat given off by the Upper Geyser Basin, for example, is 800 times the amount given off by normal (nonthermal) areas of the same size. This excess heat is enough to melt 1½ tons of ice per second! And, contrary to popular opinion, the underground temperatures have not cooled measurably in the 100 years that records have been kept on the thermal activity in the Park. In fact, geologic studies indicate that very high heat flows have continued for at least the past 40,000 years.

Water enters at ground surface and sinks in conduit formed by fault or
fracture
Surface (meteoric) water sinks to levels perhaps as much as 10,000
feet below ground. Heated far above its normal boiling point,
it begins to rise toward the surface
Descending cool surface water
Permeable zone allows water to flow through it
Cooling magma chamber
Water begins to boil near ground surface because of greatly reduced
pressures
Rising hot water
Hot spring or geyser

A second, equally essential ingredient for thermal activity is water. Many thousands of gallons are discharged by the hot springs and geysers in Yellowstone every minute—where does all this water come from? Studies show that nearly all the water originates above ground as rain or snow (meteoric water; fig. 45), and that very little comes from the underlying magma (magmatic water).

The mechanism for heating the water, on the other hand, is a matter of some uncertainty. Until a few years ago the heating was assumed to occur near the ground surface and to be caused by hot magmatic gases (mostly steam) rising from the underlying magma chamber. Deep wells drilled recently in many thermal areas throughout the world (including research drill holes in Yellowstone), however, suggest a better explanation. According to this explanation, the surface water enters underground passages (fractures and faults) and circulates to great depths—as much as 5,000-10,000 feet in some areas (fig. 45)—there to become heated far above its surface boiling point. Research drill holes in Yellowstone, for example, have demonstrated that water of surface origin exists at all depths at least to the maximum drilled (1,088 feet), and that the water reaches temperatures up to at least 465°F. The increase in temperature with depth causes a corresponding decrease in the weight (density) of the water. Because of this, the hot, “lighter,” water begins to rise again toward the ground surface, pushed upward by the colder, “heavier,” near-surface water which sinks to keep the water channels filled. Thus is set into motion a giant _convection current_ which operates continuously to supply very hot water to the thermal areas (fig. 45). Just how deep the waters circulate in Yellowstone no one really knows; as a guess, the depth probably is at least 1 or 2 miles.

The effect of pressure on the boiling temperature of water also plays a vital role in thermal activity. In a body of water, the pressure at the surface is that exerted by the weight of air above it (_atmospheric pressure_). Water under these conditions boils at 212°F at sea level and at about 199°F at the elevation of most of the geyser basins in Yellowstone. However, water at depth not only is subjected to atmospheric pressure but also bears the added weight of the overlying water. Under such additional pressures, water boils only when the temperature is raised above its surface boiling point. In a well 100 feet deep at sea level, for example, the water at the bottom would have to be heated to 288°F before it will boil. Thus it follows that in the underground “workings” of hot springs or geysers, (1) The deepest water is subjected to the greatest pressures, and (2) these deeper waters (in Yellowstone) must be heated well above 199°F before they can actually begin to boil. By this same reasoning but in reverse, if the pressure is released, which happens as the water rises toward the ground surface, the “hotter-than-boiling” water will then begin to boil. The boiling will be rather quiet if the pressure is released gradually, as in most hot springs. But if the pressure is released suddenly, boiling may become so violent that much of the water flashes explosively into steam, expanding to several hundred times its normal volume. This expansion provides the necessary energy for geyser eruptions.

Hot-spring deposits and algae

Nearly all geysers and many hot springs build mounds or terraces of mineral deposits; some are so unusual in form that descriptive names have been given to them, such as Castle Geyser (fig. 47). These deposits are generally made up of many very thin layers of rock. Each layer represents a crust or film of rock-forming mineral which was originally dissolved in hot water as it flowed through the underground rocks, and which was then precipitated as the water spread out over the surrounding ground surface.

In all major thermal areas of the Park, with the exception of Mammoth Hot Springs, most of the material being deposited is _sinter_ (the kind found around geysers is popularly called _geyserite_). Its chief constituent is silica (the same as in quartz and in ordinary window glass). At Mammoth, the deposit is _travertine_ (fig. 48), which consists almost entirely of calcium carbonate. The material deposited at any given place commonly reflects the predominant kind of rock through which the hot water has passed during its underground travels. At Mammoth Hot Springs the water passes through thick beds of limestone (which is calcium carbonate), but in other areas the main rock type through which the water percolates is rhyolite, a rock rich in silica.

