Yellowstown Thermal Features
In the late 1800's, professor Ferdinand Hayden of the USGS wrote of the azure blueness of the water in Yellowstone's Mammoth Hot Springs and suggested they are "bathing pools...arranged one above the other" and "had the appearance of a frozen cascade". Little has changed in the 100 plus years since Hayden made his observations. The rock "grows" at a rate of up to 2 feet per year so the area is constantly changing - springs dry up and new ones awaken to continue building the expanding formation. We are told that the volume of water emerging from the springs here remains constant but where it comes out is ever changing. So even if you were here a couple years ago, it's time to come back.
On top of the Mammoth Springs formation you can see the springs that create the formation (or you could see them if these people would just get out of the way...)
Yellowstone has more thermal features that all other locations in the world, combined! Bubbling mud pots are created when the heated water is highly acidic, dissolving the rock as it rises. The resulting mud is extremely fine, having been worked for possibly a thousand years. When the bubbles burst, the mud can be spurted several feet in the air.
We're told that a pocket of molten magma is just 5 miles below the surface of the caldera in Yellowstone. The water from many of the hot springs emerges as full rolling boil.
Other hot springs are just gently bubbling pools, but are still incredibly hot. The temperature of the water can usually be determined by its color. Micro organisms live in the water and cling to the rocky walls of the springs. Clear blue water indicates the water is too hot for these organisms to survive.
And then there are the geysers, varying in eruption frequency from minutes to years. There are four major geyser basins on the eastern side of the figure eight loop that runs through the park. At any point in time, there is usually at least one geyser showing off in every basin so you won't leave disappointed. The height of the geysers range form a few feet to 390 feet. Regardless of how many times we've been to an area we see something different every time.
Several of the rivers through the park are directly fed by thermal springs, making portions of them too hot to even wade in. With names like Boiling River and Firehole River, these warm waters provide sanctuaries for the wildlife that winter here - from fish to otters to bison.
And there are the smells of Yellowstone. The high sulphur content in the steam smells like rotten eggs.
We were privileged to see an eruption of beehive geyser on one of our excursions.
Green water, must be cooler than blue, right? Nope, this spring water has an extremely high sulphur content that coats the walls - yellow sulphur plus clear blue water equals green appearing pools. 
More examples of deposits left behind as mineral-rich water flows from the springs.
They say that you leave 95% of tourists behind when you hike just a half mile from the paved roads. Here we are with a group of co-workers from the store. Lou Ann organized a hike to Tomato Springs on one of our days off. We were joined by Loyal (Lou Ann's husband), Preston & Michelle and Bill. There is no path to this spring so it required bush-whacking a somewhat round-about path, but the journey was well worth it. As you can imagine, there are many thermal features that are only accessible by a little exploring.
Lattice Spring is another jewel we passed on our way down from tomato spring.
You have to look close to see our group spread out across the basin - that way one grizzly can't catch and eat us all :-)
Minerals or micro organisms? Doesn't really matter - the sights are amazing either way.
And the mandatory picture of Old Faithful.
This hot spring used to be a geyser, but it blew its top creating a crater that filled with boiling water. I wish I was a better photographer so my pictures would do this place justice.
One final look at lower Norris Geyser Basin...
On Betty's last day in the park before her trip home we hiked up to the top of the hill overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring. Not a bad view...
On top of the Mammoth Springs formation you can see the springs that create the formation (or you could see them if these people would just get out of the way...)
Yellowstone has more thermal features that all other locations in the world, combined! Bubbling mud pots are created when the heated water is highly acidic, dissolving the rock as it rises. The resulting mud is extremely fine, having been worked for possibly a thousand years. When the bubbles burst, the mud can be spurted several feet in the air. 
We're told that a pocket of molten magma is just 5 miles below the surface of the caldera in Yellowstone. The water from many of the hot springs emerges as full rolling boil. 
Other hot springs are just gently bubbling pools, but are still incredibly hot. The temperature of the water can usually be determined by its color. Micro organisms live in the water and cling to the rocky walls of the springs. Clear blue water indicates the water is too hot for these organisms to survive. 
And then there are the geysers, varying in eruption frequency from minutes to years. There are four major geyser basins on the eastern side of the figure eight loop that runs through the park. At any point in time, there is usually at least one geyser showing off in every basin so you won't leave disappointed. The height of the geysers range form a few feet to 390 feet. Regardless of how many times we've been to an area we see something different every time.
Several of the rivers through the park are directly fed by thermal springs, making portions of them too hot to even wade in. With names like Boiling River and Firehole River, these warm waters provide sanctuaries for the wildlife that winter here - from fish to otters to bison. 
And there are the smells of Yellowstone. The high sulphur content in the steam smells like rotten eggs.
We were privileged to see an eruption of beehive geyser on one of our excursions.
Green water, must be cooler than blue, right? Nope, this spring water has an extremely high sulphur content that coats the walls - yellow sulphur plus clear blue water equals green appearing pools. 
More examples of deposits left behind as mineral-rich water flows from the springs. 
They say that you leave 95% of tourists behind when you hike just a half mile from the paved roads. Here we are with a group of co-workers from the store. Lou Ann organized a hike to Tomato Springs on one of our days off. We were joined by Loyal (Lou Ann's husband), Preston & Michelle and Bill. There is no path to this spring so it required bush-whacking a somewhat round-about path, but the journey was well worth it. As you can imagine, there are many thermal features that are only accessible by a little exploring. 
Lattice Spring is another jewel we passed on our way down from tomato spring. 
You have to look close to see our group spread out across the basin - that way one grizzly can't catch and eat us all :-) 
Minerals or micro organisms? Doesn't really matter - the sights are amazing either way. 
And the mandatory picture of Old Faithful. 
This hot spring used to be a geyser, but it blew its top creating a crater that filled with boiling water. I wish I was a better photographer so my pictures would do this place justice. 
One final look at lower Norris Geyser Basin... 
On Betty's last day in the park before her trip home we hiked up to the top of the hill overlooking Grand Prismatic Spring. Not a bad view...
very cool you guys! took me long enough to figure out how to follow it.
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