GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE YELLOWSTONE PLATEAU AND CALDERA

GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE YELLOWSTONE PLATEAU AND CALDERA AND DISCUSSION OF VOLCANIC PROPERTIES OF SUPERERUPTIONS Joan Baker Assessment 7: Knowledge of Research and Investigation in Science

ABOUT YELLOWSTONE America’s first national park, 1872 Supervolcano 12 -15 Ma, Oregon-Nevada boarder Caldera-collapsed roof of magma chamber, 3 supereruptions in 2 My Geomorphology- study of the form of the ground surface and the processes which shape it How the characteristics of the rocks, such as composition and orientation, can aide understanding of what happened geologically

backcountry MY PLAN OF STUDY Assist Bill in data collection while conducting my own research Curious about the rock types All volcanic? Geologic history? Why this location? yellow stone Focused on composition analysis: do the drainages flow like they do because of erosion, location, etc? Hot springs

RESEARCH AREAS Indicate locations of data collection

DATA COLLECTION PROCESS Locate drainages on topographic map Find drainage “mouth”, hike it back to find its “head” Stop every half km- kilometer Record GPS, profile measurements, rock types, measure relationship (ie distance from other notable features) Return to campsite to analyze the new data Last day, I was able to chose location and lead the hike

CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN THE FIELD These photos were taken around our data collection sites in Yellowstone Top left clockwise: Recording GPS location, large scale view of drainage, recording depth and rock types, as scale for a plunge pool

MATHEMATICS INCORPORATED Used GPS points to find locations on Google Earth, also to communicate with Dr. Spotila back in VA Used relative percents to describe rock compositions Measured drainage width and depth using measuring tape and meter stick/ ruler Estimations of distances to other notable features Measure sediment clast sizes

CONCLUSIONS After returning home, Bill’s project fell through “Just as Yellowstone’s caldera had a more complex collapse history than many others of its type, the history of post collapse resurgent doming and related volcanism is quite complex” (Christiansen, 2001). No amount of preparation can prepare you for the field My research evolved to be not just descriptions Concise record of Yellowstone’s complex past Offer some explanation for the project not being a complete success Compared my research to notes gathered in the field Plotted the drainage channel profiles His research was impractical on the masters level Would require years of exploration and magnetic data surveys The flows inter-finger (multiple resurgent domes), buried under younger flows, glacial interaction, faulting, hydrothermal alteration, all 3 rock types present

INFLUENCE ON PEDAGOGY It was a partial success! Even when the science does not work out the way we expected, we can adjust our thought process and begin the scientific method again Understanding can come out of unsuccessful research, we now have a more concise understanding of Yellowstone Preparation is absolutely key, but even the best plans do not pan out. Be flexible and open to suggestions Able to bring the western part of the country to my students. We do not have readily visible volcanic activity on the east coast and my pictures and experiences can help them relate.

RESOURCES IN THIS PRESENTATION Christiansen, Robert L. "The Quaternary and Pliocene Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. " U. S. Geological Survey (2001): 1 -140