Much of Yellowstone sits on top of the Yellowstone
caldera which last erupted some 630,000 years.1 It is this hot spot that feeds the numerous hydrothermal
features located all around the park.
Mud Pots
Mud pots are acidic features with a limited water
supply. Microorganisms which use
hydrogen sulfide
as energy convert the gas into sulfuric acid used to break down rock into
clay. The escaping gases causes
the mud to bubble at the
Geysers
Yellowstone
is home to Old Faithful; the world’s most famous geyser. Geysers are created by water seeping
into the surface reaching a heat source such as a magma chamber heating up the
rock above it. Heated water
travels back up dissolving silica in the rhyolite using it to block crevices in
the rock allowing pressure to build.
As superheated water
nears the surface, its pressure drops, and the water flashes into steam as a
Hot Springs
Hot rocks from shallow magma chamber beneath the surface heat water
and temperatures rise above the boiling point. It remains in a liquid state due
to the pressure and weight pushing down on it from the rock and water above it,
creating convection currents that allow the more buoyant superheated water to
slowly rise toward the surface through rhyolitic lava flows. Then, as the water
drops near the surface, immense pressure is exerted over it with the rise of
the superheated water. If released in a slow and steady manner, heat energy
would give rise to a hot spring, which is the most abundant and colorful
thermal feature in the
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