GEOL1301_Assignment_Module02

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1301

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Geology

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Apr 3, 2024

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Assignment Module 2 Task: In this module, we have studied igneous rocks and volcanoes. One of the places in the United States that attracts a lot of visitors every year is Yellowstone National Park, where magmatic and geothermal action are easily visible. Explore the following websites in order to answer the questions below. If you use other sources/websites to answer the questions, please list your sources. https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/geology.htm (Geology of Yellowstone National Park, please also explore the links at the bottom of the page) https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/ (United States Geological Survey website on Yellowstone; please also explore the links on this page) Please note that the answers should be written in your own words – don’t just copy and paste text from a website. And of course, don’t just copy another student’s work either! Such action will result in a grade of zero for all students involved. 1. Volcanic events started to happen about 16 million years ago in present-day Nevada and Idaho. How are these events related to the more recent volcanism in the Yellowstone area, and what is the evidence for this relationship? Ground deformation and uplift from previous volcanic activity causes geological movements that end up triggering more volcanic activity occurring many years later in the future. 2. When did the three “super eruptions” in the Yellowstone area take place? Approximately 2.1 Million years ago. 3. Numerous smaller eruptions have happened in Yellowstone after the “super eruptions”. How old is the youngest (= most recent) lava flow and what kind of lava did erupt at that point? The most recent lava flow was 70,000 years ago and consisted of rhyolitic lava. 4. Inside the present-day Yellowstone Caldera several lakes have formed. How/why did they form? Name two of the lakes. The lakes at the present-day Yellowstone caldera have formed over time due to a combination of volcanic activity causing the ground to collapse, along with the flowing of lava from such volcanic eruptions. Two of the lakes located here are the Yellowstone Lake and the Shoshone lake. 5. Yellowstone is well-known for its hot springs and geysers. Where does the water come from that feeds these features, why/how does it get heated up, and what is its approximate temperature underground? The water that fills Yellowstone’s hot springs and geysers comes from underground natural reservoirs heated by magma flowing deep underground around these water reservoirs. The water in these hot springs and geysers can be over 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 6. Many of the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park are very colorful. Where do these colors come from? The varying colors found in the hot springs of Yellowstone occur due to the presence of microbes that thrive in this superheated environment. Each varying species of microbes found in the hot springs give off a different color and the formations of colorful rings is the result of different microbe species inhabiting areas of the water heated to their preferred temperatures. 7. Geysers are special types of hot springs. Briefly describe what causes the intermittent, fountain-like eruptions of a geyser. You might also enjoy watching the video at https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/indepth-geysers.htm in this context. The eruptions of geysers are caused by superheated water boiling underground that begin to build with pressure ats the water temperature increases until finally reaching a point where the water is shot out of the ground through a vent/nozzle like geological feature in the ground.
8. Where can the "yellow stone" been found after which Yellowstone is named, and who named this area? Yellowstone was named by native American tribes in refence to the yellow sandstones that could be found along the banks of different parts of the Yellowstone River. 9. How is Yellowstone being monitored (by which institutions and with what kinds of instruments), since it is still a volcanically active place? Yellowstone is currently being monitored by the following organizations in conjunction at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory; the US Geological Survey, National Park Service, University of Utah, University of Wyoming, University NAVSTAR Consortium and State Geological Surveys of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Instruments used by the YVO are things such as various GPS data, inSAR, and seismographs. 10. Briefly summarize information about another phenomenon etc. that you found interesting when exploring the websites about Yellowstone and that has not been mentioned yet. It can be anything that has to do with nature, including plants or animals that live in the area. I found it interesting that humans could actually directly affect the coloration seen in hot springs by disturbing the naturally occurring water temperature. By doing things such as blocking the vents that cause the hot springs to become superheated, humans can directly affect which species of microorganisms thrive or die off, resulting in the size and color of the floating ring layers of microorganisms to change. Grading: 10 points per question If submitted after deadline, 20 points taken off for each day of delay
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