Geysers & Hot Springs
Riverside Geyser; Upper Geyser Basin; William S Keller; 1964
About
Yellowstone National Park preserves the most extraordinary collection of hot springs, geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles on Earth. More than 10,000 hydrothermal features are found here, of which more than 500 are geysers.
Old Faithful, certainly the most famous geyser, is joined by numerous others big and small, named and unnamed. Though born of the same water and rock, what is enchanting is how differently they play in the sky. Riverside Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin, shoots at an angle across the Firehole River, often forming a rainbow in its mist. Castle Geyser erupts from a cone shaped like the ruins of some medieval fortress. Grand Geyser explodes in a series of powerful bursts, towering above the surrounding trees. Echinus Geyser spouts up and out to all sides like a fireworks display of water. And Steamboat Geyser, the largest in the world, pulsates like a massive steam engine in a rare, but remarkably memorable eruption, reaching heights of 300 to 400 feet (National Park Service).
Helpful Resources
- Current Geyser Activity, National Park Service
- The Geysers of Yellowstone, Yellowstone.net
- How Geysers Work, National Park Service
- Anatomy of a Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park
- Hydrothermal Features, National Park Service
Library Resources
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Geysers -- Yellowstone National Park
Ask a Question
Submit questions to yell_research_library@nps.gov. You can alternatively call the library at (307)344-2264, or visit us in person.
