Interpreting the Landscapes of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Book excerpt: Interpreting the Landscape of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks takes us into the natural world we see today through the prism of geology. It is difficult to gaze upon the Teton Range, the high plateaus of Yellowstone, the lakes, canyons, and land forms of the two parks and their immediate environs without asking how and when they were formed. This book answers these questions, and more. The text, photography, and graphics demonstrate that most of what we see today is young, geologically speaking - the product of volcanic eruptions, profound glaciation, and earth movements. Perhaps the most interesting of all, the book describes how processes originating half way to the earth's center seem to be the primary force which created volcanic fires, glacial ice, and the mountain ranges of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.