View allAll Photos Tagged MudVolcano
Hot springs are sites where groundwater emerges at the Earth’s surface (or on the seafloor). Hot spring water has to be higher in temperature than the human body (an admittedly arbitrary definition): over 98° Fahrenheit or over 37° Celsius. Geysers are hot springs that episodically erupt columns of water. The highest concentration of geysers and hot springs anywhere is at the Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano in northwestern Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano is the namesake of Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano Group, on the western side of the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone Lake. Historical evidence indicates that, in the 1800s, Mud Volcano was a cinder cone volcano-shaped feature that had impressive mud eruptions. A hydrothermal explosion apparently destroyed much of the cone. What remains is a 7 meter-diameter, subcircular hot spring pool bordered by a high wall on its southern, southwestern, and western sides. Well-developed mudcracks are present along the northern and northeastern edges of the pool. The mud formed by chemical decomposition of rhyolitic volcanic tuffs. Rising volcanic hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) oxidized above the water table and became sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Published research has shown that microbes also produce sulfuric acid in the Mud Volcano area, by oxidizing elemental sulfur (S). Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and readily altered the rhyolitic rocks, resulting in clay minerals, which became mud when mixed with water. Dark gray wisps in the muddy water represent fine-grained iron sulfide (pyrite). Two energetic vents are present at Mud Volcano - their activity is undercutting the adjacent high wall. In 1998, researchers measured the water here at 187° Fahrenheit (= 86° Celsius), with a pH of 3 (= acidic).
Scenic spots to view along this route are: Bridge Bay, Fishing Bridge, Yellowstone River, Le Hardy Rapids, Mud Volcano, Sulphur Cauldron and Hayden Valley.
There is the gallery of 18 outstanding Flickr pictures that were taken on this Lake Village to Canyon Village route. The gallery pictures follow a map and show some of the scenic highlights that can be viewed while traveling between these two locations.
The 18 Interesting and unique Yellowstone National Park pictures that follow this route can be viewed by clicking on the gallery link below.
View a gallery of 18 pictures taken on the Lake Village to Canyon Village route.
Or you may wish to select from another of the 22 Yellowstone routes and destinations. Or, you may want to experience the four seasons of both the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Four maps are also available.
All of the galleries that contain 540 Interesting and unique Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park pictures can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Enjoy.
August 16
We were awake agatn at half five, if not an hour and a half before. Again. But outside the day was dawning clear and bright, and the moon was just visible in the lightening sky,
We were ready to go out by half six, and with the plan to go to the south east corner of the park to see more geothermal action. Sun was coming up on the way to Tower, and mist rose in every rivver valley, over every lake and pool. I could have stopped and took shots, but would not have done it all justice, so take my word. Glorious.
We take the road up and over the middle of the park to Canyon village, where at the gas station I buy coffee and cookies, so we could eat and sip on the winding and misty road towards Old Faithful. We stop a couple of times at some fumeroles, and all we could see was so much steam, but the vents gave out the noise of an express steam locomotive.
And despite being only seven, a few people were about. But by the time we got to the Middle Basin, there were just a few parking spaces left, one of which we bagged, and set off over the bridge and along the boardwalk to the many fools and rerraces that steamed in the cool morning temperatures, and reaked of sulphur.
Pools of all shapes, colours and sizes, reflecting the now clear skies and wooded hillsides. I marveled again at the patterns and colours of the thermophiles that live in these conditions, and take their photograph.
Strained parents tried to informa and educate their children, and I said to one how great he took the time to read each information board to his uninterested two daughters, and told him, one day they would appreaciate the effort.
We drive past Old Faithful and its crowds, although to be honest traffic was so light, it wasn’t a problem. We stop off at a smaller geothermal site, more pools, fumeroles and small geysers. Amazing really, and a river meandering through the activity, and water from the geysers and pools drain into the river. All around all sites is Bison poo, as I think the animals go there in the depth of winter where the hwat stops the worst of frost making eating easier.
