Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Approximate Locations of Yellowstone Plateaus
3.
Mirror Plateau,
another nonvolcanic area, has an average elevation of about 9,000 feet
(2,750 m). It takes its name from little Mirror Lake, which is located on the drainage di-
vide between the Lamar and Yellowstone Rivers.
4.
Buffalo Plateau
was named by a group of prospectors in 1870, when it was a grazing
ground for thousands of buffalo. Most of the rock here is 2.7 billion years old, more than
half the age of the earth itself.
5.
Blacktail Deer Plateau
is an expanse of grass- and tree-covered glacial deposits about
7,000 feet (2,130 m) high.
6.
Solfatara Plateau
is a small and fairly recent volcanic flow dating back 110,000 years.
The first known
solfatara,
near Naples, Italy, is a volcanic crater that exhales hydrogen
sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and steam. In Yellowstone, the Solfatara Plateau is an area with
many fumaroles.
7.
Central Plateau
is centered in the lower loop of the Grand Loop Road. The Nez Perce
lava flow on this plateau is 160,000 years old.
8.
Madison Plateau
is the result of several lava flows of different ages. The West Entrance
Road and the Grand Loop Road near Old Faithful both pass along its edges.
