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Grand Prismatic Spring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world[1], next to those in New Zealand.
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There is no doubt that many Native American peoples were aware of the Grand Prismatic Spring long before Europeans first saw it, but the first records of the spring are from early explorers and surveyors.
In 1839, a group of fur trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midland Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring[2], with a diameter of 300 ft (91.4 m).
In 1870, the Washburn Party, led by General Henry D. Washburn, visited the spring, noting a 50-foot (15-meter) geyser nearby (later named Excelsior[3]).[4]
The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green.[5] The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.
The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from a light-absorbing overtone of the hydroxy stretch of water [6]. Though this effect is responsible for making all large bodies of water blue, it is particularly intense in Grand Prismatic Spring because of the high purity and depth of the water in the middle of the spring.
The spring is approximately 250 by 300 feet (75 by 91 m) in size and is 160 feet (49 meters) deep. The spring discharges an estimated 560 gallons (2000 liters) of 160°F (71°C) water per minute.[7]
- ^ Steam Explosions, Earthquakes, and Volcanic Eruptions—What’s in Yellowstone’s Future?. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on September 14, 2005.
- ^ VII. "The Fire Hole": Era of the American Fur Company, 1833-1840. Colter's Hell & Jackson's Hole - The Fur Trappers' Exploration of the Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park Region. Retrieved on September 14, 2005.
- ^ Notes. Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. Retrieved on September 14, 2005.
- ^ Part II: Definitive Knowledge - The Washburn Party (1870). Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. Retrieved on September 14, 2005.
- ^ Thomas D. Brock. Colorful Yellowstone. Life at High Temperatures. Retrieved on September 14, 2005.
- ^ Braun, Charles L.; Sergei N. Smirnov (1993). Why Is Water Blue?. Retrieved on May 23, 2006.
- ^ Grand Prismatic Spring. Geyser Observation and Study Association (GOSA) (2006). Retrieved on May 23, 2006.
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
- Grand Prismatic Spring photographs, Phillip Colla Photography