And we are done there too, so take the Grand Loop road south and then eat towards Yellowstone Lake, where we hoped it might be quieter and we could get some food which was not burgers.
I am sidetracked by the discovery beside the road of a small lake covered in waterlillies, and the air filled with dragonflies and butterflies. We spend a fine half an hour here, chasing both, and me getting more shots of American Painted Ladies and a Green Comma.
We drive along the shore of the lake, and I spy a small island with a single tree on it, so think of a friend of mine in New zealand who has a lake nearby to where he livves which as a tree growing out of the water near the shore. Anyway, I think this island and tree deserve a photograph, so snap it.
We find the lodge, not that it was lost, but it is being renovated, so we nearly didn’t try to go in. A good job we did as the wooden building was fabulous, and the cafeteria was open, and served other things, so had a bowl of chili and a salad, jools had chicken pie and salad, and the dining room, which must have sat 500 at least, was nearly empty. We have a seat by the window, looking out onto the lake.
On the way back take the road to the east gate to see what the scenery was like; moslty a dead forest caused by some fire in the recent past, thousand upon thousand of dead tree trunks covering hillside after hillside, thankfully it was sunny or it would have looked spooky.
We turn for home, as thunderclouds form overhead and we could hear the distant rumble of thunder.
We do stop at one final geothermal site, a mud volcano, which, if I’m honest did disappoint, most being lost on clouds of steam, but the bubbling was more of muddy water than say, mud.
At the top of the pass back towards Tower, we stop twice to look for wild flowers and more butterflies, as I bought a book on both at the lodge, so now can identify what we see, sometimes.
The pass was in bright sunshine, yet to the north the sky was balack with stormclouds and the wind picked up. On the drive back, it did rain, but not too hard and by the time we got back to the cabin, the sun had come back out and the ground was drying.
We go back to the falls after a cup of coffee, as I wanted to take detailed shots of the coloured terracing, there were still many people about, but not too crowded, but I do smirk at the trend of people wanting to be taken into front of something, as if that is the only proof they were here. As if it matters, so I watch French families and Indian familes take selfies and shots of each other, then get the shots I wanted, sthen wait for Jools to take her shots.
We have chicken wraps on the stoop for supper, along with bottles of Moose Drool, which was pretty darn good way to end the day…..
These used to be invisible since they were covered with water. In the past couple of years, the Salton Sea has begun drying up and now these are are exposed.
Note that you must hike about 3.5 miles each way - often through deep, sticky, and slippery mud/liquid clay to get here. I lost the sole of a hike shoe hiking back from here.
A mudpot — or mud pool — is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud.
The mud of a mudpot takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3–5 feet. Although mudpots are often called "mud volcanoes", true mud volcanoes are very different in nature. The mud of a mudpot is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature may be referred to as a paint pot.
Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.
Scenic spots to view along this route are: Bridge Bay, Fishing Bridge, Yellowstone River, Le Hardy Rapids, Mud Volcano, Sulphur Cauldron and Hayden Valley.
There is the gallery of 18 outstanding Flickr pictures that were taken on this Lake Village to Canyon Village route. The gallery pictures follow this map and show some of the scenic highlights that can be viewed while traveling between these two locations.
The 18 Interesting and unique Yellowstone National Park pictures that follow this route can be viewed by clicking on the gallery link below.
View a gallery of 18 pictures taken on the Lake Village to Canyon Village Route.
Or you may wish to select from another of the 22 Yellowstone routes and destinations. Or, you may want to experience the four seasons of both the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Four maps are also available.
All of the galleries that contain 540 Interesting and unique Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park pictures can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Tour all of Yellowstone or experience a Yellowstone or Grand Teton season. Review a map.
Enjoy.
Dragon's Mouth Spring
The name of Yellowstone National Park's "Mud Volcano" feature and the surrounding area is misleading; it consists of hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles, rather than a true mud volcano. Depending upon the precise definition of the term mud volcano, the Yellowstone formation could be considered a hydrothermal mud volcano cluster. The feature is much less active than in its first recorded description, although the area is quite dynamic. Yellowstone is an active geothermal area with a magma chamber near the surface, and active gases are chiefly steam, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. However, there are some Mud Volcanoes and Mud Geysers elsewhere in Yellowstone. One, the "Vertically Gifted Cyclic Mud Pot" sometimes acts as a geyser, throwing mud up to 30 feet high.
