LOWER GEYSER BASIN , YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Geyser is a geological feature in which a spring is characterized by intermittent discharge of water
 ejected turbulently, accompanied by steam. Geysers are usually found near active volcanic areas
where there is proximity of magma. Intense heat, water and plumbing system are the three ingredients
for a geyser. Geysers occur when water passes through fissures and cracks on earth surface and
 contact with the hot rocks at a depth of 6600 ft and get boiled. Boiling of the pressurized water result
 in the geyser effect of hot water and steam ejecting out through the vent on geyser surface . 

Geysers can be classified as Cone geyser and Fountain geyser. Cone geyser erupts from mound of
volcanic rock (siliceous sinter or geyserite ) and erupt in steady jets. While fountain geyser erupts
from  pools of water in a series of intense or violent burst. Geysers only  persist  in places where
volcanic rhyolite rock dissolves in hot water and form mineral deposit (siliceous sinter or geyserite)
inside the  slender  plumbing system of the vent. The minerals thickens the inner walls of the cracks. The specific colors of geysers can be attributed to micro living organisms which thrive in extreme weather conditions.

Geysers exist only in few places in the world and Yellowstone has the highest concentration of it.
  Valley of Geysers in Russia have the second largest geyser concentration in the world and it is the
only place in Eurasia having geyser. El tatio Chile, Taupo Volcanic zone Newzealand  and Iceland
are the other places in the world where one can see geysers. Geysers found in solar  system are
known as Cyrogeysers and the ejections from such geysers are mainly nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Lower Geyser basin is the largest geyser area in Yellowstone. It extend over 12 sq miles and is 

located north of upper and midway geyser basin on the grand loop road . Lower basin posses a large
 variety of  thermal features like mud pots, geysers, pools, springs and fumaroles. The .5 mile
 Fountain Paint pot trail gets visitors up close to attractions like Great Fountain  geyser, Silex spring,
 Celestine Spring, Fountain Paint pot, Leather Pool Morning Geyser, Jet Geyser, Clepsydra Geyser  and Red Sprouter.

Thermal features of Lower Geyser Basin are scattered and fall under several groups like Fountain
group, Kaleidoscope group, Fire hole Lake group, White dome group, White creek group, Black
warrior  group, Sprinkler group, thud group , Imperial Group and so on. All geysers seen here
belongs  to any of these group. 

Great fountain geyser  is the only predicted geyser in the lower basin. Located in the Firehole lake
area of Lower geyser basin, Great Fountain Geyser erupts every 9 -15 hrs up to a height of 23 to 67
mts. Sometimes it also exhibit  a wild phase behavior pattern which make it sometimes unpredictable.

Silex Spring is a blue pool rimmed with white silica. Silex is a Latin word meaning silica , a major 

component of rhyolite, the volcanic rock found abundantly  at Yellowstone. The water here is too hot

 which is evident by the blue color of the pool . Thermophiles which survive this hot water is seen in 

yellow color on the rippling runoff water surrounding the pool. The orange color seen here  is due to 

the presence of these heat loving bacteria.

A deep blue color pool called celestine pool can be seen here. Beside it is another pool called Leather
pool, that  resemble  leather due to the thick mats of brown thermophile. The pool lost its brown color
after the1959 earthquake that created  high temperature and killed all its bacteria. 

Morning Geyser is a seldom active but one of  the largest geyser in the Fountain area and one of the 

largest geysers in the world. Its last period of activity longed for one week in 1994. Twig Geyser is

 another major geyser and first of the regularly erupting geysers on this trail. Jet Geyser  plays in the

 hours leading up to an eruption from Fountain Geyser while Spasm is a small geyser right next to

 the boardwalk. Sizzler is a small geyser and erupted  from a cracks in the sinter. More recently it has

 started forming a crater

Bacteria Mats is another interesting feature at Lower Basin. Here a vast area is seen in thick colors
 which means the presence of thermophiles. The green , brown orange colors are due to the activity
of cynobacteria which can survive in 167 degree F.  They become yellow or green at hot temperature
 but become orange, rust or brown colored when water cools. Colors can also vary due to stress such
 as  intense sunlight of midsummer. 

Fountain Paint Pot is a type of thermal feature called a mud pot or mud volcano . It  has the odor of
 rotten eggs due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas. The acid and microorganisms dissolve the
 rocks  into clay and mud. Mud pots usually appear in white or grey but also appear in red or pink
  due to the presence of iron oxides and minerals. Mud pot is a natural double boiler. In early summer
they are thin and watery and become thick by late summers. The mud is composed of clay minerals
 and fine particles of silica. Rocks found here is rhyolite composed primarily of quartz and feldspar.
Acid in the steam and water breakdown feldspar into a clay mineral called Kaolinite .

Red Sproutter is another attraction at Yellowstone. The 1959 Hebgen lake earthquake, which was one

 of the strongest and deadliest earthquake in history, created many new geysers and cracks in
Yellowstone  National Park  including the Red Sproutter. It exhibit the behavior of geyser, fumarole,
 hot spring and mud pot. During early summer its pool splashes red colored muddy water and in late
 summer and  fall it changes into a hissing fumarole.  

Lodge pole pine is the common variety of trees find in Yellowstone. A group of Lodge pole pine 

trees seen at Lower basin are pioneers that did not survive.  Silica presence in the basin  has 

penetrated the trees and hardened their base which slowed their decomposition.

There are many dormant geysers in Lower geyser basin which take our attention only when it is
active.  Jelly Geyser erupts in a range of 10 mts to more than an hour and last for less than a
minute. Clepsydra ,meaning water clock in Greek,  is another geyser which erupts to a height of 45 ft.
 It was a predictable geyser which erupted every three minutes before the earthquake of 1959. Lower
Geyser Basin is one such area  where one can witness all kinds of thermal features in one area
 including active geyser, dormant geyser, pools, mud pots and fumaroles.

Camera : Canon t5