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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 913 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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YELLOWSTONE See also:

NATIONAL See also:PARK , an See also:American national See also:reservation, situated mainly in N.W. See also:Wyoming, U.S.A., dedicated by the See also:United States See also:government as " a public park or See also:pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the See also:people." It is nearly a rectangle in shape, with a length, from N. to S., of 62 in., a width of 54 M. and an See also:area of approximately 3350 sq. m. It extends into See also:Montana, on the N., about 24 M. and into Montana and See also:Idaho, on the W., 2 m. Except at its See also:main en-See also:trance, through the valley of the Yellowstone on the N., the park is entirely surrounded by national forests: the See also:Gallatin and Absaroka national forests, on the N.; the Shoshone and the Beartooth, on the E.; the Teton, on the S.; and the Targhee, the See also:Madison and the Gallatin, on the W. The central portion, comprising an area of about 2000 sq. m., is an undulating volcanic See also:plateau with a mean See also:elevation above the See also:sea of about 8000 ft. Along the entire E. bordet stretches the Absaroka range, with peaks exceeding tr,000 ft. (See also:Index See also:Peak, 11,740 ft.) in height. On the N. is the Snowy range with its See also:snow-capped peaks. W. of the Snowy the Gallatin range extends S. for 20 M. along the W. border. Electric Peak, in the N.W. corner of the park, rises to a height of 11,155 ft. Near the S. end of the park are the Red Mountains, which culminate in Mt. See also:Sheridan (10,385 ft.) and afford a magnificent view of the whole region; and farther S. the N. See also:spur of the lofty Tetons juts across the S. border.

In the See also:

production of these mountains and plateau there was first, at the See also:close of the Cretaceous See also:period, an upheaval of the See also:earth's substance to See also:form a See also:mountain rim and a depressed See also:basin. Subsequently, in the See also:Tertiary period, there were two enormous outpourings of volcanic material—first andesitic See also:lava, and later, after a See also:long See also:interval of quiet, rhyolitic—which nearly See also:half filled the basin, converted it into a plateau and See also:broke up the mountain rim. Two centres of volcanic activity were Alt. Sheridan, in the S., and Mt. See also:Washburn, in the N. The volcanoes have long been See also:extinct, but the diminished See also:energy now causes hot springs and geysers in all parts of the plateau, about too in number. More than half, including the largest and finest, are in the upper and the See also:lower See also:Geyser basins, near the See also:head of the Madison, here known as the Firehole, See also:river. Several others are farther N. in the See also:Norris basin upon See also:Gibbon river, a See also:branch of the Madison, and others are farther S. in the Shoshone basin. Excelsior, the largest geyser, with a See also:crater about 300 ft. long and 200 ft. wide, has not been active since 189o, but for several years after its See also:discovery it threw up at intervals a huge See also:mass of See also:water to a height of 200-250 ft. Old Faithful, at See also:regular intervals of 65-70 minutes, throws up a See also:column of hot water 2 ft. in See also:diameter to a height of 125-150 ft., and the eruption lasts 4-42 minutes. The See also:Giant, at intervals of 2 to 4 days or more, throws up a column to a height of 250 ft. for 90 minutes. The Beehive (so called from the shape of its See also:cone), the See also:Grand and the Lone See also:Star throw up columns to a height of 200 ft. but at irregular intervals.

In the Norris basin are the See also:

Black Growler and the See also:Hurricane, which consist of small apertures through which See also:steam rushes with such tremendous force that it may be heard for See also:miles. The hot springs are widely distributed over the plateau and number from 3000 to 4000. The water of most of the springs and geysers holds See also:silica in See also:solution in considerable quantities, so that as it cools and evaporates it deposits a dazzling See also:white See also:sinter which has covered many square miles of the valleys and contrasts strongly with the dark See also:green of the surrounding forests. The springs. geysers and steam vents are scattered over it in the most irregular See also:fashion. The silicious See also:matter has also built up around the springs and geysers cones or mounds of considerable See also:size and See also:great beauty of form. The water of many of the springs contains See also:sulphur, See also:iron, See also:alum and other materials in solution, which in places stain the pure white sinter with See also:bright bands of See also:colour. The tints and hues of some of the pools are of matchless beauty. Near the N. boundary of the park there is a See also:group of about 70 active springs, known as-the See also:Mammoth Hot Springs, which hold carbonate of See also:lime in solution. Their deposits have built across a small valley or See also:ravine a See also:series of broad, See also:flat, concentric terraces beautiful in form and 300 ft. in height. The water which trickles over the rims of the pools and basins on the upper terraces is a transparent See also:blue, while the formation itself contains a network of fibrous See also:algae which gives it a wonderful variety of See also:colours. In the lower Geyser basin are the Mammoth Paint Pots, a group of mud springs with colours varying according to the See also:mineral ingredients in the steam, which not only colours the mud but also forms it into imitative figures. Near the centre of the park is Mud Caldron, a circular crater about4o ft. deep with the boiling mud at the bottom.

