The Fury Of The Fountain Paint Pots: A Geothermal Wonder

The Fountain Paint Pot area in Yellowstone National Park contains all four types of thermal features: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. The heat in the caldera forces pressurised water up through the ground, which is expelled. The bubbling action in the mud varies with the seasons. In spring, the mud is watery due to the high water table from rain and snow melt. By the end of summer, the mud is much thicker as the water table drops. The colours of the mud—reds, yellows, greens, oranges, browns, and rusts—are derived from the oxidation states of the iron in the mud. The green, brown, and orange colours are mostly cyanobacteria, which can live in waters as hot as 167ºF (75ºC).

The Fountain Paint Pot area contains all four types of thermal features: geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles

The Fountain Paint Pot area in Yellowstone National Park contains all four types of thermal features: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. This area is within the Lower Geyser Basin and can be reached by a half-mile boardwalk nature trail.

The Fountain Paint Pot itself is a mud pot named for the reds, yellows, and browns of the mud in the area. The heat in the caldera forces pressurised water up through the ground, which is expelled, and rising gases cause the bubbling action. The bubbling mud varies with the seasons; in early summer, the mud is watery due to the high water table from rain and snowmelt, while by the end of summer, the mud is much thicker as the water table drops.

The boardwalk trail also includes other thermal features such as Silex Spring, a clear blue spring where the water is too hot for thermophiles to survive. There is also the Red Spouter, which changes throughout the seasons. In spring and summer, it spouts red water and mud, and in late summer and fall, it becomes a hissing fumarole.

The Fountain Paint Pot area also features several geysers, including the Fountain Geyser, Clepsydra Geyser, and Morning Geyser. These geysers can reach heights of up to 200 feet and are best viewed from the boardwalk trail, which offers a safe and informative way to experience the thermal features of the area.

The colours of the mud in the Fountain Paint Pot area are derived from the oxidation states of the iron in the mud

The Fountain Paint Pot is a mud pot located in the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The area is named for the reds, yellows, and browns of the mud in the Fountain Paint Pot area. The colours of the mud are derived from the oxidation states of the iron in the mud. The oxidation states differ from feature to feature, resulting in a variety of colours.

The heat in the caldera forces pressurised water up through the ground, which is expelled in the Fountain Paint Pot area. This heat also contributes to the oxidation states of the iron in the mud, influencing the colour variations. The bubbling action in the mud is caused by rising gases, and this varies with the seasons. In early summer, the mud is more watery due to the high water table from rain and snowmelt. By the end of summer, the mud becomes much thicker as the water table drops.

The Fountain Paint Pot area includes various geothermal features, such as geysers, hot springs, pools, and fumaroles. The average temperature of the mudpots is approximately 167 °F, with colours ranging from green and yellow at the hottest temperatures to orange, rust, and brown as the temperature cools. The colours of the bacteria in the water also contribute to the overall colour palette of the area.

The iron in the mud of the Fountain Paint Pot area undergoes different oxidation processes, resulting in a range of colours. The varying oxidation states of the iron, combined with the seasonal changes in water levels and temperature, create a dynamic and visually striking environment that attracts visitors to the Fountain Paint Pot area in Yellowstone National Park.

Silex Spring is a hot spring where thermophiles cannot survive in the water, but they thrive in the runoff water around the spring, which is cooler

Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is America's first national park. Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it is home to a wide variety of wildlife and extraordinary geological features. One such feature is the Fountain Paint Pot, a mud pot located in the Lower Geyser Basin. The Fountain Paint Pot derives its name from the reds, yellows, and browns of the mud in the area, which come from the oxidation states of iron in the soil. The bubbling action of the mud varies with the seasons, with spring and early summer rains creating a watery consistency, while the mud becomes thicker by late summer.

The Fountain Paint Pot area is a hydrothermal wonderland, with all four major types of thermal features: geysers, pools, mudpots, and fumaroles. A short walk down the boardwalk from the parking lot brings visitors to Silex Spring, a hot spring with an average temperature of 174.7°F (79.3°C). The spring gets its name from the large amount of silica found in and around it; silex is Latin for silica. The clear blue colour of the water indicates its extremely high temperature, too hot even for thermophiles, heat-loving microorganisms that can survive in extremely high temperatures. While thermophiles cannot survive in the spring itself, they thrive in the runoff water around it, which is cooler.

