Jessican+Sullivan

**Park Profile**
 * Yellowstone National Park!**
 * World's first National Park [[image:http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/b/b4/LocMap_Yellowstone.png width="280" height="183" align="right"]]
 * Mainly in Wyoming, but extends into Montana and Idaho.
 * 2,219,789 acres (larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined).
 * As of 2010, the amount of visiters was 3,640,185 people.
 * Climate: the temperature has never been higher that 99 degrees F (in 2002), and never lower than -66 degrees F (in 1933). In the summer the temp can get as high as 80 with expected thunderstorms in the afternoons. Winter is very cold with temperatures getting only as high as 20 degrees, and nighttime temperatures go below zero. When it rains in Yellowstone, it tends to range from 15 to 80 inches, depending on where in the park. Snow is no surprise in Yellowstone, it averages 150 inches annually.
 * Most popular sites: Old Faithful, Hayden Valley, Echinus Geyser, Excelsior Geyser, Firehole River, Lone Star Geyser.



**Weather**
 * History **
 * ==== Created in 1872 ====
 * Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden led his expedition into the Yellowstone area in 1871.
 * Hayden wrote a 500 page report on his party's findings.
 * On December 8th, 1871, a bill was introduced in the Senate for an establishment of a park at the headwaters of the Yellowstone River.
 * March 1st, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill into law, establishing Yellowstone as a public park.
 * "When the bill was presented to Congress, the bill's chief supporters convinced their colleagues that the region's real value was as a park area, to be preserved in its natural state. The bill was approved by a comfortable margin in the Senate on January 30, 1872, and by the House on February 27" (Mangan). [|http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/yehtml/yeabout.]html
 * It is a natural site because it's not man-made; it's just a part of the environment.
 * It is a historical site because of Hayden, Grant, and the fact that it was created in 1872.
 * Native Americans used to make a living at Yellowstone and often fought.
 * **I** n the summer the temp is often in the 70s-80s F with common thunderstorms in the afternoon; in the spring and fall the temperature ranges from 30-60, snow is common, usually a good 12 inches in one day; in the winter the temp ranges from 0-20 throughout the day, with below zero temps overnight, also, snow is highly likely with an average of 150 inches per year.



**Geology**
 * There are four types of thermal features: geyser, hot spring, fumarole, and mudpot.
 * The oldest rock in Yellowstone is over 500 million years old.
 * The rivers and streams helped shape Yellowstone, and helped create its Grand Canyon. The rivers and streams bring minerals down from the mountain which creates good soil.
 * The most recent glacier appeared about 50,000 years ago, leaving it's mark on Mount Washburn and Absaroka Range.
 * Yellowstone has scatted faults which are still active today, which can cause possible earthquakes.
 * Volcanism is popular in Yellowstone. In its geological history there have been at least three supervolcano eruptions, the most recent being 640,000 years ago.

**Ecosystems** **Air Quality** **Water Quality**
 * Animals include bears, beavers, otters, plenty of insects, wolves, bison, bighorn sheep, bobcats, coyotes, elk, moose, mountain goats, mountain lions, deer, and of course fish, reptiles, and birds.
 * More than 1,350 plant species are in Yellowstone, some of those being marigolds, white geranium, cow parsnip, primrose, woodland star, pussytoes, glacier lily, yellow pond lily, globe flower, coralroot, fireweed, twinflower, bluebells, wild iris, lupine, and hundreds more!
 * There's the Hayden Valley, rivers such as the Madison River or Yellowstone River, lakes, hot springs, geysers, and the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.
 * Air pollution can strip the soil of it's nutrients, injure vegetation, and send bad chemicals into the bodies of water. The strong winds at the park tend to sprend any pollutants in the air. Air pollution in Yellowstone include energy development in the Wyoming and agriculture air emissions in Idaho.
 * The air quality seems to be getting worse as time goes on. One pollutant, ground-level o-zone, is a threat to our respiratory system and can damage plant life.
 * The water quality is generally high but can be damaged by forces such as atmospheric pollutants, road construction, or recreational activities.



**Hydrologic Activity**
 * "River-Discharge and Chloride-Concentration Data Analysis of long-term river discharge and chloride concentrations in major rivers in Yellowstone provide a quantitative estimate of the total heat discharge from the Yellowstone volcanic system and can also be examined for temporal trends associated with magmatic and tectonic activity" []

**Fire Activity**
 * From 1972-1987, there was 235 wildfires in Yellowstone, burning about 33,759 acres, but only 15 of those burned over 100 acres. If the park is wetter than usual then the wildfires don't seem to happen as often, like from 1982-1987.
 * Summer of 1988 the park was drier than usual with thunderstroms giving off lightening without any rain; lightening causes most fires in Yellowstone.
 * Recently in August of 2011, there were five fires found in one day: Heart Fire, Sour Fire, Point Fire, Huckleberry Fire, and the fifth one was unnamed. The next day, lightening caused a sixth fire to deal with.



**Hydrothermal Features**
 * A hydrothermal explosion occured at Porkchop Geyser in 1989, leaving behind 15 feet of rock debris.
 * Explosions can throw rocks as far as 50 feet.
 * More than a dozen craters have formed due to hydrothermal explosions.
 * The largest hydrothermal explosion crater documented in the world lies in Mary Bay in Yellowstone. It has about a 1.5 mile diameter and occured about 13,800 years ago.
 * Most explosions today are very tiny and craters are only a few yards wide.



**Animals**
 * Recent bear studies show an estimated population of 236 bears, which is low considering it has gotten as high as 540.
 * Wolves were native to Yellowstone even before it was founded, but have decreased rapidly since then.
 * The largest mammal in Yellowstone is the bison, their population varied and changed as years went on. In 1902 there was less than 50, now there are about 4,000.
 * The population of bobcats is unknown because they are rarely seen, but there has been about 9-14 reported sightings each year.
 * Yellowstone has the largest sized coyotes in the United States, and they are a known predator in the park. They are seen often traveling alone or in packs, even some by the road where they are in danger of being hit by a car.
 * Moose in Yellowstone are rare but they are still seen. Their population is known to be under 1,000 and they are decreasing due to the fires.
 * The mountain lion, or cougar, is the largest cat at Yellowstone. Their population currently ranges from 18-24 and is increasing. They are also predators and sometimes prey on coyotes.
 * Yellowstone is also full of small rodents such as bats, mice, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, weasels, and beavers.
 * Their birds consist of species like eagles, swans, ospreys, pelicans, cranes, sparrows, and other smaller birds that live in the trees.
 * Amphibians and reptiles include frogs and toads, snakes, lizards, and plenty more.
 * There are a number of fish that live in the rivers and lakes.



**Conservation or Preservation Efforts** **Recreational Activities** **Works Cited** []
 * They have worked to protect species from going extinct (like the wolves) by adding more into the area and creating a habitat for them. They are trying to protect them from interaction with people as much as possible so populations will grow.
 * Hiking, bicycling, camping, tours, fishing, horseback riding, picknicking, look for wildlife, or just walk around and enjoy the nature of it all!
 * Someone would want to visit Yellowstone simply for the nature it holds. There's so many animals and plants to look for, along with natural sites like geysers, hot springs, lakes, rivers, and mountains. It's a good learning experience for anyone who enjoys nature and it gives people a chance to be outdoors and explore a different, small corner of the world.

[] [][]

[]

[]

[]

__//**Comment:**//__ **You could possibly use a couple videos of the park, but your page is very informational! The pictures are great too. Way to go! ** - Jaya