Although there have been some changes in the thermal energy in the park since 1871, there has been no appreciable diminution. Certain springs and geysers lose some of their energy at intervals, while others gain; certain geysers have become quiescent, but some new ones have been formed. The See also:

Continental See also:Divide crosses the park in a S.E. direction from the See also:meeting-point of the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The small See also:section S. of the Divide is drained by the Snake river into the See also:Columbia river and the Pacific Ocean; the large section N. of the Divide is drained by the Yellowstone and Madison See also:rivers into the See also:Missouri, the See also:Mississippi and the Gulf of See also:Mexico. The See also:Lewis river, a See also:fork of the Snake, has its origin in the beautiful Shoshone See also:Lake, and the See also:Heart river, another fork of the Snake, rises in Heart Lake, under Mt. Sheridan. The Yellowstone drains the entire E. section. Rising just beyond its S. limits, it flows into and through Yellowstone Lake, a magnificent See also:sheet of water, very irregular in shape, dotted with forested islands, having an area of about 140 sq. m., lying 7741 ft. above the sea and nearly surrounded by lofty mountains. A few miles below the lake, the river, after a See also:succession of rapids, leaps over a cliff, making the Upper Fall, 109 ft. in height. Half a mile lower down it rolls over the Lower Fall, which has a clear descent of 308 ft. The river at this point carries, at the See also:average See also:stage of water, about 1200 cub. ft. per second. With this fall the river enters the " Grand See also:Canyon," which in many scenic effects is unequalled.

Its See also:

depth is not great, at least as compared with the canyons upon the See also:Colorado river See also:system; it ranges from 600 ft. at its head to 1200 near the See also:middle, where it passes the Washburn Mountains. Its length to the mouth of See also:Lamar river is 24 M. It is cut in the volcanic plateau, and its ragged broken walls, which are inclined at very steep angles, are of a richness of colouring that almost defies description, a colouring that is produced by the See also:action of the thermal springs, at the See also:base of the canyon, upon the mineral See also:pigments in the lava. Bright See also:orange, yellow, red and See also:purple hues predominate and are set off very effectively against the dark green pines with which the margins of the canyon are fringed, and the white foam of the river at the bottom of the chasm. Near the See also:foot of the Grand Canyon, See also:Tower See also:creek, which drains the concavity of the horseshoe formed by the Washburn Mountains, enters the Yellowstone. Just above its mouth this stream makes a beautiful fall of 132 ft. into the See also:gorge in which it joins the river. A few miles farther down, the Yellow-See also:stone is joined by an E. branch, Lamar river, which drains a large See also:part of the Absaroka Range. Then it enters the Third Canyon, from which it emerges at the mouth of See also:Gardiner river. The latter stream drains an area of elevated See also:land by means of its three forks, and upon each of them occurs a See also:fine fall in its descent toward the Yellowstone. The Madison rises in the W. of the park and flows in a generally N. and then W. course out of the park. Its See also:waters are mainly collected from the rainfall upon the plateaux, and from the hot springs and geysers, most of which are within its drainage area. Upon this river and its affluents are several fine falls.

Indeed, all the streams in this region show See also:

evidence, in the See also:character of their courses, of a See also:recent See also:change of level in the See also:surface of the See also:country. The See also:climate, influenced by the high elevation, is characterized by long and severe winters and See also:short summers with great diurnal extremes of temperature. But the See also:low temperature causes the moisture-laden winds to See also:deposit here greater quantities of See also:rain and snow than in the semi-arid regions below, which not only promote the growth of vegetation, but cause the activity of the springs, geysers and waterfalls. The mean See also:annual temperature at the station of the United States See also:Weather See also:Bureau, near the N. boundary, is 390 F. The summer (See also:June, See also:July and See also:August) mean is 590; the See also:winter (See also:December, See also:January and See also:February) mean, 20 0. Extremes have ranged from 96° in July to -35° in February. The temperature has fallen to 3o° in July, and a warm summer See also:day may at any See also:time be followed by See also:frost at See also:night. The mean annual precipitation is 19.6 in. Much of this is in the form of snow, and nearly half of it is during the four months from December to See also:March; in the four dryest months, from July to See also:October, it is only 4.4 in. Some snow falls in every See also:month except July and August, and the average annual snowfall amounts to 94.7 in. The prevailing winds are S. About four-fifths of the park is covered with dense forests of black See also:pine (Pinus Murrayana), See also:balsam, See also:fir, spruce, See also:cedar and See also:poplar.

These trees do not attain a large size. A low blueberry (Vacciniuin myrtilis) forms a thick underbrush in much of the See also:

forest. Choke-cherries, gooseberries, See also:buffalo-berries, red currants and black currants grow along the streams and in moist places of the lower altitudes. In the glades are bunch-grass and a variety of flowering See also:plants; buttercups, daisies, forget-me-nots and other See also:wild See also:flowers may be found near melting snow-See also:banks in August. In the hot-See also:spring districts are plants with peculiarities both of those See also:common to the See also:desert and those common to the seashore. In the N.E. corner of the park fossil forests rise one above the other. After the destruction of one forest by volcanic eruptions another See also:grew over it; it, too, was buried under volcanic material, and the See also:process was repeated several times. The native See also:fauna is abundant and varied. The policy of the government which protects See also:game, both in the park and in the surrounding national forests, has induced See also:elk, See also:deer, ante-lope, mountain-See also:sheep, bears, porcupines, coyotes, squirrels, gophers and woodchucks to take shelter here. There are also a few See also:moose and some beavers. Black, See also:brown and grizzly bears may be seen at almost any time during the summer See also:season feeding on the garbage from the hotels. A few wild bison still remain at large, and besides these there is a See also:herd of about See also:rod confined within a pasture in the Lamar Valley.

