The University of Texas at Arlington Geology Question

In this module, we have studied igneous rocks and volcanoes. One of the places in the United States that attracts a lot of visitors every year is Yellowstone National Park, where magmatic and geothermal action are easily visible. Explore the following websites in order to answer the questions below. If you use other sources/websites to answer the questions, please list your sources.

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/natre/geology.htLinks to an external site. (Geology of Yellowstone National Park, please also explore the links at the bottom of the page)

https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstoneLinks to an external site. (United States Geological Survey website on Yellowstone; please also explore the links on this page)

Please note that the answers should be written in your own words – don’t just copy and paste text from a website. And of course, don’t just copy another student’s work either! Such action will result in a grade of zero for all students involved.

You can either enter your answers directly into this assignment, or upload a word or pdf file with your answers (please number them from 1 to 10). A word file containing this assignment can be downloaded here: GEOL1301_Assignment_Module02.docx

1. Volcanic events started to happen about 16 million years ago in present-day Nevada and Idaho. How are these events related to the more recent volcanism in the Yellowstone area, and what is the evidence for this relationship?
2. When did the three “super eruptions” in the Yellowstone area take place?
3. Numerous smaller eruptions have happened in Yellowstone after the “super eruptions”. How old is the youngest (= most recent) lava flow and what kind of lava did erupt at that point?
4. Inside the present-day Yellowstone Caldera several lakes have formed. How/why did they form? Name two of the lakes.
5. Yellowstone is well-known for its hot springs and geysers. Where does the water come from that feeds these features, why/how does it get heated up, and what is its approximate temperature underground?
6. Many of the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park are very colorful. Where do these colors come from?
7. Geysers are special types of hot springs. Briefly describe what causes the intermittent, fountain-like eruptions of a geyser. You might also enjoy watching the video at https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/indepth-geysers.htLinks to an external site. in this context.
8. Where can the “yellow stone” been found after which Yellowstone is named, and who named this area?
9. How is Yellowstone being monitored (by which institutions and with what kinds of instruments), since it is still a volcanically active place?
10. Briefly summarize information about another phenomenon etc. that you found interesting when exploring the websites about Yellowstone and that has not been mentioned yet. It can be anything that has to do with nature, including plants or animals that live in the area.