Fire_Ice_Fury_Yellowstone
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This land has ancestral and modern connections to 27 Associated Tribes.
Yellowstone is a land of dynamic forces. It is a place born of volcanic fire, sculpted by immense glaciers, and brought to life by the untamed energy of its wildlife. Its story is written in stone, water, and life itself-a story that begins long before it was a park, with over 11,000 years of human history.
Fire, Ice, and Fury: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone
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At the Canyon Visitor Education Center, a room-size relief map illuminates the park's volcanic eruptions, lava flows, and earthquake faults, showing how these forces from fire and ice have created a unique landscape.
This underground heat engine creates more than 10,000 hydrothermal features- the largest concentration on Earth.
Beneath Yellowstone lies a massive magma chamber, the heart of a "supervolcano" that has shaped this landscape through colossal eruptions.
Magma Chamber
plumbing system
Fumarole
Mudpot
Hot Spring
Geyser
heat is the engine that powers its world-famous hydrothermal wonders.i
This deep geothermal
supervolcano.
Yellowstone is not just a park; it's an active
A Land Forged in Fire
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Fire return intervals range from 20-60 years for Douglas-fir forests to 300 years or more for lodgepole pine forests.
Serotinous Cones: Lodgepole pines have adapted to fire. Their cones are sealed by resin and require the heat of a fire to open and release their seeds.
It increases the rate that nutrients become available to plants by rapidly releasing them from wood and forest litter.
Lightning ignites dozens of fires each summer, but most burn less than half an acre before going out naturally.
Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem. It promotes habitat diversity by removing the forest overstory, allowing different plant communities to become established.
This highlights the reality of frequent, small burns versus the perception of constant massive fires.
92%
76%
Smaller than 100 acres
Smaller than 0.25 acres
Lightning-Caused
Human-Caused
78%
22%
Typical Fire Size
Causes of Fire
For 14,000 years, fire has been a key shaper of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It is not just a destructive force but a vital process for renewal, nutrient cycling, and creating diverse habitats.
The Regenerative Power of Wildfire
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"The 1988 fires presented an unprecedented opportunity to study the landscape-scale ecological effects of an infrequent natural disturbance...in an ecological system minimally affected by humans."-Monica Turner, Ecologist
Temperatures high enough to kill deep roots occurred in less than 0.1% of the park. Where water was available, new plant growth began within a few days.
The fires of 1988 created a "mosaic" of burned, partially burned, and unburned areas, which sustains a greater variety of plant and animal species.
Ecological Outcome
Conditions
Cause 42 fires by lightning, 9 by humans.
793,880 acres (36% of the park)
Area Affected
One-quarter inch of snow on September 11 finally stopped the advance of the fires.
Cost $120 million spent fghting the fires.
Turning Point
Old Faithful
The most severe drought in recorded park history; no measurable rain for almost three months.
Storm Creek Fire
North Fork Fire
Mammoth Hot Springs
The summer of 1988 brought the most severe drought in the park's recorded history. This, combined with high winds, created a firestorm that reshaped the park and our understanding of fire's role in the ecosystem.
The Great Fires of 1988: A Landscape Reborn
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Lamar Valley
The park's current forests became established following the last glacial retreat 14,000 years ago, demonstrating the long-term legacy of ice.
As these glaciers advanced and retreated, they carved deep canyons, sculpted mountain peaks, and dammed rivers to create lakes.
Yellowstone's story is one of cycles. Following the last major volcanic activity, vast ice sheets covered the region.
Moraine
Valley
Hanging
U-Shaped Valley
U-Shaped Valley (Post-Glaciation)
V-Shaped Valley (Pre-Glaciation)
Long before the park's forests and wildlife, massive glaciers sculpted Yellowstone's mountains and valleys. The landscape we see today is a direct result of this immense, shaping force.
A Landscape Carved by Ice
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Peak flow is reached when the deep snow fields at mid and high elevations begin to melt more quickly, typically in June. This annual pulse of water is critical to the quality and quantity of water throughout the region.
Columbia River System
The Impact: A decrease in Yellowstone's snow will affect millions of people beyond the boundaries of the GYE who depend on this critical source of water.
Colorado River System
Energy
Drinking water
Agriculture
Missouri River System
Green River
Snake River
Yellowstone River
The System: The Yellowstone, Snake, and Green rivers all have their headwaters in the park.
American West.
of streamflow in the
60-80%
Snowmelt provides
The Source:
The massive snowpack that accumulates in Yellowstone's mountains is the single most important source of water for the ecosystem and for millions of people downstream. It is the modern face of "Ice" in the park.
The Frozen Reservoir: How Snowpack Sustains the West
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the norm, representing a significant shift...toward the type of climate we currently see in the southwestern United States.
By the latter part of the 21st century, the hot, dry conditions that led to the fires of 1988 wil likely be
The Future Outlook:
GYE appears likely.
Any potential increases in precipitation...will be overwhelmed by temperature increases. A warmer, drier future for the
Warmer temperatures mean more precipitation falls as rain, and snowpack melts earlier in the year.
Future
Present
Past
Future
Present
Past
Less Snow
Analyses of streams from 1950-2010 show an 89% decline in summer stream discharge.
Modern Summer
Historic Summer
Drier Summers
Annual average temperatures in the GYE are increasing by 0.31°F per decade.
