About 640,000 years ago, when from volcaniceruptions and earthquakes "walked" walked the North American continent, a giant crater with a total area of 2,000 km² appeared near the Rocky Mountains. Over time, it turned into a plateau, where today a boiling mass is bubbling, fumarole, geysers, mud fountains and hot springs are beating out of the ground. So there was Yellowstone Park, a photo of which is presented in this article.
A bit of history
Есть легенда, что 200 лет назад охотник moved in search of prey through the Rocky Mountains and came to the Yellowstone Plateau. Now only he understood the stories of the Indians about the "land of smoke and water", only now he believed in them. The picture, which opened to him, instilled in him superstitious fear. The canyons flooded with frozen lava, the rocks sparkling with obsidian, and the petrified forests were combined with the water flowing in the craters of volcanoes, as well as foamy streams of steam rising from the crevices. Over this otherworldly world, the smell of rotten eggs soared - a kind of "aroma" of hydrogen sulfide. In the future, the story of the Hypericum about this amazing and strange terrain in others caused ridicule and distrust. How can this be in the world created by God? And if so, where is Yellowstone Park?
Only after 50 years the reports of scientific expeditionswere able to confirm the stories of this unrecognized eyewitness. After that, on the territory with such an amazing landscape located on the lands of three states: Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the US Congress in 1872 founded the world's first National Park, which was named Yellowstone National Park, which translates as "yellow stone ". Thus, in America began the development of environmental ethics, as well as the preservation of areas with untouched nature. Today, everyone can not only find Yellowstone Park on the map, but also to go there. In 1976, this place was given the status of a biosphere reserve. Two years later it was added to the UNESCO list.
Description
In the form of a square, Yellowstone National Park leads five roads, and you can get here from any side of the world.
To the north are amazingly beautiful gorges,which flow along the bottom of the Madison and Yellowstone rivers, breaking down in the canyons by hundreds of waterfalls. The largest of them is the Lower Falls, whose height is as much as 94 m! In the same place are also mammoth hot keys.
Calcite
In this place the rock is rich in calcites.For millennia, calcium dissolved in the hot water of the sources boiling here. Thus formed sparkling crystals, picturesque terraces, whose steep slopes were decorated with cascades resembling stalactites. It seems that limestone amazing figures should have white color, but many of them are decorated in all shades of the rainbow spectrum. This is due to the impurity of microorganisms and metals that inhabit the Mammoth keys. Their color depends on the temperature of the water, therefore, some terraces are painted in a violet-blue palette, and the next ones shine with canary-yellow and fiery-red shades.
In the northeastern part of the park can be foundthe largest petrified forest on the planet. This was due to the fact that during the eruption that happened a long time ago, the ash completely covered the trees, after which they were mineralized, becoming idols.
West Yellowstone
Yellowstone Park is also known for its village.West Yellowstone, which is located at the western gate of this reserve. From here you can get to the most famous geyser fountains, which will be discussed below.
Grand Canyon
If we needed a contour map of NorthAmerica, then in the eastern part of Yellowstone, we would mark the Grand Canyon. Its length is 20 km, and its depth is 360 m! The park got its name from here - the sun rays are reflected in the rocky yellow rocks. In the south of the park is a mountain range, completely covered with snow. He surprises with his slim extraordinary beauty.
Geysers
Yellowstone is one of five places on the planet, inwhich has huge fields of geysers (contour map of North America of these places consists of volcanic layers). Here, the magma is close to the surface, therefore, the temperature of the water emitted to the surface is much higher than the boiling point; rather, it is vapor than liquid. Interestingly, small fountains regularly “work”, and large fountains spontaneously. There are about 3000 of them.
The steamer, the largest geyser in the world, ejects 5,000 tons of water at 50-100 m, while the frequency of this is unpredictable - from 4 days to half a century.
Another spectacular geyser is Excelsior,which is located in the center of a beautiful mountain lake. At its fountain the height reaches 90 m, while this process is accompanied by various special effects - a roar, roar and tremor of the earth.
Awesome source called the Eye,is the real king of this valley. Microorganisms and bacteria that are in hot water, it is painted in rich bright colors. In shape, it resembles a big eye. There is a feeling that someone from under the earth is watching what is happening on it.
Ebb and flow
Yellowstone National Park on the map stands out another miracle - a huge lake with the same name.
It is located in the center of the plateau.Huge reservoirs have ebbs and flows, the water at which either departs from the shore, or floods it. Yellowstone Lake does not obey the rules. Here, the water line changes in zigzags - on some shore there may be simultaneously a tide with ebb. Plots often change their places.
This mystery still can not solvethe greatest scientists. One of the assumptions explains this behavior of the reservoir geological activity. The fads of the reservoir do not interfere with the fish living in it - there is a huge amount of it to the delight of numerous fishermen.
Plants and wolves
At the beginning of the last century, poaching ledTo the destruction of the wolves there. Breeding deer and moose devastated the coast of the Lamar River, while eating all the local plants. Then, as if by a chain, beavers began to die out, who lost their food - trees. Reservoirs that were created by these industrious rodents, dried up, because no one else organized dams. Succulent plants that grizzly bears ate began to disappear without water. Thus, Yellowstone Park was on the verge of a real ecological disaster.
After that, the National Park Service of Americawolves brought here from Canada. In a short period, they have significantly reduced their elk and deer populations. Plants reappeared in the valley, after which the ecological balance began to recover.
At the present moment in this reserve you canSee different animals: elks, buffalo, grizzly bears, deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, beavers and wolves. Other animals live here: mountain lions, lynxes, cougars. There are a lot of birds in the park - about 200 different species: pelican, trumpeter swan, bald eagle, etc.
Tourist facilities
Въезжая в парк Йеллоустонский, каждый отдыхающий gets a guide that helps him navigate the vast territory. Virtually the entire area can be traveled along an asphalt road, covering the G-8 with all the interesting places: the caldera and the lake, thousands of geysers, petrified forests, waterfalls and hot springs. The park is surrounded by a highway, the total length of which is 150 km.
It should be noted that the inspectionsights usually takes 4 days. In this place you can rent a car, take a horse, and walk along the trails, the total length of which is 1,770 km. It should be ready that on the way there are various wild animals - the virgin nature in its most dangerous glory opens up to the traveler.
It offers excursions, boat trips,visiting caves, horseback riding, fishing - for any visitor you will find a lesson that will allow you to spend time with interest, as well as gain health and strength.
Приехав в парк Йеллоустонский, нужно быть готовым the fact that the fee for a visit will depend on the total time spent there. Hotel services are provided hotels, hunting houses, bars, bungalows, restaurants, cafes, gas stations and shops. In this place, accommodation can be booked in advance. The park is open to the public from May to the end of September, when there are up to 3 million tourists.
Some volcanologists believe thatThe caldera may wake up in the coming years. It will be a catastrophe, in scale which can be equated with an apocalypse. Forecasts are as follows: half of the United States will be erased from the planet. Europe will also suffer, since the volcanic ash will be in the stratosphere and close the sun for a long time, after which a “volcanic winter” will come to the whole Earth.
Hurry up to admire this miracle of nature while you still have this opportunity!
