Does Yellowstone have a purpose?

As the site of one of the few remaining intact large ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of earth, Yellowstone's ecological communities provide unparalleled opportunities for conservation, study, and enjoyment of large-scale wildland ecosystem processes.



People Also Ask

But the ideas on which Yellowstone was founded—public access, enjoyment of nature, and conservation of wilderness—took root in the American imagination, and inspired the creation of subsequent national parks across the United States and around the world.

MORE DETAILS

Yellowstone was especially valuable as a source of obsidian, a volcanic glass used to make knives, arrowheads and other tools, and more than 50 ancient obsidian quarry sites have been documented in the park by archeologist Douglas MacDonald.

MORE DETAILS

Yellowstone National Park is a protected area showcasing significant geological phenomena and processes. It is also a unique manifestation of geothermal forces, natural beauty, and wild ecosystems where rare and endangered species thrive.

MORE DETAILS

We sometimes think of Yellowstone as an untouched landscape, but humans have been present in the area for over ten thousand years! The history and traditions of Indigenous people in Yellowstone are as rich as the landscape itself.

MORE DETAILS

The Yellowstone supervolcano last erupted about 640,000 years ago. A sleeping giant is nestled in the western part of the United States. Though it stirs occasionally, it has not risen from slumber in nearly 70,000 years.

MORE DETAILS

More videos on YouTube
  • Yellowstone is home to more than 500 active geysers (more than half the world's geysers). ...
  • Yellowstone Lake has 131.7 sq. ...
  • Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states (67 species). ...
  • 285 species of birds can be found in Yellowstone (150 nesting).


MORE DETAILS

Old Faithful geyser is the main attraction of Yellowstone! Together with the Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful is one of the most popular attractions of Yellowstone. No matter what time you come, it will always be busy.

MORE DETAILS

Instead, the name was attributed as early as 1805 to Native Americans who were referring to yellow sandstones along the banks of the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana, several hundred miles downstream and northeast of the Park.

MORE DETAILS

Can we survive a Yellowstone eruption? A massive eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would spread deadly ash for thousands of miles, killing plant life and affecting humans in its path. Humans who were in its path would surely die, but it would not mean the extinction of the entire human race.

MORE DETAILS

Geologists believe the ash from the eruption would encircle the globe in as little as 48 hours, and make temperatures drop by a minimum of two degrees celsius for as long as 20 years. The cooling of the Earth could be catastrophic for the planet's fragile ecosystem, kicking off a chain reaction of extinctions.

MORE DETAILS