Time
Temperature
Rising Temperatures
Yellowstone's climate is changing. Warmer temperatures are reducing the crucial snowpack, leading to earlier spring runoff and drier summers, fundamentally altering the park's character.
A Warming World, A Diminishing Resource
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Yellowstone is one of the last, nearly intact temperate ecosystems on Earth. Its natural processes operate in a context less subject to human alteration than others throughout the world. Here, the forces of life play out on a grand scale.
species of fish
bear species
Producers
16
2
species of birds
300
Nearly
native ungulate species
species of mammals
7
67
Herbivores
Predators
Apex
The dynamic landscape forged by fire and ice supports the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. This is a world of immense herbivores, formidable predators, and the timeless drama that connects them.
Life's Fury: An Ecosystem of Giants and Hunters
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2015 2024
2010
2005
2000
1995
1983
1973
1963
1954
1943
1933
1923
0
5,000
10,000
Wolf Reintroduction
←1995:
In Yellowstone, 90% of their winter prey is elk.
15,000
Population
As of January 2025, at least 108 wolves live primarily in the park, in packs with an average size of 11.8 individuals.
20,000
Abundance of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Population, 1923-2024
Gray wolves were restored to Yellowstone in 1995 after being absent for nearly 70 years.
In Yellowstone, 90% of their winter prey is elk.
Elk are the most abundant large mammal in Yellowstone, with summer estimates of 10,000-20,000.
As of January 2025, at least 108 wolves live primarily in the park, in packs with an average size of 11.8 individuals.
Wolves elk in the gray wolves were inter being imsat nearly 70 years.
Ecological connection. This predator-prey relationship has cascading effects. The presence of wolves can alter elk behavior, group size, and habitat selection, which in turn influences vegetation like willows and aspen.
The restoration of the gray wolf in 1995 reignited an ancient predator-prey dynamic. Wolves are a primary driver of the ecosystem, with elk serving as their main food source.
The Return of the Wolf and the Dance of the Elk
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Endangered Species Act since 1975.
Listed as a Threatened Species under the
Status:
Diet: Omnivores that eat everything from elk calves and carcasses to whitebark pine nuts and army cutworm moths.
:Males weigh 200-700 pounds.
Size
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Approx. 1,030 grizzlies estimated in the
Population
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the few areas south of Canada where grizzlies and black bears coexist.
Grizzly Bear
their ancient ancestors.
Yellowstone bison exhibit wild behavior like
A Living Fossil:
in summer; migrate up to 70 miles between summer and winter ranges.
Behavior: Can run up to 35 mph; form large herds for the rut
: Bulls weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
Size
:~5,400 individuals (2024 estimate).
Population
lived continuously since prehistoric times.
Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where bison have
Bison
Icons of the American West: Bison and Grizzly Bears
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These interactions reveal a complex carnivore hierarchy where survival depends not just on being a successful hunter, but also on navigating a landscape full of rivals.
Wolves vs. Coyotes
Bears vs. Wolves
Interferes with or scavenges cougar kills
After wolves were restored on the northern range, the coyote population decreased by as much as 50% as a result of competition for food and direct attacks by wolves.
Bears and wolves frequently displace cougars from their kills. Wolves interfered with or scavenged more than 22% of cougar-killed ungulates in one study.
Wolves attempt to defend kill, but are usually unsuccessful
Displaces cougar from kill
Displaces wolves from kill
Cougars vs. Wolves & Bears
Bears may benefit from the presence of wolves by taking carcasses that wolves have killed. If a bear wants a wolf-killed animal, the wolves will try to defend it; wolves usually fail to chase the bear away.
Life for Yellowstone's top predators is not just about the hunt; it's also a constant struggle for dominance and resources against other powerful carnivores.
A Landscape of Competitors
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Climate change is the master force affecting the entire ecosystem. It's driving current insect outbreaks, increasing fire activity, and altering the fundamental patterns of water and life that wildlife depend on.
From 2004 to 2008, the area of mountain pine beetle outbreaks in Wyoming increased from 1,000 to 100,000 acres.
Changes in seasonal patterns disrupt vegetation growth, which in turn could alter or seriously disrupt wildlife migrations.
leads to
Outbreaks
Widespread Insect
Increased Forest Stress
Reduced Snowpack & Earlier Melt
Drier Summers
Warming Temperatures
Altered Habitats for Wildlife
Longer, More Intense Fire Seasons
not independent. A changing climate is weakening the force of Ice, which in turn amplifies the power of Fire and puts new stresses on the park's wildlife.
The forces of Fire, Ice, and Fury are
An Interconnected System Under Pressure
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Canyon Visitor Education Center about geology, and the Grant Visitor Center about the vital role of fire.
Call to Explore: Learn more at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center about hydrothermal features, the
Yellowctone National Part
As a visitor, you are part of this ongoing story. Explore the visitor centers, join a ranger program, and discover the deep connections that tie this incredible landscape together.
FOS THE REREFIT ARO
ERIOTUSNT OF THE FAOTLE
PRTOR6H
The story of Fire, Ice, and Fury continues to unfold. Scientists conduct research here on everything from landscape-level changes to microscopic organisms, helping inform decisions to preserve this special place.
Understanding its story is the first step to ensuring its future.
the benefit and enjoyment of the people."
Yellowstone is more than a geologic marvel; it is a living laboratory and a cultural touchstone, preserved "for
A Story of Preservation and Discovery