| Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field | |
|---|---|
 Mount Sheridan, the highest peak in the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, from Heart Lake | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 11,372 [1] ft (3,466 m) |
| Coordinates | 44°28′16″N110°30′07″W / 44.471031°N 110.501862°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Yellowstone National Park |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | ~2,080,000–70,000 years [2] |
| Mountain type(s) | Complex volcano, volcanic plateau and volcanic field [3] |
| Last eruption | approximately 631,000 years ago (caldera-forming); 70,000 years ago (in the caldera) |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike/auto/bus |
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, also known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano or the Yellowstone Volcano, is a complex volcano, volcanic plateau and volcanic field located mostly in the western U.S. state of Wyoming, but it also stretches into Idaho and Montana. [4] [5] It is a popular site for tourists. [6]
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field began forming around 2 Ma (million years ago). [7] It has had over 110 different eruptions and has created mostly rhyolitic plains, with over 6000 km3 of rhyolitic material formed. [7] Scientists have discovered three major eruptions that formed calderas. They used methods of geological mapping, with both satellites and field work, and potassium-argon dating, to discover the eruptions. [5] The three major eruptions are:
- The first large eruption was about 2.08 Ma and created the Huckleberry Ridge Caldera. [4] This eruption produced more than 2,500 km2 of magma [7] through at least three volcanic vents that produced large ash sheets across the area. [4] This caldera had three main pulses of activity during its formation. [8]
- The second large eruption was about 1.3 Ma and created the Henrys Fork Caldera. [4] This eruption produced more than 280 km2 of magma [7] and was nested within a portion of a larger caldera, the Huckleberry Ridge Caldera. [4]
- The third large eruption was about 0.6 Ma and created the Yellowstone Caldera. [4] This eruption produced 1,000 km2 of magma [7] through at least two volcanic vents. [4] The Yellowstone Caldera is above a continental hot spot, the Yellowstone mantle plume. [8] After the caldera was formed, there were rhyolitic lava flows between 160,000 and 70,000 years ago. [8]
The Yellowstone Caldera is a resurgent caldera and has experienced resurgent doming. [8] The Yellowstone Caldera has two resurgent domes formed by magma upwelling called Sour Creek and Mallard Lakes. [8] The magma chambers under the Yellowstone Caldera provides heat and energy for large hydrothermal systems. [8] [9] The Yellowstone Caldera has the greatest concentration of hydrothermal features in the world, and is an active system. [9] The magma, geothermal activity, and hydrothermal system can lead to caldera motion, ash clouds, and earthquakes, so the Yellowstone Caldera is labeled as a geohazard. [8] A large amount of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field is in the Yellowstone National Park. [5] [4] [8] [9]
