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How Yellowstone’s magma is made
The magma that feeds Yellowstone is formed by multiple processes. By using studying the chemical composition of elements in rocks from the Yellowstone area, it is possible to build an ingredients list for how the magma is “cooked.” During its 2.1-million-year history, Yellowstone has erupted an nearly 1,000 cubic miles of rhyolite magma. While it is well […]
The future of Yellowstone’s caldera may be somewhere near Henrys Fork
What will happen to Yellowstone once its rhyolite magma system shuts down? To understand the future, geologists look to the past—in this case, to Yellowstone Caldera’s older but smaller sibling, Henrys Fork Caldera. When will Yellowstone erupt again? This is one of the most common questions people have when they think of Yellowstone, and it is an important topic […]