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Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring from an overlook
Location	Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming
Coordinates	44°31′30″N 110°50′17″W / 44.5250489°N 110.83819°W / 44.5250489; -110.83819
Elevation	7,270 feet (2,220 m)
Type	Hot spring
Discharge	560 US gallons (2,100 L) per minute
Temperature	160 °F (70 °C)
Depth	160 feet (50 m)

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.

Grand Prismatic Spring was noted by geologists working in the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, and named by them for its striking coloration. Its colors match most of those seen in the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

History

To the Crow, it was the “land of the burning ground” or “land of vapors”; to the Blackfeet it was known as “many smoke”; to the Flatheads it was “smoke from the ground”; to the Kiowa it was called “the place of hot water.” Almost 150 years after its establishment by President Ulysses S. Grant, Yellowstone National Park stands as a global icon to natural splendor and conservation. Yet, a century and a half does not even begin to approach the true stretch of history that encompasses human exploration and occupation of the Yellowstone region. In reality, hunter-gatherers have been interacting with Yellowstone for at least the past 11,000 years. These early Indigenous people discovered, explored, braved, revered, hunted, and mined the Yellowstone region long before the arrival of Euro-American settlers. Here, we do our best to offer just a glimpse into the rich history of Yellowstone’s first intrepid surveyors, much of which is still being uncovered today (source: usgs.gov).

The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of four trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midway Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring, with a diameter of 300 feet (90 m). In 1870 the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition visited the spring, noting a 50-foot (15 m) geyser nearby (later named Excelsior).

Color

The bright, vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The mats produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature gradient in the runoff. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.

The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth.

Physical structure

The spring is approximately 370 feet (110 m) in diameter and is 160 feet (50 m) deep. The spring discharges an estimated 560 US gallons (2,100 L) of 160 °F (70 °C) water per minute.

References

1. "Grand Prismatic Spring". Yellowstone Geothermal Features Database. Montana State University.
2. "Grand Prismatic Spring". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. "Steam Explosions, Earthquakes, and Volcanic Eruptions—What's in Yellowstone's Future?". U.S. Geological Survey.
4. Traci Bryan; Leslie Machen; Joyce Heinsz; Peggy McCracken. "Grand Prismatic Spring". Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
5. ""The Fire Hole": Era of the American Fur Company, 1833-1840". Colter's Hell & Jackson's Hole. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2005-03-12.
6. "Notes". Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2006-02-08.
7. "Part II: Definitive Knowledge - The Washburn Party (1870)". Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2004-12-13.
8. Thomas D. Brock. "Colorful Yellowstone". Life at High Temperature. Archived from the original on 2005-11-25.
9. ^ Geiling, Natasha. "The Science Behind Yellowstone's Rainbow Hot Spring". Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
10. "Grand Prismatic Spring". Geyser Observation and Study Association.

External links

v t e Yellowstone National Park - Lower and Midway Geyser Basins
Geothermal features, geography, historic structures and other attractions in the Lower and Midway Geyser Basins
Lower Geyser Basin	A-0 Geyser Artesia Geyser Azure Spring Bead Geyser Botryoidal Spring Box Spring Clepsydra Geyser Dilemma Geyser Fountain Geyser Fountain Paint Pot Great Fountain Geyser Jet Geyser Labial Geyser Morning Geyser Narcissus Geyser Ojo Caliente Spring Pink Cone Geyser Pink Geyser Spindle Geyser Surprise Pool White Dome Geyser Young Hopeful and Grey Bulger Geysers
Midway Geyser Basin	Excelsior Geyser Grand Prismatic Spring Opal Pool Turquoise Pool
Structures and history	Firehole Village Grand Loop Road Historic District Marshall's Hotel Nez Perce National Historic Trail Nez Perce Flight Queen's Laundry Bath House
Geography and geology	Firehole Falls Firehole River
Yellowstone National Park-related articles Commons

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