Montana State researchers reconstruct environmental history of Yellowstone’s geyser basins

Montana State researchers reconstruct environmental history of Yellowstone’s geyser basins

A study led by a Montana State University research professor reveals how climate and hydrothermal activity have shaped the vegetation, wildfire and aquatic ecosystem history of the Yellowstone Plateau over the past 15,000 years.

Yellowstone lake mud reveals 15,000 years of fire, forest and geyser change

Yellowstone lake mud preserves a 15,000-year record showing how drought, wildfire and underground heat changed the landscape. Lodgepole pine forests stayed surprisingly stable, while fires increased sharply during hotter, drier periods. Wetter conditions strengthened hydrothermal activity, suggesting future drying could affect geysers while increasing wildfire risk. Yellowstone’s steaming geyser basins may look timeless, but lake mud tells a dif…