Topographic signature, space-time evolution, and physical properties of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain volcanic system: the Yellowstone hotspot
Smith RB and Braile LW. 1993. Topographic signature, space-time evolution, and physical properties of the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain volcanic system: the Yellowstone hotspot. Pages 694-754. In Smith RB and Braile LW. Geology of Wyoming. Geological Survey of Wyoming. Memoir 5
Our knowledge of mantle hotspots has been derived largely from observation of active volcanoes located primarily in oceanic settings. The Yellowstone-Snake River Plain (YSRP) volcanic system of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, including the Yellowstone silicic volcanic field and the related bimodal basaltic-rhyolitic volcanic field of the eastern Snake River Plain (SRP), affords an opportunity to investigate the dynamics and properties of one of the Earth's largest silicic-dominated volcanic systems. We will develop a unifying model for the origin of the YSRP that reflects mantle plume-plate interaction consistent with observed geologic and geophysical data. We will also show how the Yellowstone hotspot has affected more than 20% of the western U. S. during its 16 million year evolution.
- Type
- Book Chapter
- Authors
- Smith, Robert; Braile, Lawrence
- Units
- CRMO , YELL
- Keywords
- Calderas, Crust (Earth's), Earthquakes, Faults (Geologic), Geology, Ground Temperature, Heat Flow, Hydrothermal Activity, Quaternary, Rocks, Sediment, Seismicity, Silica (SiO2), Snake River Plain, Tectonics, Topography, Volcanic Rocks, Volcanism, Yellowstone Hotspot