Part D

Geology of America's National Parks

Volcanic "hot spots" on tectonic plates are located above fixed columns of hot, rising mantle or mantle plumes. In the case of the North American continental plate, "hot spot" volcanism has occurred during the later part of the Cenozoic era, and a hot spot trace (i.e., the Snake River Plain) records the direction of plate movement over time. This volcanism has been bimodal (both felsic and mafic) with large caldera structures that have produced tremendous volumes of airfall and ash-flow deposits. Volcanism is not over and will likely occur again at some point in the near geologic future.

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Answer Quiz Me! questions D35 through D50 using the Geologic Map of Yellowstone National Park (see the PDF link below). If necessary, you can refer toyour rock identification charts.

 

Map Scale & Location

Quiz Me! / D35

 

Quiz Me! / D36

 

 

Explanation

Quiz Me! / D37

 

Quiz Me! / D38

 

Quiz Me! / D39

 

Quiz Me! / D40

 

Quiz Me! / D41

 

Quiz Me! / D42

 

Quiz Me! / D43

 

 

Geologic Map

A Trip to Old Faithful & Yellowstone Lake

You are visiting Yellowstone National Park and enter at the West Entrance in West Yellowstone. You want to see some of the famous geysers and hot springs, but also would like to see Yellowstone Lake.

Quiz Me! / D44

 

 

You drive about 10 miles east along the West Entrance Road to Madison Junction, where the Grand Loop Road goes south through Firehole Canyon.

Quiz Me! / D45

 

Quiz Me! / D46

 

Quiz Me! / D47

 

Quiz Me! / D48

 

 

Continuing on the Grand Loop road to the east, you eventually come to Yellowstone Lake at West Thumb. You decide to leave the Park and turn south onto the South Entrance Road.

Quiz Me! / D49

 

Quiz Me! / D50