The lakes and rivers are well stocked with See also:

trout and other See also:fish, and visitors have the See also:privilege of catching a limited number with rod and See also:line. See also:Robins, bluebirds, warblers, chickadees, finches, vireos, wrens, yellow-headed blackbirds, nutcrackers; See also:nut-hatches, meadow-larks, sparrows, woodpeckers, swifts, kingbirds and several other See also:species of small birds are found in the park, but the number of each is not great. Among birds of See also:prey are the See also:golden See also:eagle, bald eagle, See also:hawks and owls. Geese, ducks, See also:cranes, pelicans and gulls are very numerous in the autumn months. The park is under the supervision of a See also:superintendent who is appointed and instructed by the Secretary of the Interior. It is policed, however, by troops of United States See also:cavalry with headquarters at Fort Yellowstone, near the Mammoth Hot Springs, and the See also:building of roads and other improvements is under the direction of the Secretary of See also:War. The only See also:rail-way approaches to the park are a branch of the See also:Northern Pacific railway up the valley of the Yellowstone to the main See also:gate at Gardiner, Montana, and a branch of the See also:Oregon Short Line up the valley of the See also:North Fork of the Snake to Yellow-stone, Montana. Automobiles are not allowed within the park, and the See also:principal means of See also:conveyance is by stage coaches and by a steamboat on Yellowstone Lake. There are hotels at the Mammoth Hot Springs, at the principal geyser basins and at Yellowstone Lake. The hotels and stage lines open for the tourist season See also:early in June and close in the middle of See also:September. The See also:strange phenomena of this region were known to some of the See also:Indians; they were discovered by See also:John Colter, a member of the Lewis and See also:Clark expedition, in 1807; the region was visited by See also:James Bridger before 1840; an See also:account of the geysers was published at See also:Nauvoo, See also:Illinois, in The See also:Wasp, a Mormon See also:paper, in 1842; See also:Captain W. F.

Raynolds, of the United States See also:

Corps of Topographical See also:Engineers, with full knowledge of Bridger's accounts, was ordered to explore the region in 1859, and yet, chiefly because of the persistent in-credulity with which the accounts of the phenomena were received, the region remained practically unknown until 1870. From 1863 to 1866 See also:gold seekers repeatedly confirmed the early reports, and the publication of their accounts in Western papers gradually aroused See also:interest. In 1869 a private exploring party, consisting of See also:David E. Folsom, C. W. See also:Cook and See also:William Peterson, set out from the gold-See also:fields of Montana with the See also:express purpose of verifying or refuting the rumours, and they returned full of See also:enthusiasm. In 187o a semi-See also:official expedition, led by See also:Henry D. Washburn, the surveyor-See also:general of Montana, and See also:Lieutenant Gustavus C. See also:Doane of the Second United States Cavalry, made the " Yellowstone Wonderland " widely known. A See also:year later an expedition under Dr See also:Ferdinand V. See also:Hayden (1829-1887) made a large collection of specimens and photographs, and with these data, together with the reports of this and the Washburn-Doane expedition, See also:Congress was induced to reserve the area from See also:settlement, which was done by an See also:act approved the 1st of March 1872. In that yearfurther explorations were made, and in subsequent years See also:army expeditions continued the See also:work of exploration.

In 1878 a See also:

map of the park based upon triangulation was See also:drawn up by the Hayden survey, and in 1883-85 a more detailed map was made by the United States See also:Geological Survey, and a systematic study of its geological phenomena was instituted. See See also:Arnold See also:Hague, See also:Geology of the Yellowstone National Park (See also:Washington, 1899), "Geological See also:History of the Yellowstone National Park," in the Annual Reports of the Smithsonian Institution (ibid., 1893), and " The Yellowstone National Park," in Scribner's See also:Magazine (May, 1904) ; W. H. See also:Weed, "Formation of Travertine and Siliceous Sinter by the Vegetation of Hot Springs," in the 9th Annual See also:Report of the Director of the United States Geological Survey (Washington, 1889) ; descriptions in the 5th, 6th and Izth Reports of the Hayden Geological and See also:Geographical Survey of the Territories (ibid., 1871, 1872 and 1878) ; J. H. Raftery, See also:Historical and Descriptive See also:Sketch of the Yellowstone National Park, See also:Senate Document No. 752, and Session of the both Congress (ibid., 1909) ; H. M. Chittenden, Yellowstone National Park, Historical and Descriptive (See also:Cincinnati, 1895) ; and Annual Reports of the Superintendent of the Park (Washington, 188o sqq.).

End of Article: YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

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