 An aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring. |
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| Location | Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park |
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| Coordinates | 44°31′30″N 110°50′18″W / 44.525028°N 110.838278°WCoordinates: 44°31′30″N 110°50′18″W / 44.525028°N 110.838278°W |
| Type | Hot Spring |
| Discharge | 560 gallons per minute (2000 litres per minute) |
| Temperature | 160°F (71°C) |
| Depth | 160 feet (49 m) |
| Commons | * Media related to Grand Prismatic Spring at Wikimedia Commons |
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. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.
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History
The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of fur trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midway Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring,[2] with a diameter of 300 feet (91 m). In 1870 the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition visited the spring, noting a 50-foot (15-meter) geyser nearby (later named Excelsior).[3][4]
Colour
The vivid colours 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 colours ranging from green to red; the amount of colour in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature of the water that favors one bacterium over another. 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 colour of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water, due to water's selective absorption of red wavelengths.[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.
Physical structure
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 litres) of 160°F (71°C) water per minute.[7]
| Images of Grand Prismatic Spring | |||||||||
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References
- ^ "Steam Explosions, Earthquakes, and Volcanic Eruptions—What’s in Yellowstone’s Future?". U.S. Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/. Retrieved 2005-09-14.
- ^ "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. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/grte1/chap7.htm. Retrieved 2005-09-14.
- ^ "Notes". Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/haines1/ieee.htm#2146. Retrieved 2005-09-14.
- ^ "Part II: Definitive Knowledge - The Washburn Party (1870)". Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/haines1/iee2d.htm. Retrieved 2005-09-14.
- ^ Thomas D. Brock. "Colorful Yellowstone". Life at High Temperatures. http://www.bact.wisc.edu/bact303/b4. Retrieved September 14 2005.
- ^ Braun, Charles L.; Sergei N. Smirnov (1993). "Why Is Water Blue?". http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm. Retrieved May 23 2006.
- ^ "Grand Prismatic Spring". Geyser Observation and Study Association (GOSA). 2006. http://geyserstudy.computerpoint.net/geyser.aspx?pGeyserNo=GRANDPRISMATIC. Retrieved May 23 2006.
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