Yellowstone National Park: Geothermal Scenery
It is difficult to imagine Yellowstone National Park without thinking about its abundant geothermal features, ranging from high pressure geysers like Old Faithful to low pressure geysers and springs that just seep slowly into pools and mud flats on the surface before finding their way to streams and rivers.
The hot mineral-laden water arising from these sources creates amazing contours, colors and patterns on the surface, and on this page I am showing some geothermal scenes from the park, arranged in groups by location in the park: first, the area of Mammoth Hot Springs, then the Lower, Midway, and Upper Geyser Basins in the west central part of the park along US Highways 191 and 287, and finally one of the mud volcano found near the Yellowstone River in the center of the park.
Then on the next page will be some more or less abstract patterns created by the geothermal activity.
Mammoth Hot Springs Vicinity: Lower Terraces Area in Early Morning Light
This is a panorama created from the two photographs just below.
Two views of a tree killed by the hot water. It appears again further below.
Here is that tree again, with two companions.
Lower Geyser Basin: Fountain Paint Pot
Approaching the Lower Geyser Basin area from the north.
Two views of these burnt trees in different light.
Midway Geyser Basin: Vicinity of Grand Prismatic and Excelsior Springs
Small craters and flats near Grand Prismatic Spring.
Grand Prismatic Spring.
Firehole River near Grand Prismatic Spring.
Waterfall from the Excelsior Geyser into the Firehole River.
Boardwalk near the Excelsior Geyser Crater.
A small crater near the Excelsior Geyser Crater.
Mud flats near the Excelsior Geyser Crater.
Excelsior Geyser Crater.
Upper Geyser Basin: Old Faithful, Crested Pool and Vicinity
Two eruptions of Old Faithful.
Craters and pools near the Firehole River in the vicinity of Old Faithful.
Crested Pool, near Old Faithful.
Mud Volcano
