Norris Geyser Basin

View on Norris Geyser Basin

Thermal features of this area are due to a chamber of hot magma beneath the park which was left behind a gigantic explosion somewhere six hundred thousand years ago. This magma heats the water that percolates down from the surface along fractures and faults. The superheated water rises to the surfaces to form either geysers or hot springs. Geysers from if the plumbing channels contain the construction. The superheated water builds up the pressure beneath the construction until it flashes into the steam pushing the cooler water above up and out as geyser erupts. Hot springs form when there is no plumbing construction and superheated water cools down while reaching surface and gets replaced by hot water from deeper sources. Constant circulation prevents eruptions as it is the case with Mammoth Hot Springs.

"Constant" Geyser

Norris Geyser Basin area is the hottest and most dynamic area of the park. (Perhaps, dynamics and changeability are the most distinctive features of any thermally active area since you will hear the same about Mammoth Hot Springs as well as Old Faithful area...)

	First impression of the area is somewhat extraterrestrial. Right in front of the trees there lays a whitish steaming valley with numerous pools of different colors.
Bright green algae and orange cyanobacteria thrive in this area

"Steaming holes" are the hottest features of the park. Overheated steam can easily reach temperatures as high as 280 F (140 C). For the most part such holes form at some heights where there is no "stable" water supply and the small amounts of water that reach those structures boil away immediately.
	A steam vent (fumarole)

Porcelain basin

Due to its whitish color this valley is called Porcelain basin. The color is due to the silicon salts brought to the surface by hot water. As hot water moves towards the surface, the dissolved minerals deposit along subterranean passageways. Eventually these minerals can clog the plumbing and new features (geysers and hot springs) may emerge altering cycles of the neighboring structures. However, mineral deposition is a relatively slow process (approximately an inch in a century) and dramatic changes of the area are not frequent.

	Color of a hot spring depends on its chemical content or rather on the type of mineral dissolved in its water. Iron-rich minerals dissolved in water will give to its spring orange-brown edges. Sulphur-rich minerals would color usually transparent bluish spring in emerald green.
Sulphureous spring

The world's tallest active geyser "Steamboat"

Steamboat Geyser is the world's tallest active geyser. Its last 300 feet (90 m) eruption occurred in May 2000, and it is unknown when the next is going to happen since the geyser is entirely unpredictable. In its usual mode Steamboat ejects water 10 to 40 feet high every 3-5 min. It is interesting to note that Cistern Spring situated nearby is linked with Steamboat underground. During major eruptions of Steamboat, Cistern empties. Otherwise it is a nice blue pool with constant overflow. It deposits silicon minerals with unusually high rate of half an inch per year flooding the pine forest nearby (see photo).

Cistern Spring

	We have waited for eruption of this geyser, Echinus geyser, for a long time. Named for its deposits, which look like the spines of echinoderms such as sea urchins or sea stars this geyser was very predictable but has changed in recent years. During our visit it was erupting every 1.5-2 hours at relatively low height.
Echinus Geyser 50 min before eruption


Beginning of eruption water level is close to the max	During the eruption maximum water level	After eruption water level is close to the min

We knew that this geyser has "classic" pattern of eruption: water in its pool is begin to rise and when it reaches the maximum level the geyser erupts. Even though the level was pretty high we have waited for the eruption for approximately 50 min... But the view was worth the wait. One of the interesting features of the geyser is that the acidity of its water is very high (~ pH 3) which is almost as acidic as vinegar. So acidic geysers are rare on Earth and most of them are here in Norris geyser Basin.

Since the ground in the area is very hot and fragile you are allowed to walk only on designated walkways made out of wood or plastic (from recycled plastic containers to be precise). The latter is much less susceptible to deterioration in harsh acidic or alkaline environment however more slippery when wet.

Pearl Geyser - a beauty in the area

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Last updated: Wednesday, June 05, 2002