The Wyoming State Geological Survey has published a new website that gives visitors a look into Yellowstone’s geologic past and present.
The website provides a gallery with videos and photos from the park, interactive GIS maps of the region — including newly published data, and maps showing recent geologic activity in the park.
Available are data about the superficial and bedrock geology of Yellowstone. Hazard information is provided by the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and the Wyoming geological survey.
“This website was designed to gain a better understanding of the Yellowstone hotspot where a future volcanic eruption, fracturing, or the release of geothermal fluids from the caldera may occur,†said Wallace Ulrich, director of the Wyoming geological survey.
“We are offering this resource to the public so they can learn more about the past and current geologic activity in the region,” he said in a written statement Wednesday.
Potential eruptions or other geothermal activity in Yellowstone is the “most significant geologic hazard in Wyoming” with the potential to “catastrophically affect Wyoming, the western United States and the northern hemisphere,” the project’s website states.
The project and website were in part funded by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2010.