Yellowstone National Park
Those have performed the pujas and other religious rituals are getting down of the CHANDRKHUP and are moving towards back to their families or vehicles to get them the next destination.
Hot springs are sites where groundwater emerges at the Earth’s surface (or on the seafloor). Hot spring water has to be higher in temperature than the human body (an admittedly arbitrary definition): over 98° Fahrenheit or over 37° Celsius. Geysers are hot springs that episodically erupt columns of water. The highest concentration of geysers and hot springs anywhere is at the Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano in northwestern Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano is the namesake of Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano Group, on the western side of the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone Lake. Historical evidence indicates that, in the 1800s, Mud Volcano was a cinder cone volcano-shaped feature that had impressive mud eruptions. A hydrothermal explosion apparently destroyed much of the cone. What remains is a 7 meter-diameter, subcircular hot spring pool bordered by a high wall on its southern, southwestern, and western sides. Well-developed mudcracks are present along the northern and northeastern edges of the pool. The mud formed by chemical decomposition of rhyolitic volcanic tuffs. Rising volcanic hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) oxidized above the water table and became sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Published research has shown that microbes also produce sulfuric acid in the Mud Volcano area, by oxidizing elemental sulfur (S). Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and readily altered the rhyolitic rocks, resulting in clay minerals, which became mud when mixed with water. Dark gray wisps in the muddy water represent fine-grained iron sulfide (pyrite). Two energetic vents are present at Mud Volcano - their activity is undercutting the adjacent high wall. In 1998, researchers measured the water here at 187° Fahrenheit (= 86° Celsius), with a pH of 3 (= acidic).
While the older mud pots at the corner of Schrimpf and Davis have slowed down quite a bit, this new set is erupting quite violently.
Be careful - these get hot enough to burn you! Also, walk carefully as the ground can collapse beneath your feet.
A mudpot — or mud pool — is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud.
The mud of a mudpot takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3–5 feet. Although mudpots are often called "mud volcanoes", true mud volcanoes are very different in nature. The mud of a mudpot is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature may be referred to as a paint pot.
Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.
While the older mud pots at the corner of Schrimpf and Davis have slowed down quite a bit, this new set is erupting quite violently.
Be careful - these get hot enough to burn you! Also, walk carefully as the ground can collapse beneath your feet.
A mudpot — or mud pool — is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud.
The mud of a mudpot takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3–5 feet. Although mudpots are often called "mud volcanoes", true mud volcanoes are very different in nature. The mud of a mudpot is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature may be referred to as a paint pot.
Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.
Although I am sure there are more and larger mud volcanoes as we go deeper into the wild, the once we are at appear in a small cluster and concentrated in one place. (naturally, considering the nature of the geological phenomenon). I was totally hypnotized by the geological wonder especially as I had not seen mud volcanoes before. I looked up briefly from photographing the mud volcanoes and was rather surprised the Caspian Sea was this close! Subterranean water along with gas reserves under the earth are really what form these mud volcanoes. The slurry like loose earth due to the ground water is made to bubble due to the presence of underground gas. More notes about the mud volcanoes appear in previous captions.
(Gobustan, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)
These used to be invisible since they were covered with water. In the past couple of years, the Salton Sea has begun drying up and now these are are exposed.
Note that you must hike about 3.5 miles each way - often through deep, sticky, and slippery mud/liquid clay to get here. I lost the sole of a hike shoe hiking back from here.
A mudpot — or mud pool — is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud.
The mud of a mudpot takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3–5 feet. Although mudpots are often called "mud volcanoes", true mud volcanoes are very different in nature. The mud of a mudpot is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature may be referred to as a paint pot.
Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.
