Todd's Page - A Photo Journal

The Geyser Basins

Yellowstone contains the greatest concentration of geysers in the world. The Upper Geyser Basin alone contains one-fourth of the total number of geysers in the world. A number of other hydrothermal features can be found in Yellowstone as well. Besides hot springs and geysers, there are also mud pots and mud volcanoes (formed when hot water mixes with clay) and fumaroles, which emit hot water vapor and gasses.

The variety of color found in the springs around the park is attributable to the various types of algae and other microbes that live within the geothermal features. As the hot water leaves the ground and moves outward it cools, creating various temperature zones. Different species of microbes adapt to specific temperature zones, creating the variations of color found in the springs throughout the park.