A tour of Norris Geyser Basin’s backcountry thermal areas
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Lauren Harrison, assistant professor in the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. 100 Spring Plain in Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. The area is frequently flooded and impassable. Photo taken by Lauren Harrison in August 2018. Cinder Pool. Elk Pool. Hydrophane Springs. The Reservoir. These are all thermal features in the backcountry of the dynamic and ever-changing Norris Geyser Basin. Norris Geyser Basin is one of the only major thermal basins located outside of Yellowstone Caldera (it
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Anchorage Walking Tour
The magnitude 9.2 earthquake was the largest recorded earthquake in U.S. history. The Great Alaska Earthquake, also known as the Good Friday Earthquake, occurred at a pivotal time in the history of earth science and helped lead to the acceptance of plate tectonic theory. All large subduction zone earthquakes are understood through insights learned from the 1964 event, and observations and interpretations of the earthquake have influenced the design of infrastructure and seismic monitoring systems now in place. The earthquake caused extensive damage across the State and triggered local tsunamis that devastated the Alaskan towns of Whittier, Valdez, and Seward.