Hot springs are sites where groundwater emerges at the Earth’s surface (or on the seafloor). Hot spring water has to be higher in temperature than the human body (an admittedly arbitrary definition): over 98° Fahrenheit or over 37° Celsius. Geysers are hot springs that episodically erupt columns of water. The highest concentration of geysers and hot springs anywhere is at the Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano in northwestern Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano is the namesake of Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano Group, on the western side of the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone Lake. Historical evidence indicates that, in the 1800s, Mud Volcano was a cinder cone volcano-shaped feature that had impressive mud eruptions. A hydrothermal explosion apparently destroyed much of the cone. What remains is a 7 meter-diameter, subcircular hot spring pool bordered by a high wall on its southern, southwestern, and western sides. Well-developed mudcracks are present along the northern and northeastern edges of the pool. The mud formed by chemical decomposition of rhyolitic volcanic tuffs. Rising volcanic hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) oxidized above the water table and became sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Published research has shown that microbes also produce sulfuric acid in the Mud Volcano area, by oxidizing elemental sulfur (S). Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and readily altered the rhyolitic rocks, resulting in clay minerals, which became mud when mixed with water. Dark gray wisps in the muddy water represent fine-grained iron sulfide (pyrite). Two energetic vents are present at Mud Volcano - their activity is undercutting the adjacent high wall. In 1998, researchers measured the water here at 187° Fahrenheit (= 86° Celsius), with a pH of 3 (= acidic).
These used to be invisible since they were covered with water. In the past couple of years, the Salton Sea has begun drying up and now these are are exposed.
Note that you must hike about 3.5 miles each way - often through deep, sticky, and slippery mud/liquid clay to get here. I lost the sole of a hike shoe hiking back from here.
A mudpot — or mud pool — is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud.
The mud of a mudpot takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3–5 feet. Although mudpots are often called "mud volcanoes", true mud volcanoes are very different in nature. The mud of a mudpot is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature may be referred to as a paint pot.
Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.
These used to be invisible since they were covered with water. In the past couple of years, the Salton Sea has begun drying up and now these are are exposed.
Note that you must hike about 3.5 miles each way - often through deep, sticky, and slippery mud/liquid clay to get here. I lost the sole of a hike shoe hiking back from here.
A mudpot — or mud pool — is a sort of acidic hot spring, or fumarole, with limited water. It usually takes the form of a pool of bubbling mud. The acid and microorganisms decompose surrounding rock into clay and mud.
The mud of a mudpot takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3–5 feet. Although mudpots are often called "mud volcanoes", true mud volcanoes are very different in nature. The mud of a mudpot is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature may be referred to as a paint pot.
Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.
In the Mud Volcano area of Yellowstone National Park. It was drizzling, and you can hear thunder in the background.
Hot springs are sites where groundwater emerges at the Earth’s surface (or on the seafloor). Hot spring water has to be higher in temperature than the human body (an admittedly arbitrary definition): over 98° Fahrenheit or over 37° Celsius. Geysers are hot springs that episodically erupt columns of water. The highest concentration of geysers and hot springs anywhere is at the Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano in northwestern Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano is the namesake of Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano Group, on the western side of the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone Lake. Historical evidence indicates that, in the 1800s, Mud Volcano was a cinder cone volcano-shaped feature that had impressive mud eruptions. A hydrothermal explosion apparently destroyed much of the cone. What remains is a 7 meter-diameter, subcircular hot spring pool bordered by a high wall on its southern, southwestern, and western sides. Well-developed mudcracks are present along the northern and northeastern edges of the pool. The mud formed by chemical decomposition of rhyolitic volcanic tuffs. Rising volcanic hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) oxidized above the water table and became sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Published research has shown that microbes also produce sulfuric acid in the Mud Volcano area, by oxidizing elemental sulfur (S). Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and readily altered the rhyolitic rocks, resulting in clay minerals, which became mud when mixed with water. Dark gray wisps in the muddy water represent fine-grained iron sulfide (pyrite). Two energetic vents are present at Mud Volcano - their activity is undercutting the adjacent high wall. In 1998, researchers measured the water here at 187° Fahrenheit (= 86° Celsius), with a pH of 3 (= acidic).
