Geyser Watch

Sulphide Spring (foreground) 8 June 2010

One of the first hot springs you’ll encounter on Geyser Hill is Sulphide Spring – which seems to be giving off more of a sulfur/rotten egg odor than it has in the past. I almost don’t notice it anymore (it’s just the smell of Yellowstone to me), so to gauge it better, I watch the reaction of visitors to the area. Three or four years ago, there was no reaction, and last year young people with more sensitive noses noticed it, but on this last visit there were nearly constant comments about the smell from adults as well as kids.

A Typical Reaction to Sulphide Spring in Early June 2011

My notes from all of last summer and fall said bubbling and near sizzling along the edge of the spring closest to the boardwalk. In early June, though, there was bubbles showing throughout the pool creating agitation to the water’s surface – still more bubbles seen along the edge. But at times it also seemed nearly calm – my guess is that it’s cycling through times of boiling and times of calm. If you spend a few minutes there, I’d love to know what you see – leave a comment here or on the Sulphide Spring page.

Looking at photos from years past, I see the water level changes as well. Here are two from the past:

And here’s one from June. Because the Park Service does a good job of keeping people on the boardwalks and not tossing items into the thermal features, comparisons like this are possible even though millions of people visit them. Thank you for doing the right thing.

Sulphide Spring 4 June 2011

So, the next time you tour through geyser hill, take note of this often ignored hot spring – though its odor makes it harder to ignore these days.