Learn More about Yellowstone's
Active Geology

Rare eruption of Steamboat Geyser
in Norris Geyser Basin.

Yellowstone, our first national park, is a living, breathing system of active geological processes. It boasts an active volcano, some of the largest earthquakes in the Rocky Mountains, and the only active hot spot on the continent. Yellowstone's living geology is the heart of the park, which draws nearly 3 million visitors a year.

In this section we present data, maps, theories, etc. explaining how Yellowstone works. This means how heat is transferred from a deep plume of molten rock rising upward from the earth’s mantle into the crust where additional magma is generated and erupts at the earth’s surface to form the Yellowstone volcano. Moreover, magma and heat interact with the forces of plate tectonics of the western U.S. to form Yellowstone’s spectacular mountain scenery and the world’s largest distribution of geysers, hotsprings and fumaroles.

Links to the following topics: