engineering

Obsidian Cliff

Obsidian Cliff is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Obsidian Cliff rather than just read about it. In short: Obsidian Cliff, also known as 48YE433, was an important source of lithic materials for prehistoric peoples in Yellowstone National Park near Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, United States. The cliff was named by Philetus Norris, the second park superintendent in 1878.

Key takeaways

Obsidian Cliff belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Obsidian Cliff to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Obsidian Cliff from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Obsidian Cliff, also known as 48YE433, was an important source of lithic materials for prehistoric peoples in Yellowstone National Park near Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, United States. The cliff was named by Philetus Norris, the second park superintendent in 1878. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996.

Geography It is located about 13 miles (21 km) south of Mammoth Hot Springs, on the east side of the Mammoth-Norris section of the Grand Loop Road. The Obsidian Cliff Kiosk, just north, is also listed on the National Register. Obsidian Cliff is also located on the northern end of Beaver Lake in Yellowstone National Park. A 1988 wildfire cleared trees from the site, allowing further archaeological expeditions.

Geology The cliff was formed from thick rhyolite lava flow that occurred about 180,000 years ago. The vertical columns are cooling fractures that formed as the thick lava flow cooled and crystallized. The Cliffs stands at an elevation of nearly 7,400 feet (2,300 m) above sea level and goes on for about half a mile. The cliffs also extend between 150 and 200 feet above Obsidian Creek. The flow consists of obsidian, a dark volcanic glass. The obsidian is most abundant at the base of the cliff and slowly tapers off to larger concentrations of pumice at the top.

Significance to Native Americans Obsidian has been quarried from the site for the past 12,000 years. Highly valued for its sharpness, Obsidian was used by Native Americans throughout the Western United States and Canada as knives, spear/arrow tips, and other ceremonial and sharp-edged objects. It appears that the Clovis culture (11,100–10,800 BC) did not use the obsidian consistently. Distinct types of projectiles made from Obsidian Cliff stone have been identified as belonging to the Goshen (9000–8500 BC), Folsom (8800–8300 BC), and Hell Gap (8500–8000 BC) cultures, all of which also visited Yellowstone infrequently. The earliest consistent, heavy excavation is connected to the Cody complex linked to Mummy Cave, circa 7000 BC. The Cody complex was likely following migrating bison herds. Obsidian Cliff use was continuous throughout the Archaic period (8000–1000 BC) and peaked in the Late Prehistoric period (1000 BC–1000 AD). Thousands of pounds of obsidian was transported thousands of miles to Ohio using the Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers between ~200BC and ~400AD for use as ceremonial goods by the Hopewell Culture. Hopewell grave goods include not only obsidian, but also copper shaped to resemble the horns of bighorn sheep native to the Rockies, which suggests the Hopewell may have made the journey themselves. More recent Native groups more frequently made use of obsidian sources in Jackson, Wyoming which were closer and easier to access, but Obsidian Cliff seems to have retained ceremonial use. In oral traditions, the Shoshone, Blackfoot, and Salish and Kootenai recall women gathering cinnabar and other resources at the cliffs and making prayers there. The Crow people refer to Obsidian Cliff as Shiiptacha Awaxaawe, roughly meaning "Ricochet Mountain".

Obsidian Cliff Kiosk The Obsidian Cliff Kiosk is a small structure that shelters an interpretive exhibit in Yellowstone National Park at Obsidian Cliff. The kiosk was built in 1931 as part of an effort to provide interpretive exhibits along the park's Grand Loop Road. In common with the Fishing Bridge Museum, Madison Museum and Norris Museum, the kiosk exemplifies the National Park Service Rustic style. The interpretive exhibit was designed by National Park Service's Carl Russell, who provided many other innovations in visitor experiences. This is significant as the first "wayside exhibit" in the National Park system.

Notes

External links Media related to Obsidian Cliff at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Obsidian Cliff Kiosk at Wikimedia Commons Obsidian Cliff National Historic Landmark at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. WY-99, "Obsidian Cliff Kiosk, Near Obsidian Cliff on Grand Loop Road, Mammoth vicinity, Park County, WY", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page Obsidian Cliff Kiosk at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Obsidian Cliff

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Obsidian Cliff claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Obsidian Cliff before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Obsidian Cliff ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Obsidian Cliff

In research: Obsidian Cliff appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Obsidian Cliff in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Obsidian Cliff is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1931 establishments in Wyoming, Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming, Buildings and structures in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Obsidian Cliff outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Obsidian Cliff in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Obsidian Cliff means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Obsidian Cliff out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Obsidian Cliff in simple terms?

Why does Obsidian Cliff matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Obsidian Cliff?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Obsidian Cliff.