Horrible Today: Seconds of Great Explosion in Yellowstone: New Biscuit Basin Erupts, Visitors Panic!

Horrible Today: Seconds of Great Explosion in Yellowstone: New Biscuit Basin Erupts, Visitors Panic!

Standing on the boardwalk next to Yellowstone's hot, steamy, bubbly hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, or geysers, you might be surprised by the amount of energy that drives these systems, day and night. But how long has this feature been active? To answer this question, geologists can turn to the stopped “clock” in hydrothermal travertine deposition.

Travertine deposition rates at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park are very high (~3 millimeters per day) compared to other calcium carbonate systems. For example, fast-growing corals deposit travertine at an average rate of 1 millimeter per day, and the rate is ~0.2 millimeters per day for calcium carbonate deposited by cold fresh water (called tufas). The growth rate of calcium carbonate in the deep sea or in terrestrial caves is even slower! One reason for the high rate of travertine deposition in Yellowstone is that thermophilic bacteria that live in Yellowstone's hot waters encourage travertine deposition.

Earlier this year, the Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles reported the discovery of a new thermal area in Yellowstone National Park. The area was identified in thermal infrared satellite imagery as a warm plain area that is not present in the database of known thermal features in the National Park. It is located along the northeastern boundary of the Sour Creek dome, near West Tern Lake, and appears to be an extension of the previously known Tern Lake thermal area.

#yellowstonevolcano #volcano #yellowstoneeruption #usavurick #yellowstonenationalpark​ #volcanoes​ #yellowstonevolcano​