Posts Tagged ‘Spots to Watch’
One indicator of a possible increase in thermal energy in an area are the trees. If the soil temperature raises too high – generally speaking that means when the soil temperature reaches about 100° F at a depth of 1 foot. When well established trees die off, like this clump, it is something to keep in mind if you visit often – and could mean an energy surge happened and left, or is happening. As of my last visit, I believe this entire clump is now dead with no needles, but no new thermal features have broken out near them, but I still keep an eye out here as a spot to watch.
A group of dying pine trees uphill from Lakeside Spring 18 June 2009
They can also die from beetles and other stresses, but also the minerals in the water can coat their plumbing not unlike the way minerals can clog your shower head at home. These trees have white at the bottom of the trunks giving them the name ‘bobby socks trees.’
Bobby Sock Trees in the Lower Geyser Basin in a snowstorm 7 June 2008
In the past few years, I’ve noticed trees sporting the orange needles of death on the south side, below Bluebell and Seismograph Pools, and some between the Thumb Paint Pots and Surging Spring ever since Surging Spring increased it’s activity. Because of this, I’ve now added this view to my regular shots taken at West Thumb that shows the trees between the paint pots and surging – the ones just downhill from there also are turning deathly orange. Just another spot to watch.
Thumb Paint Pots area, looking north 25 Sept 2011
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Between Surging Spring and the boardwalk at West Thumb Geyser Basin, a new spring broke out early in 2010 – and was there when I arrived in late May. Surging Spring had increased in water level and temperature – overflowing and quite steamy.
Spring Between Surging Spring & Boardwalk 30 May 2010
Last June, though, the new spring had dried up and roared as a fumarole. Surging Spring wasn’t in overflow, but still boiled hot.
Spring between Surging Spring & Boardwalk 4 June 2011
Now it’s back to full and bubbling (and someone again threw a stick in it). While these photos aren’t all from quite the same angle, it does show the development of it. Surging Spring was back to overflowing and so hot and steamy, photos were difficult to get. Also a tree growing to the ‘right’ of Surging Spring is now dying with all orange needles.
Spring between Surging Spring & Boardwalk 9 Aug 2011
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Watching a new thermal feature (hot spring, geyser, fumarole, mud pot, etc.) appear is always exciting. The observations of Bulger’s Hole are coming in. Here are some videos up on YouTube:
The reason for the increase in the videos is simply because people knew to look. While going through my photos to look for any of Bulger’s Hole I might have, I found another area to watch. This one is on Geyser Hill, near the boardwalk around Improbable Geyser.
Area to Watch 5 June 2011
At first I thought I was looking at Pygmy Geyser, but this is a different area. Something may appear here, or it may go for years like Pygmy Geyser has done. But here’s how it looked in June.
A place to watch near Doublet Pool on Geyser Hill
Many new thermal features starting to break out looking like this. Not much of anything at all to notice among the thousands of steaming holes in the ground. But as you become more familiar with them, you do start to notice these smaller features.
This triplet sits right there by the Doublet Pool sign on Geyser Hill. I noticed them a few years back – maybe 2007, but they could very likely have been there for longer. If you remember seeing them before, please leave a comment to add your information. This is how they looked in early June 2010, and I didn’t notice any significant change later on in the summer. In June they really sizzled away – water making the surrounding rock (sinter) dark. Later in the summer, though, due to the absence of spring water (or perhaps less energy in this spot?) they weren’t nearly as sizzly.
This is one of the reasons to stay on the boardwalks. The ground might just be a thin covering over a hot spring. Spots like this can start with bison steps. Often they aren’t harmed, but at times, they may burn a hock or if very unlucky, may fall in. Anything falling in or falling through won’t live long.
Since we can safely watch this area from the boardwalk, though, do keep an eye on this triplet by Doublet. It may change soon, or not for decades.
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I love West Thumb. I think it’s among my favorite spots in Yellowstone. Don’t get me wrong, I love the large geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin, but what brings me back time and again isn’t them, but rather looking for changes. I try to take photos of darn near everything I see. It’s a cataloging project unto itself, but I love seeing even the small changes in the smaller features. It’s the main reason I really wanted to start really knowing the thermal features better. I knew there were changes, but without photos and notes and knowing the geysers and hot springs well, I didn’t really trust my feelings on what I saw.
Plenty of folks watch the big stuff. I watch those, too, simply because they’re fun, delightful and amazing, but I equally like to watch the smaller stuff. And, in particular, West Thumb. Going to the Park while growing up, we always came in the East Entrance and very often stopped at West Thumb, and through this it grew near and dear to my heart. Being on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, it’s just a gorgeous and relaxing place to spend a day. Since really organizing my photos by date starting in 2005, I’ve done this – especially at West Thumb since there aren’t a whole lot of hot springs and geysers to keep track of. Though now, I need to step it up to some sort of album.
During this last visit, again, I noted quite a few changes in some features, and virtually none in others. One, in particular changed by heating up since June. Seismograph Pool was lined with green microbes in June and here, in August, it’s a hot, clear blue – too hot for the microbes to live. The hot spring beyond it, Bluebell Pool, looks unchanged.
Comparison of Seismograph Pool in Yellowstone from 2007-2009
In 2007, I was told that by a few folks that West Thumb was cooling off all over. Many thermal features sat low in their craters, but others had heated up. This type of year-to-year and even season-to-season observation intrigues me more than anything.
Collapsing Pool didn’t change a whole lot since June of this year, but it did boil slightly every time I watched it in the three days in Yellowstone. The arrow shows where the boiling is (hard to see it smaller). My notes and photos in June don’t show that.
Collapsing Pool Comparison 2005-2009, West Thumb, Yellowstone
And another set from the very top of the Lower Group at West Thumb (the main area you walk around). I don’t think color in this one has changed, but rather the difference in how the light hits the upper pools. That same color shift seems to also show in the lake water. However, looking closely, you can see that not all of the pools changed levels, but a few did.
West Thumb Upper Pools (Mimulus Pools here) Comparison 08-09 in Yellowstone
There are more changes, but the one that struck me the most to watch is a patch of ground down toward Lakeside Spring, right near the water, next to the curve that takes you across the lowest boardwalk. I didn’t notice it when there with lots of folks, too much noise. But the morning I walked West Thumb at sunrise, I could hear a slight sizzling sound – not unlike the lid on a pot of boiling water that has a steam release hole – and noticed the newly dead grass here. A bit of water showed, but not much. I waited long enough to have enough light for a ‘good enough’ photo of the spot. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new thermal feature there soon.
Dead grass + slight sizzling = New Thermal Feature at West Thumb?
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Janet
http://youtu.be/5AEIEBWUFYE