Geysers of Yellowstone

Yellowstone contains the majority of the worlds geysers.  Much of Yellowstone Par is inside an ancient volcanic crater that exploded over 600,000 years ago. Even though the explosion took place that long ago, reminisce from the heat is still seen on the surface today in the form of geysers and other thermal features such as hot springs, fumaroles, and mudpots.

Geysers of Yellowstone

Geysers in fact are a form of a hotspring. They are most hot at the deepest points that are closest to the hot rock at the bottom of the geyser. The cooler water above doesn’t allow the boiling water to simply steam out because of the weight of the water above. Therefore, the boiling water is released in channels which is why we see eruptions  and overflow of these geysers.How hot springs and geysers differ is that hotsprings do not need to “boil” or erupt to release heat. The underlying hot water of a hotspring is close enough to the surface that it can release it’s hot water in the form of steam/vapor or runoff.

The real appeal to these majestic beauties is not how they operate, but rather how they look. It gives me the accurate feeling as if I have gone back in time and entered some sort of alternate universe like the Land Before Time when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. The geysers are indeed that old and a great look into the history of our planet. As natures wonders go, these are a must see any time of the year.