Most volcanoes occur at the boundary between two tectonic plates , but Yellowstone is unusual because it lies centrally on the North America plate. Many geologists believe that is because Yellowstone sits on top of a “hot spot” – a plume of warm mantle rising up from the edge of the Earth's core.
Is Yellowstone located on a hotspot or boundary?
The Yellowstone region, at 8,000 feet (2,500 meters) elevation, is about 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 1,000 meters) higher than the surrounding territory. Like Hawaii, the Yellowstone region lies directly above a hotspot .
What kind of plate boundary is the North American Plate?
The movement of the hot mantle below the lithosphere drives the plate motion. The North American Plate has a transform boundary with the Pacific Plate, dividing California at the San Andreas Fault.
What type of fault is Yellowstone?
Faults related to the Yellowstone volcanic system are found primarily in the center of the park. Caldera boundary faults , such as those at the margin of the Henrys Fork and Yellowstone calderas, were created as their respective calderas collapsed after an eruption.
Is Yellowstone oceanic or continental?
Located along the continental divide within the Middle Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone is on a high plateau averaging 8,000 feet in elevation.
Why is there a hotspot at Yellowstone?
Beneath Yellowstone National Park in the western United States, lies a hot, upwelling plume of mantle . Heat from the mantle melts the overlying rocks and the resulting magma pools close to Earth's surface. Areas such as these are known as volcanic hotspots. Occasionally, molten rock from a hotspot will erupt.
What are some warning signs before a volcano erupts?
- An increase in the frequency and intensity of felt earthquakes.
- Noticeable steaming or fumarolic activity and new or enlarged areas of hot ground.
- Subtle swelling of the ground surface.
- Small changes in heat flow.
- Changes in the composition or relative abundances of fumarolic gases.
Which is the best example of a convergent plate boundary?
Answer: The Washington-Oregon coastline of the United States is an example of this type of convergent plate boundary. Here the Juan de Fuca oceanic plate is subducting beneath the westward-moving North American continental plate. The Cascade Mountain Range is a line of volcanoes above the melting oceanic plate.
What landforms are created by convergent boundaries?
Deep ocean trenches, volcanoes, island arcs, submarine mountain ranges, and fault lines are examples of features that can form along plate tectonic boundaries. Volcanoes are one kind of feature that forms along convergent plate boundaries, where two tectonic plates collide and one moves beneath the other.
What is the example of divergent boundary?
A divergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Along these boundaries, earthquakes are common and magma (molten rock) rises from the Earth's mantle to the surface, solidifying to create new oceanic crust. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of divergent plate boundaries.
How many earthquakes does Yellowstone have each day?
This gives an average daily number of earthquakes of 4.7 , or one earthquake every ~5.1 hours (of course, about half of these events occur in swarms, so are not evenly distributed over time).
Is Yellowstone about to erupt 2021?
“ Yellowstone is not going to erupt again anytime soon , and when it does, it's much more likely to be a lava flow than an explosive event,” Poland said. “These lava flows are really impressive. They can be hundreds of feet thick.
How many earthquakes happen at Yellowstone?
Approximately 700 to 3,000 earthquakes occur each year in the Yellowstone area; most are not felt. They result from the extensive network of faults associated with the volcano and surrounding tectonic features.
What geologic feature is Yellowstone known for?
Yellowstone's Geologic Significance
One of the largest volcanic eruptions known to have occurred in the world, creating one of the largest known calderas. More than 10,000 hydrothermal features, including approximately 500 geysers—the most undisturbed hydrothermal features left in the world.
What is Yellowstone known for?
Beyond its geysers, Yellowstone is world-renowned for its bison herds . It's the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Rush hour here is a little different with bison often causing traffic jams — nicknamed bison jams — as cars wait for the animals to cross the road.
What did Yellowstone look like millions of years ago?
Over two million years ago, Yellowstone was covered with mountains, basins, and canyons . Once more, a vast quantity of molten rock (magma) that had accumulated deep within the Earth produced two violent volcanic eruptions in the Yellowstone region. ... Today, remnants of this volcano can be seen on Mt.