Through centuries of intense activity, layers of sinter have built up on the floors of the geyser basins (fig. 44); these deposits are generally less than 10 feet thick. In one drill hole at Mammoth, deposits of travertine extend to a depth of 250 feet. Dead trees and other kinds of vegetation whose life processes have been choked off by the heat, water, and precipitated minerals of hot-spring activity are a common sight in many places (fig. 51).

Both travertine and sinter are white to gray. Around active hot springs, however, the terraces that are constantly under water may be brightly colored (figs. 43 and 49) because they are coated by microscopic plants called _algae_. These organisms, which thrive in hot water at temperatures up to about 170°F, are green, yellow, and brown. Oxides of iron and manganese also contribute to the coloring in some parts of the thermal areas. The delicate blue color of many pools, however, results from the reflection of light off the pool walls and back through the deep clear water (fig. 43). Other pools are yellow because they contain sulfur, or are green from the combined influence of yellow sulfur and “blue” water.

Hot springs and geysers

Hot springs occur where the rising hot waters of a thermal system issue from the ground-level openings of the feeder conduits (fig. 45). By far the greatest numbers discharge water and steam in a relatively steady noneruptive manner, although they vary considerably in individual behavior. Depending upon pressure, water temperature, rate of upflow, heat supply, and arrangement and size of underground passages, some hot springs boil violently and emit dense clouds of vapor whereas in others the water quietly wells up with little agitation from escaping steam. In some hot springs, however, the underground channels are too narrow or the upflow of very hot water and steam is too great to permit a steady discharge; periodic eruptions then result. These special kinds of springs are called “geysers” (from the Icelandic word _geysir_, meaning to “gush” or “rage”). At least 200 geysers, of which about 60 play to a height of 10 feet or more, occur in Yellowstone National Park; this is more than in any other region of the world.

How does a geyser work? We cannot, of course, observe the inner plumbing of a geyser, except for that part which is seen by looking into its uppermost “well.” Deeper levels directly below the “well” can be probed by scientific instruments to some extent, and research drilling in some parts of the geyser basins also provides much useful information. The available information suggests that the plumbing system of a geyser (1) lies close to the ground surface, generally no deeper than a few hundred feet; (2) consists of a tube, commonly nearly vertical, that connects to chambers, side channels, or layers of porous rock, where substantial amounts of water can be stored; and (3) connects downward through the central tube and side channels to narrow conduits that rise from the deepwater source of the main thermal system.

Considering a geyser system as described above and applying what is known about the behavior of water and steam, we can understand what causes a natural thermal eruption. Figure 50 shows diagrammatically the succession of events believed to occur during the typical eruptive cycle of a geyser such as Old Faithful.

Stage 1 (Recovery or recharge stage). After an eruption, the partly
emptied geyser tubes and chambers fill again with water. Hot water
enters through a feeder conduit from below, and cooler water
percolates in from side channels nearer the surface. Steam bubbles
(with some other gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide)
start to form in upflowing currents, as a decrease in pressure
causes a corresponding decrease in boiling temperature. At first the
bubbles condense in the cooler, near-surface water that is not yet
at boiling temperature, but eventually all water is heated enough
that the bubbles will no longer condense or “dissolve.”]

No two geysers have the same size, shape, and arrangement of tubes and chambers. Also, some geysers, such as Great Fountain, have large surface pools not present in cone-type geysers such as Old Faithful. Hence, each geyser behaves differently from all others in frequency of eruption, length of individual eruptions, and amount of water discharged. Geysers may also vary in their own behavior as their plumbing features change through the years. The great amount of energy that builds up in some of them from time to time creates enough explosive force to shatter parts of the plumbing system, thereby causing a change in their eruptive behavior. In fact, some geyser eruptions have been so violent that large chunks of rock have been exploded out of the ground and scattered around the surrounding area (fig. 51). With time, the precipitation of minerals may partly seal a tube or chamber, gradually altering the eruptive mechanism.

Despite all the variable factors involved in geyser eruptions, and all the changes that can take place from time to time to alter the pattern of those eruptions, several of the Yellowstone geysers function regularly, day after day, week after week, and year after year. Within this group of regulars is the most famous feature of all—Old Faithful—which has not missed an eruption in all the many decades that it has been under close observation (fig. 52). We can only conclude that nature has provided this incredible geyser with a stable plumbing system that is just right to trigger delightfully graceful eruptions at close-enough time intervals to suit the convenience of all Park visitors.

