[Advertise on Unearthed Outdoors]
Questions, comments, and bug reports should be directed to our forums.
This web page was written by Seth Price.
[651 views since Wed Nov 15 01:27:00 2006]
[render: 0.5 sec]
Park: Yellowstone National Park
Section: Photos
| Preview | Name | Overall | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| View Downstream from Inspiration Point |  | |
 | Grand View | | |
 | South Entrance Sign |  | |
 | Lewis Falls | | |
 | Continental Divide Sign | | |
 | Isa Lake | | |
 | The Continental Divide Sign | | The Continental Divide It is not easy to distinguish the Continental Divide from other mountain ridges. Water flow is sometimes the only clue. From this snow-fed hollow, Isa Lake drains in two different directions - from directly astride the Divide. Isa'a west arm feeds the Firehole River on its way to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and Gulf of Mexico. The lake's east outlet leads to the Snake and Columbia Rivers and the Pacific Ocean via Yellowstone's Shoshone Lake and Lewis River. A Two-Ocean Lake You are standing at the peaked roof of the continent and the upper watershed for two of the nation's most extensive drainage systems - the Snake and Columbia River, and the Missouri and Mississippi. The great rivers begin with little drama. Except during spring runoff, Isa Lake's water flow is mostly seepage. |
 | Kepler Cascades | | |
 | Kepler Cascades | | |
 | Old Faithful Steam | | |
 | Old Faithful & Sign | | |
 | Predicting Old Faithful Informational Sign | | Predicting Old Faithful Every geyser has its own unique eruption indicators. Between spoutings, watch Old Faithful for signs of impending thermal activity. For most of the interval, steam gently billows from Old Faithful's cone., A few minutes before an eruption, intermittent jets of spray spurt a few feet above the surface. When the spurts become sustained and surge upward, a full eruption has begun. The average interval between Old Faithful's eruptions is growing longer. Frequent earthquakes in and near Yellowstone may alter the underground plumbing, changing the routes of circulating water. Vandalism - people throwing objects into Old Faithful's vent - may also contribute to the slowdown. [Lower right image caption] No two eruptions are the same; the height and duration vary. Because the duration of Old Faithful's last eruption determines the time between eruptions, only the next discharge can be predicted. Subsequent eruptions are impossible to predict. [Middle picture captions - left to right] Old Faithful's steaming and spouting merely hint at the thermal action below ground. After an eruption, the partially emptied geyser chambers again fill with hot water. As steam bubbles rise, they clog narrow sections of the geyser tube. Pressure and temperature then increase until steam abruptly forces its way upward, discharging some water in preliminary splashing. This splashing apparently unloads enough water to start a chain reaction deep within the system. As larger quantities of water flash into steam, the geyser surges into full eruption. When the geyser tubes are nearly empty, eruption ceases. The system then begins to refill, and the entire cycle starts anew. |
 | Black Sand Basin Informational Sign | | Black Sand Basin Black obsidian (volcanic glass) "sand" gives this geyser basin its name. Oranges, greens, and other colors in and around the hot springs come from thermophiles (heat-loving micro-organisms). While you walk the trail, watch for one of Cliff Geyser's frequent eruptions. The fully accessible trail is about 1/4 mile (0.4 km) long. [Main image labels - top to bottom] Emerald Pool Rainbow Pool Cliff Geyser Sunset Lake |
 | Trailhead Pool | | |
 | Geese, Algea, & People | | |
 | Emerald Pool | |
View options
You can change how you view this list by changing the options below. Once you have made your changes, apply them by clicking the "Change View" button.