Norris Geyser Basin
The Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest geyser basin in Yellowstone National Park . It is located on the northwestern edge of the caldera of the Yellowstone volcano , near the village of Norris Junction in the US state of Wyoming . The Norris Geyser Basin is home to the largest active geyser in the world, the Steamboat Geyser .
Three major faults intersect in the Norris Geyser Basin . The Norris-Mammoth Corridor is a fault that runs from Norris through Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner . The Hebgen Lake Fault begins in northwest West Yellowstone and ends in Norris. These two faults intersect with an annular fracture point that stems from the volcanic eruption 640,000 years ago. These faults and the associated crevices through which hot water can circulate are the reason the pool is so hot.
Compared to other geyser basins in the national park , most of the water in the Norris basin is acidic and non-basic. There are even some geysers with acidic water, which is very rare. The water of the Echinus geyser has a pH value of approx. 3.5. This acidic water allows different bacteria to live there than in other hot springs . Therefore, the springs in the Norris Basin differ in color from the other springs.
The Ragged Hills in the Norris Geyser Basin are hydrothermally modified glaciers - moraines . As the glaciers retreated after the last glacial period , the underlying hydrothermal activity melted the remains of the ice, leaving behind masses of debris. Steam and hot water continued to shape these. The village of Madison lies within the eroded river channels of the lava flows from the last volcanic eruption. Both the Gibbon Falls and the Virginia Falls lie on the rim of the caldera.
See also
Web links
- National Park Service: multimedia tour of the Norris Geyser Basin (Engl.)
- National Park Service: Information for Norris Geyser Basin (Engl.)
Coordinates: 44 ° 43 ′ 42.8 " N , 110 ° 42 ′ 15.8" W.