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How and why do scientist collect sediment cores in Yellowstone Lake?
In August 2021, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists collected sediment cores from the floor of Yellowstone Lake. Analysis of the sediment composition, as well as the fluids contained within the sediment, can provide new information about hydrothermal activity occurring out of view beneath the lake water. Although hidden from view of the many visitors to Yellowstone, the […]
The outlier and oddity: Travertine at Mammoth Hot Springs
Early explorers during the separate Washburn, Hayden, and Hague expeditions of the 1870s were astonished by the massive terraces and pools of hot-spring limestone, better known as travertine, at Mammoth Hot Springs—a chemical oddity that is quite different from other Yellowstone thermal areas. Three main varieties of hot spring fluids are recognized in Yellowstone: alkaline-chloride, acid-sulfate, and […]