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Geologist Ferdinand Hayden directed the first scientific exploration of Yellowstone in 1871, leading directly to the founding of the world’s first national park in the following year. Hayden’s noteworthy achievements in science and conservation, however, are clouded by his views of Indigenous people.
A long-told myth about Yellowstone is that indigenous people were “afraid” of the area owing to the geysers and thermal activity. But archeological evidence and oral histories and even an early map throw cold water on this story.
Yellowstone is covered with evidence of glaciers. About 22,000 to 14,000 years ago, during the most recent ice age, ice draped the region to a thickness of a kilometer—that’s over half a mile! When the ice melted, it left debris everywhere, mantling much of the surface of Yellowstone National Park. For example, Hayden Valley, located between Yellowstone Lake and the Grand
Scientists can determine the sources of hydrothermal fluids in park rivers by monitoring water chemistry. The result? A “budget” of which geyser basins release the most hydrothermal fluids.
What can trees tell us about Steamboat Geyser’s history? Why do Steamboat’s seismic eruption signals vary seasonally? Get up to speed on two newly published research studies centered on the world’s tallest geyser.