Mudpots

Mudpots are among the most fascinating and interesting of the Yellowstone thermal features. They are also a type of hot spring, but one for which water is in short supply. Whatever water is available becomes thoroughly mixed with clay and other fine undissolved mineral matter. The mud is generally gray, black, white, or cream colored, but some is tinted pale pink and red by iron compounds (fig. 43); hence, the picturesque term “paint pots” is commonly used.

Mudpots form in places where the upflowing thermal fluids have chemically decomposed the surface rocks to form clay. Such small amounts of water are involved, however, that the surface discharge is not great enough to flush the clay out of the spring. Caldrons of mud of all consistencies result, from the very thin soupy material in many mudpots to the almost hard-baked material in the less active features. Some mudpots expel pellets of very thick viscous mud which build up circular cones or mounds; this type is commonly called a “mud volcano” (fig. 53).

Mudpot activity differs from season to season throughout the year because of the varying amounts of rain and snow that fall upon the surface to further moisten the mud. Accordingly, mudpots are commonly drier in late summer and early fall than they are from winter through early summer.

Fumaroles

Fumaroles (from the Latin word _fumus_, meaning “smoke”) are those features that discharge only steam and other gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide; hence, they are commonly called “steam vents.” Usually these features are perched on a hillside or other high ground above the level of the flowing springs. In many fumaroles, however, water can be heard boiling violently at some lower, unseen level.

Thermal explosions

A few features present in the Yellowstone thermal areas display evidence that extremely violent thermal explosions occurred in the past, particularly during Pinedale Glaciation, about 15,000 years ago. Such explosion features, of which Pocket Basin in Lower Geyser Basin is a good example, appear as craterlike depressions a few tens of feet to as much as 5,000 feet across surrounded by rims of rock fragments that were blown out of the craters. The underground mechanism causing the explosions was similar to that of geysers, but in these special cases the energy remained bottled-up until a very critical explosive stage was reached.

The best explanation for Pocket Basin and related features is that the ground above the sites of the explosions was weighted down by the water of small lakes which had formed in melted-out pockets of glacial ice. Such localized melting of the glaciers would occur where the ice was in direct contact with underlying thermal features. A rapid draining of the lake waters would then produce a sudden release of pressure over the hot area, resulting in an unusually violent thermal eruption.

Faulting and its control of thermal activity

Most of the major thermal areas of Yellowstone are related to the ring fracture zones of the Yellowstone caldera (fig. 22). Many deep-seated faults and fractures in these zones are presumably situated above the main source of heat of the thermal system. Thus, they provide convenient avenues of travel for underground waters to circulate to great depths, there to become heated and then rise to the earth’s surface (fig. 45). A few areas like Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Geyser Basin, on the other hand, are not within the ring fracture zones of the caldera. In these areas, the thermal activity is commonly related to other prominent zones of faulting which also afford readymade channelways for the circulation of hot water and steam.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes occur frequently in areas of active faulting and volcanism; they are caused by sudden movements between adjacent blocks of the earth’s crust as the crust adjusts to new conditions and pressures. Because of its volcanic history and the fact that very recent fault movements have occurred there, it is not surprising that Yellowstone is an especially active earthquake area. Sensitive instruments (_seismographs_) record an average of about five earth tremors daily in and around the Park, and on rare occasions they may record 100 tremors or more in a single day. Nearly all these tremors are so slight that they cannot be felt by man, but at times, perhaps only once in a human lifetime, one is triggered with high enough intensity to sharply draw our attention to the very real earthquake potential that exists constantly in this geologically active area. Such a high-intensity quake occurred in the Yellowstone region near midnight on August 17, 1959.

The Hebgen Lake Earthquake, as it is known, was centered in the Madison Valley along the west boundary of Yellowstone National Park about 12 miles north of the town of West Yellowstone, Montana (fig. 1). As a result of the quake, a 200-square-mile area, occupied in part by the Hebgen Lake reservoir, subsided a foot or more; maximum subsidence was 20 feet. Movements of several feet along old faults in the highlands along the north side of the valley produced fresh scars several miles long (fig. 54). Moreover, the severe vibrations that rocked the surrounding countryside caused the loose silt, sand, and gravel of the valley floor to slip and become “faulted” in many places. By far the most drastic result was the shaking loose of a huge landslide in the vicinity of the Rock Creek campground about 25 miles downstream on the Madison River from the west boundary of the Park.