Cistern is one of my favorite thermal pools. The lodgepole pines that are sintered in the back makes for a unique backdrop.
Hot springs are sites where groundwater emerges at the Earth’s surface (or on the seafloor). Hot spring water has to be higher in temperature than the human body (an admittedly arbitrary definition): over 98° Fahrenheit or over 37° Celsius. Geysers are hot springs that episodically erupt columns of water. The highest concentration of geysers and hot springs anywhere is at the Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano in northwestern Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano is the namesake of Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano Group, on the western side of the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone Lake. Historical evidence indicates that, in the 1800s, Mud Volcano was a cinder cone volcano-shaped feature that had impressive mud eruptions. A hydrothermal explosion apparently destroyed much of the cone. What remains is a 7 meter-diameter, subcircular hot spring pool bordered by a high wall on its southern, southwestern, and western sides. Well-developed mudcracks are present along the northern and northeastern edges of the pool. The mud formed by chemical decomposition of rhyolitic volcanic tuffs. Rising volcanic hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) oxidized above the water table and became sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Published research has shown that microbes also produce sulfuric acid in the Mud Volcano area, by oxidizing elemental sulfur (S). Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and readily altered the rhyolitic rocks, resulting in clay minerals, which became mud when mixed with water. Dark gray wisps in the muddy water represent fine-grained iron sulfide (pyrite). Two energetic vents are present at Mud Volcano - their activity is undercutting the adjacent high wall. In 1998, researchers measured the water here at 187° Fahrenheit (= 86° Celsius), with a pH of 3 (= acidic).
Throughout Yellowstone, the ribbons of color and the thermal pools and springs are usually formed by thermophiles, "heat loving orgainisms." These organisms-algae, bacteria, and archaea--are primitive forms that have inhabited the earth for almost four billion years. Cyanobacteria, which are common in the Old Faithful area thrive in temperatures up to 167 degrees. Other thermophiles exist in even hotter water. Research on some of these life forms has sparked revolutions in an array of scientific fields. In 1966, Dr. Thomas Brock discovered a bacterium, "Thermus Aquaticus," in a Yellowstone hot spring. Scientists extracted an enzyme from this bacterium, which has contributed to developing DNA "finger-printing, a powerful tool widely used in criminal and medical research. Numerous other thermophiles have been found in Yellowstone, each producing unique enzymes potentially important to society. This points out the important point that even the smallest forms of life should be appreciated.
Sulpher Caldron, Yellowstone National Park.
The name of Yellowstone National Park's "Mud Volcano" feature and the surrounding area is misleading; it consists of hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles, rather than a true mud volcano. Depending upon the precise definition of the term mud volcano, the Yellowstone formation could be considered a hydrothermal mud volcano cluster. The feature is much less active than in its first recorded description, although the area is quite dynamic. Yellowstone is an active geothermal area with a magma chamber near the surface, and active gases are chiefly steam, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. However, there are some Mud Volcanoes and Mud Geysers elsewhere in Yellowstone. One, the "Vertically Gifted Cyclic Mud Pot" sometimes acts as a geyser, throwing mud up to 30 feet high.
Mudcracks are diagnostic sedimentary structures indicating subaerial exposure of sediment surfaces, with alternating wet & dry conditions. They are much more common that raindrop imprints, which indicate the same environmental setting. Mudcracks are most likely to occur in fine-grained siliciclastic sediments, fine-grained carbonate sediments, and in some evaporitic settings.
Mudcracks are distinctive and easy to identify, but they do vary in appearance. The cracks themselves vary in width, depth, and areal density. Mudcrack polygons also vary in size & shape.
Locality: Mud Volcano, Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano, northwestern Wyoming, USA
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Video of Mud Volcano:
The Great Fountain Geyser is truly one of the most spectacular geyers in Yellowstone. Charles Cook, of the 1869 Cook-Folsom Peterson Expedition, recalled his impression of the geyser: " We could not contain our enthusiasm; with one accord we all took off our hats and yelled with all our might." It erupts every 9 to 12 hours and usually reaches 100 feet.
