No storms today; nothing to chase. Since we spent the night in Yankton, South Dakota, I suggested that we stop at Ashfall Fossil Beds Historical State Park in nearby northeast Nebraska on our way back to home base in Denver. Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park is a hidden gem that not a lot of people know about. About 12 million years ago, the Bruneau-JarBridge supervolcano in what is now southern Idaho erupted sending a plume of ash across the continent. At that time, northeast Nebraska resembled an African savannah and was populated with a variety of animals including camels, horses, turtles, lizards, burrowing rodents, birds, bone-crushing dog-like carnivores, and rhinoceroses. The accumulating ash damaged the lungs of these animals and many animals gathered and perished at a waterhole. The bones of many of these animals, especially the rhinos, are well represented and are on display at the Visitor’s Center. The highlight of the park is the “Rhino Barn,” where the bones of numerous rhinos have been uncovered and left in place for all to see. Seeing this rhino graveyard brings home the catastrophic nature of the supervolcano eruption and one cannot help but wonder what the effects would be if such an event would occur today. There are several supervolcano sites in the United States, and it is a certainty that one will erupt in the future. The good news is that the odds of that happing anytime soon are remote, so don’t lose sleep over it. After visiting Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, we continued on to Denver and wrapped up this week’s chase.
Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
The Visitors Center, shown here, has many interesting displays that tell the story of a long ago catastrophic volcanic eruption that claimed the lives of many creatures than lived in what is now northeast Nebraska.
Inside the Rhino Barn
Protected from the elements, the exposed skeletons of numerous rhinos tell the story of the catastrophe event that took place here about 12 million years ago.
Rhino Skeletons
Here’s a closer look at one of the rhino skeletons in the Rhino Barn.
Continued Excavation
The work of uncovering more fossils continues at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. The existing Rhino Barn will be expanded and more fossils will be on display.
Sunset over the Rockies
A nice end to a great two weeks of storm chasing. This photo was taken through a window of our SUV as we approached Denver, Colorado just as the sun was beginning to set over the Rocky Mountains.
