Geysers of Yellowstone: May Just Be Seven Wonders of This Big, Old, Round World

Yellowstone  National Park in Wyoming is famous for its erupting geysers which visitors could easily spot throughout the park. In fact, the park is home to one half of all geysers in the world. A geyser discharges hot, in many cases boiling water and steam from  underground all the way up to the surface. Geysers are mostly located near volcanic active spots as the hot magma was mostly responsible for heating the water and causing the water to discharge due to pressure difference between the inside of the vent, which is extreme hot, and the outside of the vent, which is relatively cool. This results in hot steam and water quickly rising and splashing out to the surface, and become something we call geysers.

People watching the Beehive Geyser erupting

Yet the reason why Yellowstone has so many geysers might be simpler than you think: it is a super volcano.Scientists have estimated that if Yellowstone were to erupt again, the ash cloud could hover from Canada down to Mexico. The immediate area to the park, unfortunately, will be destroyed in a massive scale. The question everybody might ask right now is: "when is the next eruption?"

One of the smaller geysers with boiling water on the surface

The depressing news, is that scientists have also estimated that the supervolcano would erupt approximately every 600,000 years. The last eruption was way before 600,000 years ago, which means the next eruption is already overdue and could happen literally any moment.  

Some of the geysers do resemble the shape of a volcano

Before that all happens, Yellowstone is still the same place we  all know and love. At the north entrance of the National Park, the Mammoth Hot Springs is like a welcome sign that amazes travelers from all over the world. While it's not the type of hot springs people can jump into, the Mammoth Hot Springs are able to give visitors an idea as well as a closer look of how the ecosystem and geographical composition around the Yellowstone looks like. Hot, boiling water coming out of the sulfur covered rocks flowing all the way downwards, with some of them forming awe inspiring terraces that makes you believe only mother nature is able to carve them out. 

Devil's Thumb at the Mammoth Hot Springs

Some hot springs even form water fall like structure, which create these beautiful terraces

The Mammoth Hot Springs also showcases the structure and the niche around the geyser, without all the boiling water-jets of course (so nobody will get hurt). Around some of the spring pools, one can clearly find micro-organisms living in these mineral rich water bodies. Because the temperature is warm and the minerals have provided elements that are vital for lives to sustain and flourish such as iron and calcium, geothermal pools around the Yellowstone area have attracted all types of species, from bacteria we can't even see to giant American buffaloes to inhabit in the nearby area. There are also places where the extremity happens. Sometimes the ground is too hot for any creatures to survive, and there are geothermal pools that are too hot for micro-organisms to exist.

Because of the hot surface and the expansion of the thermal area, many plants won't survive as a result

Hot springs in Yellowstone are generally desirable places for bacteria and other micro-organisms to inhabit

Possibly the most famous, if not one of the most famous geothermal pools that are too hot for micro - organisms to live is the Grand Prismatic Spring. The sapphire colored center is approximately 200 degree Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius), which succeeds the temperature range where bacteria and other micro-organisms can survive. As the spring radiates out, the water temperature drops, which forms one of the most spectacular sights in the entire National Park: on the edge of the spring , all types of bacteria gather up and create the colors of red, yellow, orange, and green. Together with the lake's blue color, The Hayden Geological Survey Team, who were the first survey team commissioned by the United States Congress gave the spring the name "Grand Prismatic" to illustrate how the spring is able to show the color scheme reflected on a prism. 

The Grand Prismatic Spring in an early morning

The Grand Prismatic Spring at a different angle

The Grand Prismatic Spring from ground level

Right next to the Grand Prismatic Spring, there is another spring constantly veiled by steam. This spring, however, is capable of making some of the most splendid eruptions in the entire Yellowstone. The Excelsior Geyser Crater last erupted in 1985 and produced a water jet that shot up the ground 80 feet tall and 100 feet wide. However such eruption happens only about once every 100 years. There are boiling water constantly flowing out of the crater into the Firehole River, making it a very unique and interesting scenery to visitors. 

The Excelsior Geyser Crater is able to give visitors the feeling that they are on another planet

Excelsior Geyser Crater releases about 4000 gallons of water per minute into the Firehole River

Speaking of geysers that can erupt even higher and more frequent, the Steamboat geyser in the nearby Norris Geyser Basin is one of them. During its irregular major eruptions, which can happen next year or maybe even 10 years later, the water jet can shoot up to 300 feet (90 meters). The Norris Geyser Basin is at the intersection of three major geological faults, which results in the area being very active in geyser eruptions and having some of the hottest geysers in Yellowstone. 

Two of the geysers in the Norris Geyser Basin

The area where the Steamboat Geyser is located

Some of the most famous geysers in the Yellowstone are located in the Upper Geyser Basin. One of the reasons why these geysers are more famous than the others is because the intervals of eruption are short and very predictable. This gives almost all the visitors the guarantee to see at least one geyser eruption while in Yellowstone. 

One of the geysers erupting at the Upper Geyser Basin

The Beehive Geyser during eruption

The Old Faithful is possibly the most well - known geyser in the world. It gets its name from the fact that it is the most predictable geyser of all time. Today the Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes. Trust me, it was indeed very faithful like the name suggests. I was able to witness four eruptions at four different time periods throughout the day. Every time I was there, I saw an eruption and I never missed one. 

Old Faithful eruption in early morning

Old Faithful eruption around noon time

Old Faithful evening eruption

Old Faithful eruption at night

While Yellowstone seems to be a timeless treasure, the reality is that as time progresses, the internal structure of Yellowstone's geyser system changes as well. Many of the things we see today might not be there someday, and many other things we don't see today will appear in the future. Once again, before that all happens, Yellowstone is still the same wonderland we all know and love. What else can I say? Keep calm and visit Yellowstone!