Snaggletooth the Grizzly Bear. Snaggletooth i a grizzly bear boar who is sometimes seen in the Mud Volcano area and south along the Yellowstone River of Yellowstone National Park.
Hot springs are sites where groundwater emerges at the Earth’s surface (or on the seafloor). Hot spring water has to be higher in temperature than the human body (an admittedly arbitrary definition): over 98° Fahrenheit or over 37° Celsius. Geysers are hot springs that episodically erupt columns of water. The highest concentration of geysers and hot springs anywhere is at the Yellowstone Hotspot Volcano in northwestern Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano is the namesake of Yellowstone’s Mud Volcano Group, on the western side of the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone Lake. Historical evidence indicates that, in the 1800s, Mud Volcano was a cinder cone volcano-shaped feature that had impressive mud eruptions. A hydrothermal explosion apparently destroyed much of the cone. What remains is a 7 meter-diameter, subcircular hot spring pool bordered by a high wall on its southern, southwestern, and western sides. Well-developed mudcracks are present along the northern and northeastern edges of the pool. The mud formed by chemical decomposition of rhyolitic volcanic tuffs. Rising volcanic hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) oxidized above the water table and became sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Published research has shown that microbes also produce sulfuric acid in the Mud Volcano area, by oxidizing elemental sulfur (S). Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and readily altered the rhyolitic rocks, resulting in clay minerals, which became mud when mixed with water. Dark gray wisps in the muddy water represent fine-grained iron sulfide (pyrite). Two energetic vents are present at Mud Volcano - their activity is undercutting the adjacent high wall. In 1998, researchers measured the water here at 187° Fahrenheit (= 86° Celsius), with a pH of 3 (= acidic).
The 3 mile loop to Mystic Falls and Biscuit Basin Overlook encounters varied river, forest and plateau scenery, and has a moderate elevation change of 550 feet. The falls are a spectacular cascade formed at a steep, narrow place in the canyon of the Little Firehole River, while the overlook has a fine view not only of the basin but also of several miles of the Firehole River valley, with Upper Geyser Basin in the distance. The loop hike is best done in the clockwise direction, visiting the falls first, since the elevation gain (up the river canyon) is more gentle, and the overlook appears suddenly and dramatically, rather than approaching gradually during the steep climb from the flat lands below.
The name of Yellowstone National Park's "Mud Volcano" feature and the surrounding area is misleading; it consists of hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles, rather than a true mud volcano. Depending upon the precise definition of the term mud volcano, the Yellowstone formation could be considered a hydrothermal mud volcano cluster. The feature is much less active than in its first recorded description, although the area is quite dynamic. Yellowstone is an active geothermal area with a magma chamber near the surface, and active gases are chiefly steam, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. However, there are some Mud Volcanoes and Mud Geysers elsewhere in Yellowstone. One, the "Vertically Gifted Cyclic Mud Pot" sometimes acts as a geyser, throwing mud up to 30 feet high.
Yellowstone National Park
The name of Yellowstone National Park's "Mud Volcano" feature and the surrounding area is misleading; it consists of hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles, rather than a true mud volcano. Depending upon the precise definition of the term mud volcano, the Yellowstone formation could be considered a hydrothermal mud volcano cluster. The feature is much less active than in its first recorded description, although the area is quite dynamic. Yellowstone is an active geothermal area with a magma chamber near the surface, and active gases are chiefly steam, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. However, there are some Mud Volcanoes and Mud Geysers elsewhere in Yellowstone. One, the "Vertically Gifted Cyclic Mud Pot" sometimes acts as a geyser, throwing mud up to 30 feet high.
Yellowstone National Park
Qobustan, Azerbaijan, Young azeri boy squatting beside a flare of mud, his hand in the cold mud, a man standing behind him; other small mud volcano craters in the background
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