10 Stunning Hot Springs Located In Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park that can be found in Wyoming, the USA, is one of the most geothermically active areas on Earth. It's possible to find half of the entire world's geothermal features here. The park extends on an area of approximately 9000 square km and consists of 10,000 geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles, because of its location in an ancient active caldera. Yellowstone itself is one huge supervolcano that erupted with massive force a couple of times in the last two million years. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions can be found everywhere in the land area of the park. The park is located right in the middle of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the biggest remaining, an almost intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone. Below are some of the most beautiful hot springs that can be found in Yellowstone National Park.
The Grand Prismatic Spring is the biggest hot spring in Yellowstone National Park and in the United States, and the third biggest on the entire planet. It can be found in the Midway Geyser Basin. Grand Prismatic Spring was discovered by geologists working in the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, and they gave it this name because of its beautiful colors. The hot spring has a variety of colors such as blue, green, yellow, orange, gold, red, and brown, and it looks like the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism.
Crested Pool is a 42 feet deep hot spring that is located in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. It's named after its "crest" which surrounds the hot spring. Even though it is thought to be a hot spring, Crested Pool erupts like a geyser from time to time.
Chromatic Spring can be found in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. It's tied to the Beauty Pool which is close by. During regular energy shifts, the level of one spring descends whereas the other rises and overflows. The time period between these shifts may vary from a few weeks to a couple of years.
Emerald Spring can be found in Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. As the sunlight filtered through its water makes the water seem emerald green, it's named accordingly.
Lion Geyser is a cone-type geyser that can be found in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. It was named Lion as it makes a roaring sound when steam releases during the eruptions. These eruptions can reach 90 feet and usually lasts between 1 to 7 minutes. Lion Geyser is the biggest of the Lion Group and the Lion Group consists of Little Cub Geyser and the now inactive Big Cub and Lioness geysers.
Morning Glory Pool can be found in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. It was the wife of an Assistant Park Superintendent that gave the pool its name in 1883, as she called the pool "Convolutus", the Latin name for the morning glory flower, which the spring does actually look like. By 1889, the people started to use the name Morning Glory Pool more and more and the name stuck.
Opal Pool can be found in the Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Even though it's mostly active as a hot spring, Opel Pool is considered a fountain-type geyser.
Sapphire Pool can be found in Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The pool has this name as there are a lot of biscuit-shaped deposits that can be found around it.
Cistern Spring and Steamboat Geyser can be found in Norris Geyser Basin and they are connected underground. Typically, Cistern is a gorgeous blue pool from which water constantly overflows, however, during a major eruption of Steamboat, the water in Cistern Spring's pool drains.
Doublet Pool can be found in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Doublet Pool has a spectacularly intricate series of ledges, a stunning border ornamantation, and deep blue waters. From time to time, Doublet produces regular vibrations underfoot, surface wave motion, and audible thumping. This is probably caused by gas collapsing and steam bubbles underground.
