Life in the Boomer Lane hopes she isn’t beating a dead horse. Dead horses have been beaten far too much lately.
We know that we live in a violent world. We live in a world in which human life is valued only until it gets in the way of what someone wants. We watch the latest atrocities splayed across our TV screens, showing cities crumbling and countless people dying. It is happening solely because one man who already has unlimited money and power believes that he was meant to have more. It is atrocity in the name of national will.
We know that we live in a violent country. We Americans have raised murder to a high art. Every time a person dies of gun violence, the only result is that more guns are sold. We already own more guns than any other country on the planet. It is…
Old Faithful erupting at Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National ParkHeart Spring in the foreground and the Lion Group of geysers in the background at Upper Geyser BasinThe scalloped edges of Doublet Pool at Upper Geyser BasinA bright bacterial mat leading toward a hot spring at Biscuit Basin.Geyser Beads
It’s #TriviaTuesday Folks! So, how many of you have ever visited one of the geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park, marveling at the colorful hot springs and the energetic geysers? Do you know how to tell if what you are looking at is a geyser or hot spring (if there is no sign to identify it)? Especially if a geyser, when not erupting, looks like a hot spring?
According to a cool little video on the NPS site for Yellowstone, you should look at the edges of a thermal feature. “Hot springs often have ledges or walls of sinter (silica deposits) around them, because as the water level fluctuates, it leaves behind silica deposits. The edges may even be scalloped or lacy, such as what you see when looking at Doublet Pool in Upper Geyser Basin.
“Beadwork,” or pebbly-looking sinter indicates a geyser. “As the water splashes with each eruption, it deposits silica, creating a bumpy appearance.” At some geysers that look like hot springs, you’ll notice rounded, riverstone-like pebbles beneath the water. These rounded stones are called “geyser eggs” and are formed by silica deposition and water movement.
Colorful orange and yellow bacterial mats are also good indicators of hot springs, since that means the water is warm enough for thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria to thrive, but not hot enough to be a geyser.
The thing is, the landscape beneath and above Yellowstone is always changing. Excelsior Crater Geyser used to be a geyser, and is now a hot spring – well, it’s a hot spring right now that hasn’t erupted in several decades, but it could become a geyser again if the conditions change.
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You can reach me at rebeccalatson@wherethetrailstakeyou.com
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