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Yellowstone National Park
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Hydrothermal Features of Yellowstone
This document contains additional information about the hydrothermal features of Yellowstone National Park. Other pictures are available on the main page.
The park itself contains a number of different types of hydrothermal features. Geysers occur when heated water rising from deep within the ground is discharged periodically and explosively. With hot springs, this water is discharged at a steady, non-explosive rate. Mud pots feature a limited amount of hot water mixed with clay. When mud is expelled from the hydrothermal feature it is termed a mud volcano. Fumaroles emit water vapor and gasses such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Examples of most of these features can be found below.
Upper Geyser Basin
The best known of the hydrothermal areas in Yellowstone is the Upper Geyser Basin, location of Old Faithful. This basin contains the world's greatest concentration of geysers with 130, a quarter of the world's total. Hot springs and other thermal features are also visible. Old Faithful itself erupts on an average every 70-80 minutes, but ranges anywhere between 33 and 120 minutes. The eruptions last about 1 1/2 to 5 minutes, expel around 3700-8400 gallons of water, and reach a height of about 130 feet and . Actually, Old Faithful has been a geyser for about 200-300 years (and a hot spring for 750 years) and as time goes along the interval between eruptions has been increasing. It increased perceptibly after the Hebgen Lake Earthquake in 1959. Two views of this most popular of all geysers during an eruption are shown below.
Because of its popularity Old Faithful is surround by an established boardwalk and viewing area. During the day, when the geyser is "scheduled" to erupt, large numbers of people gather around for the show, as can be seen below. Old Faithful Inn, which is located right next to the geyser and which contains a second floor porch for "comfortable" geyser viewing, can be seen in the background.
Whether there are eruptions or not the Upper Geyser Basin is noteworthy for steam and other emissions from geysers, pools, and other hydrothermal features.
On the left below is a hot pool in the basin; on the right a view a several thermal features.
The object on the left, below, is Depression Geyser. This geyser erupts about 8 to 10 feet for 2 to 3 minutes every 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours. Prior to the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake this feature was only a hot spring. On the right is a mud pot, with a mud "bubble" in mid-burst.
West Thumb
The West Thumb Geyser Basin is located on the shore of the West Thumb bay of Yellowstone Lake, formed from an 150,000 year old volcanic crater. In the picture below a hot spring and section of the basin can be seen with Yellowstone Lake and the Absaroka Mountains in the background.
In the picture on the left below is the Lakeshore Geyser, unusual because it is underwater. Although it used to erupt to a height of 50 feet, it hasn't erupted since 1970. This picture was taken in June; by August the geyser will no longer be under water. On the right is Big Cone Geyser nearby.
The final picture of hydrothermal features in West Thumb Geyser Basin is Black Pool. The pool appeared black due to bacteria which has since died because of an increase in temperature, resulting in the current blue color. The pool actually erupted in 1991 for the first time on record. A bit of the boardwalk which runs around the edge of the basin for visitors to walk on in safety can be seen in the background. This is a typical feature of Yellowstone's geyser basins.
Another feature of the West Thumb basin, Abyss Pool, can be viewed on the main Yellowstone page.
Midway Geyser Basin
The Midway Geyser Basin is just a short way downstream on the Firehole River from the Upper Geyser Basin. One of its most well-know features is the Excelsior Geyser, which when it was active (until 1888) was the largest geyser in the world. Currently several thousand gallons of 199 degree water overflow over the bank into the river, as can be seen on the left below. On the right is a view of Turquoise Pool across the basin towards the northeast.
Fountain Paint Pot
Just a little further downstream from Midway is the Fountain Paint Pot area, which includes Silex Spring, pictured below. This blue spring occasionally bubbles and emits gas, and in fact erupted as a geyser following the 1959 earthquake.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hots Springs contains some of the more unusual hydrothermal features in the park. It is sometimes described as a cave turned inside out, famous for the travertine terraces. Among the most well known of these is Minerva Terrace, shown below, one of the most colorful in the park. Here deposits of travertine produce strange, step-like formations.
The travertine in these terraces precipitates very quickly, in some cases adding as much as 8 1/2 inches in a year. The colors are largely due to blue-green algae and cyanobacteria. Additional formations in the Mammoth Hot Springs area are pictured below, including Pilot Spiral on the left.
Below is pictured the 45 foot high Liberty Cap.This cone results from flow of hot water, no longer active, depositing travertine. The feature is named after the hats worn by patriots in the Revolutionary War.
Mud Volcano
The Mud Volcano thermal area is located a few miles north of Yellowstone Lake in the central portion of the park. On the left, below, is the Mud Volcano itself. Although it still bubbles and churns, it is no longer as explosive as it was when it was named by the 1871 Hayden Expedition, or in 1898 when visitors witnessed the most explosive eruption ever seen. On the right is Black Dragon's Caldron, which interestingly did not exist prior to the winter of 1947-1948. The pool contains sulfuric acid, an extremely hostile environment for life, and is black because of the influence of iron sulfides.
A picture of the "cooking hillside" can be viewed on the main page.
Norris Geyser Basin
The hottest hydrothermal area in the park is the Norris Geyser Basin. The first picture below shows the eastern portion of the area, including Porcelain Basin, looking northeast across it.
The Norris Geyser Basin contains a wide variety of hydrothermal features. Pictured below is Cistern Spring. This pool changed from a nondescript gray body to the colorful one in the picture in 1966. It serves as a reservoir for nearby Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest, and nearly empties when Steamboat erupts.
On the left is another view of Cistern Spring from a different angle. The spring flows over a terrace, visible in the picture, which grows as fast as 1 1/2 inches a year. Another view of the Porcelain Basin is on the right.
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