Yellowstone's legacy spans nearly eleven thousand years. With such a history, it's no wonder that America's first National Park has captured the attention of so many people around the world.

In this limited docuseries, we'll be exploring the delicate balance of an ecosystem, the geology behind hot springs and supervolanoes, and the human history of the park.

Follow along each week as we transport you deep into the heart of Yellowstone.

music:
Americana Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life flourishes in Yellowstone. From the tiniest songbird to the mighty elk, and everything in between, nature has struck a delicate balance. But what happens when that balance is disturbed? In this episode we explore the complex relationships between predator and prey, and why they are so vital to the health of an ecosystem.

Further Reading:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0574-4#change-history

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3607235/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3873026

http://www.yellowstonegrizzlyproject.org/home/anomalies-of-reproduction-acrimonious-behavior-of-a-mother-bear

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/yellowstone-science-24-1-celebrating-20-years-of-wolves.htm

https://www.yellowstonewolf.org/yellowstone_wolf_recent_research.php

Credits:

Intro/Outro music
"Americana" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Wolf pup noises:
Altered Sound Effects Youtube
(Used under Creative Commons CC-By) https://www.youtube.com/@alteredsoundeffects

General ambience and animal sounds:
Yellowstone Sound Library via nps.gov and Artlist.io
Ivo Vicic via Artlist.io
Deadly Sound via Artlist.io
Artlist Foley via Artlist.io

Background Research
Kiara Thomas

This episode was produced on Anaiwan land, and we acknowledge that this land was never ceded. We recognise and respect the ongoing culture and community of the Anaiwan people, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders past, present, and emerging. In acknowledging the traditional custodians of our lands, we also acknowledge the First Nations people of the Americas, some of whose ancestral lands are now known as Yellowstone. 27 Tribes have ancestral and modern ties to this land, and we acknowledge their history, and extend our respect to their people and elders also.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deep beneath Yellowstone lies a magma chamber, above which is the vast Yellowstone Caldera. Sometimes referred to as a supervolcano, the caldera lies atop the Yellowstone hotspot, and has inspired many an imagination. Although the volcano has erupted in the past, how will future eruptions affect the region – and the world?

Further reading:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2349550-yellowstone-supervolcano-contains-twice-as-much-melted-rock-as-thought/

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-a-supervolcano.html

https://www.usgs.gov/news/a-personal-commentary-why-i-dislike-term-supervolcano-and-what-we-should-be-saying-instead

https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/thermal-infrared-remote-sensing-yellowstone-301-thermal-metrics

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/about-volcanoes

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-secrets-of-supervolca/

https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/modeling-ash-distribution-yellowstone-supereruption-2014

https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/five-things-most-people-get-wrong-about-yellowstone-volcano-2015

Credits:

Intro/Outro music
“Americana” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

General volcanic ambience
Unrealsfx via Artlist.io
Sam Fourie via Artlist.io
Eytan Krief via Artlist.io

Background Research
Kiara Thomas

This episode was produced on Anaiwan land, and we acknowledge that this land was never ceded. We recognise and respect the ongoing culture and community of the Anaiwan people, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders past, present, and emerging. In acknowledging the traditional custodians of our lands, we also acknowledge the First Nations people of the Americas, some of whose ancestral lands are now known as Yellowstone. 27 Tribes have ancestral and modern ties to this land, and we acknowledge their history, and extend our respect to their people and elders also.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vibrant colours disguise hidden dangers in the depth’s of Yellowstone’s hot springs. Despite the deadly temperatures, microbial life still thrives in the boiling, mineral-rich waters. In this episode we look at the mechanisms behind the hot springs and geysers, and how tiny creatures thrive where others dare not go.

Further Reading:
https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/hydrothermal-deposits-record-climate-changes-yellowstone

https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/hydrothermal-puzzles-lakes-lower-geyser-basin

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4250479

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/fumaroles.htm

https://www.nps.gov/articles/thermophile-yell.htm

https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/b1444

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/hot-springs.htm

https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/botany/chapter/thermus-aquaticus/

http://www.ncsociology.org/torchmagazine/v931/coppinger.pdf

https://enviro2.doe.gov.my/ekmc/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1385557763-3-s2.0-B0122268652002704-main.pdf

https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/life-in-the-extreme-terrestrial-hot-springs/

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/thermophiles-in-time-and-space.htm

https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/where-pigment-ends-photosynthetic-fringe-and-upper-temperature-limit#news

https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/which-more-hazardous-yellowstone-visitors-wildlife-or-hot-springs

Credits:

Intro/Outro music
“Americana” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Hydrothermal sound effects:
Yellowstone Sound Library via nps.gov and Artlist.io

General flowing water sound effects:
Ivo Vicic via Artlist.io

Background Research
Kiara Thomas

This episode was produced on Anaiwan land, and we acknowledge that this land was never ceded. We recognise and respect the ongoing culture and community of the Anaiwan people, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders past, present, and emerging. In acknowledging the traditional custodians of our lands, we also acknowledge the First Nations people of the Americas, some of whose ancestral lands are now known as Yellowstone. 27 Tribes have ancestral and modern ties to this land, and we acknowledge their history, and extend our respect to their people and elders also.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yellowstone attracts over three million visitors a year, but the human history of the park has spanned for thousands of years. From First Nations Americans, to European Settlers, to today, join us as we explore how human hands have shaped Yellowstone’s past, and how they can shape its future.

Further Reading:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/archeology-debunkingthemyth-fear-of-yellowstone.htm

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvcwntt3.5

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4518923

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1dr3668.7

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4518293

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/timeline.htm

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/grte1/chap3.htm

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43598916

https://archive.org/details/journalatrapper00yorkgoog/page/n6/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/americanindiansy00nabo/page/32/mode/1up

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yell/cramton/sec2.htm

Credits:

Intro/Outro music
“Americana” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ambience
Yellowstone Sound Library via Artlist.io
Gain Walkers via Artlist.io

Background Research
Kiara Thomas

This episode was produced on Anaiwan land, and we acknowledge that this land was never ceded. We recognise and respect the ongoing culture and community of the Anaiwan people, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders past, present, and emerging. In acknowledging the traditional custodians of our lands, we also acknowledge the First Nations people of the Americas, some of whose ancestral lands are now known as Yellowstone. 27 Tribes have ancestral and modern ties to this land, and we acknowledge their history, and extend our respect to their people and elders also.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.