By: Marlene Affeld
Buried almost five miles beneath the majestic scenery of Yellowstone National Park is a giant slumbering beast. The “Yellowstone Hotspot”, under incredible pressure, is a massive chamber full of molten rock that is the pulsating magma that powers Yellowstone’s incredible geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles.
Yellowstone Park, the oldest park in the United States National Park System, is unlike any other place on the planet. Breath-taking scenery, a diversity of wildlife and clear, blue skies attract visitors from around the world. However, the diverse hydrothermal features of the park are its greatest attraction and fascination. No other place in the world has as many active geysers, steam vents and hot springs as Yellowstone.
Although considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet, don’t let the magnificent beauty deceive. Yellowstone has a volatile and violent geologic history. Yellowstone National Park rests on top of numerous layers of welded ash deposits; a rock solid record of an explosive volcanic past. The Lava Creek explosion, the last in a series of full-scale eruptions, happened approximately 640,000 years ago, ejecting over 240 cubic miles of rock and dust into the heavens.
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