
Flood of Fire - Yellowstone National Park
Posted by:
Volcanoguy
N 44° 54.130 W 110° 23.526
12T E 547993 N 4972262
A history sign along Grand Loop Road about 1.6 miles south of Tower Junction in Yellowstone National Park.
Waymark Code: WMDB4H
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 12/17/2011
Views: 4
“River canyons expose the landscape’s hidden excesses, its violent past. The orderly columns across canyon are volcanic. From vents in the Yellowstone Plateau lava welled up and flowed -- a vast flood of fire 25 feet (7.6 m) deep. As the lava cooled and contracted about 1.3 million years ago, it formed contraction cracks, producing hexagonal columns of basalt.
The rock layers are a geologic photo album. Lava flows and other dynamic events have become benign scenic features, frozen in time. Above and below the basalt lies a loose mix of gravel carried here by glacial meltwater.
A similar basalt formation can be seen from a pullout 0.5 miles south of here.”
Marker Name: Flood of Fire
 Marker Type: Rural Roadside
 Addtional Information:
 Group Responsible for Placement: National Park Service
 Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
 Date Dedicated: Not listed
 Marker Number: Not listed

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Visit Instructions:
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