Yellowstone National Park
Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Yellowstone was born from volcanism and is still being shaped by its forces. The heavy smell of sulfur permeated the air and hot steam was rising all over as we strolled on the wooden walkways snaking around the Upper Geyser Basin. There were mudpots, fumaroles, geysers and spring pools. This area is undoubtedly volcanic but we couldn’t find its most distinguishing geologic feature – the volcano. Small wonder we didn’t see it. WE WERE IN IT!
This volcanic Goliath exploded one too many times that its magma chamber was emptied. Magma is molten rock that collects in a magma chamber inside a volcano. Lava is molten rock expelled by a volcano in an eruption. Too much eruptions may empty the chamber, and the surface above to collapse to form a caldera. Yellowstone’s immense 28×47-mile caldera (basin) was the result of the earth’s collapsing from losing so much lava in volcanic eruptions. Scientists say that the park is due for another. Suddenly, it came to mind that I was walking on a thin sheet of earth beneath a bubble of molten terror. I walked lightly so as not to disturb its sleeping fury.