The silica in the underlying volcanic rocks is dissolved by the hot waters of Silex Spring. This silica is then deposited as sinter, which lines the pool and forms terraces along the runoff channels. The runoff channels from Silex Spring are quite large and provide a hot water environment where thermophiles can flourish. The colours of the thermophiles vary with the water temperature, with yellow or green colours indicating the hottest temperatures, and orange, rust, and brown colours appearing as the water cools. These thermophiles serve as food for various flies, which in turn become food for other creatures in the ecosystem, such as mites, spiders, and birds.

Silex Spring is a unique feature within Yellowstone National Park, showcasing the incredible geothermal activity that still occurs within the park. The spring's high temperatures and silica-rich waters contribute to the formation of colourful terraces and the thriving ecosystem of thermophiles in the surrounding area. Visitors are advised to stay on the designated boardwalks and trails for their safety, as the hydrothermal waters can cause severe burns.

The Fountain Paint Pot area is within the Lower Geyser Basin

The boardwalk trail begins at the Fountain Paint Pot parking lot and soon splits into a loop, where you'll find a large area of bacterial mats, or "thermophiles," which can survive in extremely hot temperatures of up to 167°F. The colours of these mats indicate the water's temperature: yellow or green at the hottest temperatures, and orange, rust, or brown as the temperature cools.

Just a short distance down the boardwalk is Silex Spring, a hot spring with water too hot to support thermophilic life. However, the cooler runoff water around the spring provides an ideal environment for these heat-loving bacteria. The namesake Fountain Paint Pots are located just to the left of Silex Spring. The boardwalk encircles this area, offering views of the mudpots, which vary in consistency depending on the season. In spring and early summer, rain and snowmelt create watery mud, while by late summer, the mud becomes much thicker.

Further along the boardwalk, you'll encounter additional hydrothermal features, including Leather Pool, Red Spouter, and a collection of geysers such as Twig, Jet, Spasm, Morning, Fountain, and Clepsydra. The Fountain Geyser is particularly noteworthy, with eruptions reaching over 75 feet and occurring every 4 to 15 hours. The Morning Geyser, while rarely active, is the largest geyser in the Fountain area and one of the largest in the world, with eruptions reaching up to 200 feet high and lasting up to 30 minutes.

The boardwalk trail in the Fountain Paint Pot area is approximately 0.5 miles long

The Fountain Paint Pot Trail in Yellowstone National Park is approximately 0.5 miles long and is a loop boardwalk trail. The trail is accessible via snowmobile and snow coach in the winter and is usually open from May through September. It is a popular area for birding, hiking, and walking, and you will likely encounter other people while exploring. The trailhead has limited parking, especially between 10 am and 6 pm, and there is a designated accessible parking area. The first part of the trail is wheelchair accessible and perfectly level up to Silex Spring, but other areas of the boardwalk have steep portions and steps, including a steep grade between Silex Spring and Fountain Paint Pot, as well as some steps near Twig Geyser.

Along the Fountain Paint Pot Trail, you will encounter various hydrothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, mudpots, and fumaroles, which are expressions of Yellowstone's still active volcano. These features can be grouped into two general categories: those with a great deal of water (hot springs and geysers) and those with limited water (mudpots and fumaroles). Despite their structural similarities, no two features are exactly alike.

The Fountain Paint Pot area is within the Lower Geyser Basin and is home to all four major types of thermal features. The boardwalk loop allows you to view these features from different angles. The namesake of this area, the Fountain Paint Pots themselves, are mudpots that get their name from the reds, yellows, and browns of the mud, derived from the oxidation states of iron in the mud. The bubbling action in the mud varies with the seasons, with thin and watery mud in early summer due to abundant rain and snowmelt, and thicker mud by late summer as the water table drops.

The boardwalk trail takes you past several notable features, including Silex Spring, with its very hot, clear blue water; Leather Pool, which temporarily lost its brown colour after a 1959 earthquake raised its temperature to boiling; Red Spouter, created by the same earthquake; and a collection of geysers, including Twig, Jet, Spasm, Morning, Fountain, and Clepsydra. The trail also passes by dead lodgepole pines, which were drowned by shifting hot springs, and ends at Celestine Pool, a medium-sized pool with a deep blue colour.

Frequently asked questions