Within Yellowstone National Park, the quake caused only slight damage to buildings at Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, and a few other places. Small landslides also occurred in various places, for example, at Tuff Cliff near Madison Junction. The earthquake affected many thermal features, particularly those in the main geyser basins near the west side of the Park. In several places the intensity of the thermal activity increased markedly, in fewer places the activity decreased. Some geysers, long dormant, erupted immediately after the earthquake; others erupted with much greater force and frequency than usual; still others became dormant and have remained so. A general, widespread effect was a noticeable increase in the muddiness of many pools and springs, as if the quake had produced a giant surge of water coursing through the underground channels of the geyser basins. Of immediate concern to everyone, of course, was the earthquake’s effect on Old Faithful. Fortunately, the only measurable effect was a slight lengthening of time between eruptions. After several months the time interval stabilized at about 65 minutes.

Detailed scientific studies bearing on the Hebgen Lake Earthquake in the weeks that followed showed that it was felt over more than 600,000 square miles of the Western United States, and that it was the strongest shock ever recorded in this part of the Rocky Mountains. In 12 years’ time many traces of the quake have disappeared, but its frightful aspects will not soon be forgotten. It serves as a vivid reminder, once again, of the great restlessness that through the ages has been, and continues to be, the very special trademark of the Yellowstone country.

_The Park and Man_

A hundred years ago another powerful force entered the Yellowstone scene. Man, arriving in ever increasing numbers, came armed with the power to choose between preserving or destroying the wonders that nature has taken more than 2.5 billion years to create. Sensing this grave responsibility, he took the necessary steps to insure that these irreplaceable natural features would be preserved and protected. Today, Yellowstone National Park indeed exists “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,” a fitting and lasting symbol of a great national heritage that now includes more than 275 places of natural and historical interest. On the eve of the 100th anniversary of our first National Park, we are again reminded of that continuing responsibility we all share in preserving these unique places for the benefit and enjoyment of all future generations of visitors.

_Acknowledgments_

The subject matter of this bulletin is based chiefly on the results of a systematic program of geological investigations in Yellowstone National Park, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey during the years 1965-71. The program, ably organized and directed by A. B. Campbell, required the special skills and knowledge of many individuals to make a comprehensive study of all the varied and complex features of the Park area. Without their invaluable cooperation, assistance, and interest, this endeavor to summarize the geologic story of Yellowstone would not have been possible. I therefore express my sincere thanks to the colleagues listed below, all of whom furnished unpublished information bearing on different aspects of that story: R. L. Christiansen and H. R. Blank, Jr. (Quaternary volcanism); H. W. Smedes and H. J. Prostka (Absaroka volcanism); D. E. White, L. J. P. Muffler, R. O. Fournier, and A. H. Truesdell (thermal activity); G. M. Richmond, K. L. Pierce, and H. A. Waldrop (glaciation); E. T. Ruppel and J. D. Love (sedimentary rocks and geologic structure); J. D. Obradovich and Meyer Rubin (radiometric dating). W. L. Newman provided many helpful suggestions regarding the preparation of the manuscript.

The geological studies in Yellowstone received the full support and cooperation of former Park Superintendent J. S. McLaughlin, Superintendent J. K. Anderson, and other personnel of the U.S. National Park Service. In particular, the helpful advice, interest, and enthusiasm of the entire Park Naturalist staff, especially J. M. Good and W. W. Dunmire, former and present Chief Park Naturalists, respectively, greatly facilitated the work in all phases of the program.

Footnotes

[1]The specific area about which the early-day Indians first used the
term that is now translated as “Yellowstone” is unknown. The name
may have referred to the yellowish rocks that line the banks of the
Yellowstone River near its confluence with the Missouri River in
eastern Montana and western North Dakota. However, in the opinion of
H. M. Chittenden, who studied the question in considerable detail,
there is little doubt that the name was taken from the striking
yellow-hued walls of the gorge now known as the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone.

_Selected Additional Reading_

Allen, E. T., and Day, A. L., 1935, Hot springs of the Yellowstone National Park: Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication 466, 525 pages.

Boyd, F. R., 1961, Welded tuffs and flows in the rhyolite plateau of Yellowstone Park, Wyoming: Geological Society of America Bulletin, volume 72, number 3, pages 387-426.

Christiansen, R. L., and Blank, H. R., Jr., 1972, Volcanic stratigraphy of the Quaternary rhyolite plateau in Yellowstone National Park: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 729-B (in press).

Dorf, Erling, 1960, Tertiary fossil forests of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, _in_ West Yellowstone—Earthquake area, Billings Geological Society Guidebook 11th Annual Field Conference, 1960: pages 253-260.

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★ U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1972 O-467-725

Transcriber’s Notes

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.

—Corrected a few palpable typos.

—Included a transcription of the text within some images.

—Renumbered footnotes, and modified references to them accordingly.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.