Some hot springs are just hot enough to steam:
Most are hot enough to bubble and boil:
The largest hot spring in the park is Exselsior. It is 300 feet in length, but not as wide. It is one of largest in the world, second only to one in New Zealand that is 300 feet wide and long. Exelsior is close to the Madison River, and issues 4,000 gallons a minute into its waters.
And look at the incredible bacteria mats it generates!!
Beryl Spring is a deep bluish green, and is named after a semi-precious gemstone of the same color. Beryl is right next to the road, and the NPS brought in a special engineer to design the roadway here so it wouldn't be destroyed by the thermal heat. The road is raised slightly above the earth, and steam escapes visibly.
Beryl Spring:
Mud pots are not as common, but are fun to watch. They make funny noises - they blurp and blop, and other noises I cannot spell:
There is one hot spring, near the Steamboat Geyser, called the "Frying Pan". It has just enough water in it to bubble and sizzle:
And finally, there are the Mammoth Hot Springs near the north entrance of the park. These are several hot springs bunched together that cover (or created?) a large hill, mammoth in size. What I love most about Mammoth are the intricately shaped terraces, created by the minerals that the hot water brings to the surface then deposits as it continues to flow. The terraces are unbelievably beautiful.
Visiting Mammoth brought home to me how much Yellowstone can change. 35 years ago, the last time I saw these springs, the terrain was much different. The hill has expanded outward since then, and the area I remember most, the Minerva spring, is now part way up the hill and lays dormant. It is white and dry, a ghostly reminder of its once colorful and dynamic beauty.
I mentioned in an earlier post that Yellowstone is both violent and beautiful. There are many dead trees in the thermal areas. Where once the land was fertile and cool, it can suddenly, or slowly, become hot and deadly. There are signs of this everywhere.
I plan to create two more posts on Yellowstone - one on its landscape, and a final one made up of photographs of Yellowstone scenes and colors.
