Mammoth Hot Springs

Our travels today took us to Mammoth, there we viewed the hot springs and the many terraces. It's an interesting place to visit and so different from anything we've ever seen.  Some places it looked like snow and blocks of ice.


Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine in Yellow Stone.  It was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate (over two tons flow into Mammoth each day in a solution). Because of the huge amount of geothermal vents, travertine flourishes Travertine formations grow much more rapidly than sinter formations due to the softer nature of limestone. As hot water rises through limestone, large quantities of rock are dissolved by the hot water, and a white chalky mineral is deposited on the surface.


Next Liberty Cap, which was created by a hot spring that was active in one location for a long time.  It's internal pressure was sufficient to raise the water to a great height, allowing mineral deposits to build slowly and continuously for perhaps hundreds of years.  Liberty Cap was named in 1871 by the Hayden Survey because it resembled the pecked knit caps, symbolizing freedom and liberty during the French Revolution.


Bison and Elk are everywhere, after 5 trips into the park I want to know where are the BEARS?? 

Mammoth

Mammoth Springs

Upper Terrace

Angel Terrace

Highland Terrace

Liberty Cap