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First geological map of Yellowstone National Park stands test of time
The volcanic character of Yellowstone has long been known. An indigenous map drawn on a bison pelt indicating a volcano on the Yellowstone River was described by the governor of Louisiana Territory in an 1805 letter to Thomas Jefferson.
The first formal geological studies of the region, however, were not undertaken until the 1870s.
In 1871, the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, led by geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, took on the task of conducting a detailed exploration of the region that is now Yellowstone National Park. The exploration provided a preliminary assessment of the geology of the area, and the maps, reports, photographs, paintings, and descriptions were the primary motivation behind the creation of the national park.
The work even involved mapping the coastlines and depths of Yellowstone Lake — incredible work for the time done using an 11-foot-long boat.
