Hot Springs in Yellowstone National ParkAugust 18-21, 2007. We are staying in Grizzly RV-Park in West Yellowstone, Montana just out the west gate of Yellowstone National Park. We had reservations this time for a back in FHU backin site for $37. Grizzly is a nice park, the nicest campground in the area. Bottom line is if you are planning to visit WEST YELLOWSTONE during July thru Aug-15 you need a reservation as every campground in the area is FULL. After August 15 you can have your choice of campgrounds with no reservations. Grizzly RV-Park is a great RV-Park but expensive. If you are looking for a cheaper campground there is a PPA PassPort America Campground a few miles west of West Yellowstone that is a really good campground with great views and of course much, much cheaper.
Our son and grandson are spending the week with us touring Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Come join us for some fun. Jeff & Stephen inspecting a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park
Jeff and Stephen inspecting a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park.
Jeff at a Yellowstone Hot Spring
In another part of the park we stopped to investigate a hot spring that was accessible. Jeff decided to put his fingers in to see how hot. It was hot enough that he didn't want to stick his fingers in a second time. He is grinning just before his fingers touched the water. The water was hot but not boiling hot.
The intense blue color in this hot spring is due to sunlight being scattered by fine particles suspended in the water.
Jeff & Stephen Hot springs flowing into the Firehole River
Jeff and Stephen on a bridge over the Firehole River in an area with numerous hot springs and geysers that are emptying into the Firehole River.
Hot Water from a Hot Spring flowing into Firehole River
Hot water from one of the hot springs flowing into the Firehole River. The brown and green areas beside the water are living organisms called thermopiles--heat-loving microorganisms.
For thousands of years, microbes have grown in these runoff channels extending from nearby hot springs & geysers. These vast communities were buried alive as the flowing hot water deposited a crust of silica minerals. The resulting deposit, called sinter, preserved the shape of the microbial mat it entombed. As new mats grew, more layers developed. Today's formation is the result of this interplay between its living and nonliving components. Yellowstone's hydrothermal features provide a glimpse into the distant past when intense volcanism was widespread on the young Earth. The lifeforms found here help scientist understand the type of life that likely arose and diversified billions of years ago on our planet.
Hot Springs and microbes in Yellowstone National Park
Speaking of other worlds, this place reminds me of "another world".
This is a hot spring with those microbes called thermopiles growing around the edges.
Hot Spring with large mat of microbes (thermopiles) living around it
This hot spring has a large mat of those microbes thermopiles--heat-loving microorganisms, living around it.
Hot Spring Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park
Deep beneath the spring, magma from an active volcano heats water that rises to the surface through fissures in the rocks. The result is a hot spring that pours almost 500 gallons of hot water each minute into the Firehole River. Minerals dissolved in the hot water are deposited and gradually build the gracefully terraced shoulders of this feature.
Thermopiles surrounding Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park
In this picture you can see the extent of this microbial mat.
The yellow, orange, and brown colors encircling the hot spring and lining the runoff channels are caused by thermopiles--heat-loving microorganisms. These microbes contain colorful pigments that allow them to make energy from sunlight ad thrive in the harsh conditions of hot springs.
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most accessible places to study extreme environments and the organisms that inhabit them. Understanding the lifeforms here provides clues for scientists searching for life elsewhere in the universe. Because conditions on other planets in our solar system are harsh, if life exists elsewhere it is probably as some form of microscopic extremophile.
Steam coming off Grand Prismatic Spring the largest Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park
Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest and one of the most brilliant of Yellowstone's many colorful hot springs. Its massive expanse stretches approximately 200 feet across. The cloak of steam over the spring is the result of 160F° temperature of its water. The cloak of steam in the background is coming off the hot spring.
If you enjoyed this page you may like one of these: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Click here for more Wyoming Travel AdventuresUntil next time remember how good life is. Click here for more Wyoming travellogsUntil next time remember how good life is. More Wyoming AdventuresSome Idaho Adventures ** More 2007 Travel Adventures
Mike & Joyce Hendrix
Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year ** Travel Adventures by State ** Plants ** Marine-Boats ** Geology ** Exciting Drives ** Cute Signs ** RV Subjects ** Miscellaneous Subjects
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