What is the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff?

The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff is a massive rock formation located in Wyoming and Idaho, created by one of the largest known volcanic eruptions in the history of the Yellowstone hotspot. Ejected approximately 2.1 million years ago, this colossal event formed the Island Park Caldera and marked the beginning of the Yellowstone hotspot's major volcanic cycles. The eruption likely occurred in multiple phases separated by decades.

What we know

• The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff is a tuff formation located in Wyoming and Idaho. [1, 2]
• It was created by an eruption that ejected 2,450 cubic kilometers of material, making it one of the largest eruptions in the Yellowstone hotspot's history. [2]
• The eruption occurred approximately 2.1 million years ago and formed the Island Park Caldera. [2]
• The climactic eruption of Yellowstone's first volcanic cycle produced the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff. [4]

Still open

• Sources slightly differ on the exact timing of the eruption, citing either 2.1 million years ago or specifically about 2.08 million years ago.

Where to go next

• what followedHow did the Island Park Caldera form?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the Yellowstone hotspot?
• compared withHow does the Mesa Falls Tuff compare?
• whenWhat happened during Yellowstone's third volcanic cycle?
• whereWhere is the Yellowstone Caldera located?
• an unexpected connectionHow does an ancient volcanic rock link multiple US states?The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff connects the geography of Wyoming and Idaho through a single catastrophic volcanic event that spanned state boundaries.

Sources

• [1]Huckleberry Ridge Tuff (Wikidata Q5928131) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Huckleberry Ridge Tuff · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Mesa Falls Tuff · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Yellowstone Caldera · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Lava Creek Tuff · CC BY-SA 4.0