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Norris Geyser Basin
- Location & Contact Information
- Address: WY USA
- Telephone Number: +1-307-344-7381
- Official Website: [1]
- Overview
Norris Geyser Basin small>/small> is the hottest geyser basin in the parkNorris Geyser Basin Tour and is located near the northwest edge of Yellowstone Caldera near Norris Junction and on the intersection of three major fault s. The Norris-Mammoth Corridor is a fault that runs from Norris north through Mammoth to the Richter scale (sources vary on exact magnitude between 7.1 and 7.8; see 1959 Yellowstone earthquake). Norris Geyser Basin is so hot and dynamic due to the fact that these two faults intersect with the ring fracture zone that resulted from the creation of the Yellowstone Caldera of 640,000 years ago.Geological Overview of the Norris AreaThe Basin consists of three main areas: Porcelain Basin, Back Basin, and One Hundred Springs Plain. Unlike most of other geyser basins in the park, the waters from Norris are acidicNatural Highlights of the Norris Area rather than alkaline (for example, Echinus Geyser has a pH of ~3.5). The difference in pH allows for a different class of bacteria l thermophiles to live at Norris, creating different color patterns in and around the Norris Basin waters.The Ragged Hills that lie between Back Basin and One Hundred Springs Plain are thermally altered glacial kames. As glaciers receded, the underlying thermal features began to express themselves once again, melting remnants of the ice and causing masses of debris to be dumped. These debris piles were then altered by steam and hot water flowing through them. Madison lies within the eroded stream channels cut through lava flows formed after the caldera eruption. The Gibbon Falls lies on the caldera boundary as does Virginia Cascades.Algae on left bacteria on right at Norris Geyser Basin The tallest active geyser in the world is Steamboat GeyserGeological Overview of the Norris Area and it is located in Norris Basin. Unlike the slightly smaller but much more famous Old Faithful Geyser located in Upper Geyser Basin, Steamboat has an erratic and lengthy timetable between major eruptions. During major eruptions, which may be separated by intervals of more than a year (the longest span between major eruptions was 50 years), Steamboat erupts over 300 feet (90 m) into the air. However, Steamboat does not lie dormant between eruptions, instead displaying minor eruptions of approximately 40 feet (12 m).Periodically, Norris Geyser Basin undergoes a large-scale basin-wide thermal disturbance lasting a few weeks. Water levels fluctuate, and temperatures, pH, colors, and eruptive patterns change throughout the basin. During a disturbance in 1985, Porkchop Geyser continually jetted steam and water; in 1989, the same geyser apparently clogged with silica and blew up, throwing rocks more than 200 ft|m. In 2003, a park ranger observed it bubbling heavily, the first such activity seen since 1991. Activity increased dramatically in mid-2003. Because of high ground temperatures and new features beside the trail, much of Back Basin was closed until October. In 2004, the boardwalk was routed around the dangerous area and now leads behind Porkchop Geyser.For the whole paragraph: ’’Yellowstone Resources and Issues: 2006’’, pages 190-191North of Norris, Roaring Mountain is a large, acidic hydrothermal area (solfatara) with many fumaroles. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number, size, and power of the fumaroles were much greater than today. The fumaroles are most easily seen in the cooler, low-light conditions of morning and evening. Artists Paintpots is a small hydrothermal area south of Norris Junction that includes colorful hot springs and two large mudpots.Monument Geyser Basin small>/small> has no active geysers, but its monuments are siliceous sinter deposits similar to the siliceous spires discovered on the floor of Yellowstone Lake. Scientists hypothesize that this basins structures formed from a hot water system in a glacially dammed lake during the waning stages of the Pinedale Glaciation. The basin is on a ridge reached by a very steep one-mile (1.6 km) trail south of Artists Paint Pots.br clear=all>[1]
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