2016 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Brent Wang

Yellowstone National Park

A twenty mile long canyon, seventeen rivers, extensive grasslands with thousands of animals, and over ten thousand geysers, all sitting on top of one of the largest volcanoes in the world. That, is Yellowstone National Park. From the rocks of the geosphere and the air of the atmosphere, to the rivers of the hydrosphere and animals of the biosphere. Interactions between the four earth systems have shaped and maintained a glorious geoheritage site that we need to preserve.

Being the first national park in the world, Yellowstone is very well known with around 4 million visitors annually. It’s home to half of the world’s geothermal activity, large river systems, and many diverse species of animals and plants. Beneath the surface of Yellowstone Park is a hotspot formed in the mantle of the Earth millions of years ago. Large plumes of magma were pushed out by the hotspot, later causing the surface to explode. This released particulate matter into the atmosphere which created water droplets. Increased rainfall stimulates plant growth and the particles in the air enrich the soil.

The Organic Act of 1916 was created to make sure that the park was conserved and used appropriately. In 1993, the Yellowstone Center for Resources was created to gather and analyze data about natural resources in order to preserve them. It works with geoscientists and informs people about the significance of the site and what they can do to sustain it.

The geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere have worked together to create a beautiful site and it’s our duty to preserve the resources for future generations. If we do not continue to maintain geoheritage sites the way they were meant to be, our children, grandchildren, and so on will not be able to see these natural values the way we do today.

References

8.6 Earth Systems Interactions. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2016, from https://www.csun.edu/science/books/sourcebook/chapters/8-organizing/files/earth-systems-interactions.html

How the Yellowstone Caldera Formed. (2015). Retrieved September 22, 2016, from http://www.yellowstonepark.com/how-the-yellowstone-caldera-formed/

Osipova, E., WIlson, L., Blaney, R., Shi, Y., Fancourt, M., Strubel, M., . . . Verchuuren, B. (2014). The Benefits of Natural World Heritage. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

G. (2016). To Preserve the Earth, Rethink Our Relationship with Nature - Global Landscapes Forum. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from http://www.landscapes.org/to-preserve-the-earth-rethink-our-relationship-with-nature/

United States. National Park Service. (n.d.). Geology. Retrieved September 22, 2016, fromhttps://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/geology.htm

United States. National Park Service. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions: Volcano. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/volcanoqa.htm

United States. National Park Service. (n.d.). Yellowstone Center for Resources. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/ycr.htm