In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are again visiting with Dr. Bill Inskeep, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences here at Montana State University. Dr. Inskeep shares about his lifelong research searching for new life in Yellowstone! He explains his work on metagenomics, and how microbial life in Yellowstone could give us clues about both the origins of life here on Earth and how...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are visiting with Dr. Bill Inskeep, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences here at Montana State University. Thermophiles are the tiny microorganisms that are often responsible for the beautiful colors around many of Yellowstone's thermal features, and Bill has been researching them in Yellowstone for 30 years! He shares all about the diversity of...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are again talking with Dr. Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge, of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). Dr. Poland shares the story of the July 23rd, 2024 hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin. He explains why hydrothermal explosions can be a risk to park visitors, and what YVO is doing to learn about them and hopefully reduce future risks from these geologic hazards! *EDITOR'S...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are talking with Dr. Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge, of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). Dr. Poland shares all about YVO and their role in monitoring the Yellowstone volcano and keeping the public informed about its activity. Dr. Poland is also pretty confident that the Yellowstone volcano won't erupt any time soon, and he shares why! If you are interested in learning mo...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are again visiting with Mara Reed, a graduate student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Mara shares her in-depth knowledge of Yellowstone's tallest geyser, Steamboat Geyser. Steamboat is perhaps Yellowstone's most sought after geyser for geyser gazers, erupting over 400 feet in the air. It's a fickle geyser though, often erupting mo...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are joined by Mara Reed, a graduate student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Geysers are Mara's passion, and she shares what makes geysers different from other thermal features in the park and how they work. We also talk about Mara's work with GeyserTimes, where geyser gazers collect and share data about all of Yellowstone's geyser...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. In this episode, we are again visiting with Dr. Madison Myers, a volcanologist, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University. Dr. Myers talks more about the Yellowstone hotspot's recent history and her research team's work on previous eruptions. We explore the three major eruptions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and her work mapping them. She even shares tha...
In our second season of Bison Jam, we are focusing on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. For the first episode of season two, we are visiting with Dr. Madison Myers, a volcanologist, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University. Dr. Myers shares what the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem looked like before the supervolcano arrived in the area. Did you know that the Yellowstone area had volcanic activity well before the supervolcano or that the area was on...
Welcome to the second season of Bison Jam, a podcast that focuses on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This podcast shares stories of the people, wildlife, and places in this vast and wild ecosystem. In our second season, we are excited to focus on the “hot side” of Yellowstone. We will explore the geologic history of Yellowstone, thinking about what the park looked like before its famous volcano even arrived in the area. We’ll talk about what makes geysers, geysers, and learn more about St...
In this first season of Bison Jam, we are sharing stories from the June 2022 flood that affected Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway communities. For our final episode of season 1, we are visiting Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana, two of the more remote gateway communities. These towns, only a few miles apart, are almost entirely reliant on Yellowstone tourism . We will hear stories of the flood from Chris Warren, manager of The Royal Wuff Tavern in Silver Gate, and Chris...
In this first season of Bison Jam, we are sharing stories from the June 2022 flood that affected Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway communities. For this episode, we are visiting Gardiner, Montana, a small town of about 750 people that relies on Yellowstone visitors for their livelihood. We will hear stories of the flood from Stacy Joy, owner of multiple businesses in Gardiner, and Dr. Jim Halfpenny, founder of A Naturalist's World. They both share how the flood profoundly ...
In this first season of Bison Jam, we are sharing stories from the June 2022 flood that affected Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway communities. In this episode, we are discussing both the hydrology of the flood and climate change in Yellowstone with Dr. Cathy Whitlock. Dr. Whitlock, Regents Professor Emerita at Montana State University, helped write the Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment (gyclimate.org), which examines the history of climate in Yellowstone and how it m...
In this first season of Bison Jam, we are sharing stories from the June 2022 flood that affected Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway communities. In this episode, we are focusing on the history of flooding in Yellowstone National Park. Park historian Alicia Murphy shares how the 1918 flood in the park was eerily similar to the 2022 flood. She also talks about the historical link between Mammoth and Gardiner and how the Old Gardiner Road helped the park restore access between...
In this first season of Bison Jam, we are sharing stories from the June 2022 flood that affected Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway communities. In this episode, we are focusing on the flood experience in Yellowstone National Park. Superintendent Cam Sholly shares stories of how Yellowstone National Park ensured the safety of visitors and staff during the flood event, how they managed the immediate recovery from the flood, and how the park is moving forward to build resilie...
In this first season of Bison Jam, we are sharing stories from the June 2022 flood that affected Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding gateway communities. For the first episode, we are visiting Red Lodge, Montana, a town of about 2,500 people that relies on Yellowstone visitors for their livelihood. We will hear stories of the flood from Kat Healy, Director of the Roosevelt Center, and Mac Dean, owner of the Yodeler Motel. They both share how the flood profoundly affected them and ho...
Ahead of next weeks episode with Chris Conway and Chris Warren from Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana, we wanted to share a quick update! Cooke City and Silver Gate are hosting the Forget Me Me Knot Fest this weekend on August 16th and 17th. If you're visiting the park this weekend or live in the region, this could be a great way to continue to support the communities affected by the 2022 Yellowstone floods. Learn more about the festival at: https://forgetmeknotfest.org/
Welcome to the inaugural season of Bison Jam, a podcast that focuses on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This podcast will share stories of the people, wildlife, and places in this vast and wild ecosystem. In this inaugural season, we are following the story of the June 2022 flood. This flood event produced the highest recorded flows ever in the Yellowstone River near Corwin Springs. This immense amount of water washed out roads, bridges, and flooded homes in the park and surrounding gatew...