Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is the main administrative center of Yellowstone National Park in the USA. It owes its name to the nearby sinter terraces and hot springs. It is located at 1902 m asl
In addition to the administrative buildings, there is a village of only a restaurant, a hotel, a souvenir shop, a gas station, a chapel, a post office and a few houses and cottages for workers and tourists.
Geographical Location
Mammoth Hot Springs is the most northern point of the National Park, located near the northern entrance and Wyoming directly on the border with Montana.
Roads leading to the two towns Tower - Roosevelt (approx. 29 km) and Norris (approx. 34 km) within the park and to Gardiner, a neighboring locality outside of the park.
History
The sinter terraces and hot springs at Mammoth Hot Springs were officially discovered in 1871 by a geological expedition under Ferdinand V. Hayden. That same year, the prospector Harry Horr named the sources. Even before Hayden had encountered them, they were probably known to some Indian peoples.
Between 1891 and 1913, the fort was built Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs. Stationed at Fort U.S. troops were responsible to the founding of the National Park Service on August 30, 1916 for administration and management of the National Park. 1918 took over the National Park Service final administration. The fort was converted into a civilian government agency. Even today, the Park of Mammoth Hot Springs from being managed.
Some buildings in Mammoth Hot Springs are quite old, for example, the hotel was built in 1937, one wing of which even 1911.
Sinter terraces
Hot springs can warm water of about 70 ° C slide over the terraces. The water contains higher than average lime and mineral components that fail at source and deposit in the form of terraces. The arrangement of the terraces is dependent on both the nature of the deposits and the rate of growth of the minerals as well as the flow direction and the water turbulence. In the resulting shallow pool algae and bacteria colonize; depending on the temperature of the water they have different colors. Due to the ever new deposits, the direction of water flow and thus the temperature and so that changes colors - from white to blue, brown, green, yellow, orange or red - the terraces from year to year.
The water flows down from the surrounding slopes, is heated by underground volcanic activity and swells at Mammoth Hot Springs to the surface. This often escape sulphurous gases. The water flow has leveled off at about 500 gallons ( 1900 liters) per minute. At the bottom reached the water seeps. Visitors are guided on boardwalk trails through the terraces, as the ground is not always accessible to man and to the terraces not to compromise.
The terraces were already beginning to form millions of years ago. Today the water is deposited up to two tons of limestone per day.
Similar sinter terraces can be found in the Turkish village of Pamukkale. In New Zealand, there were also comparable sinter terraces, however, they were destroyed in 1886 due to volcanic activity.
Attractions
In the area of Mammoth Hot Springs are often observed herds of wapiti deer. They like to lie in the morning and evening on the warm sinter terraces. A herd has become for some years in the village home, which is why some stores have their flower boxes with security railings against wild- feeding.
The sinter terraces include a number of well-known sources, terraces and rocks:
- Opal Terrace: 1947 A tennis court was removed to give this terrace the possibility of natural enlargement. The opal is separated by the road to Norris from the other terraces.
- Angel Terrace: Still in 1920 or 1930 that the patio was colored algae, now she begins to crumble and is overgrown by plants.
- White Elephant Back Terrace: Known unusually by a long white edge. It is like also settled the fishing terrace at the top of the terraces.
- Minerva Source: This source is located in the center of the lower terraces. You can especially multi-colored deposits occur.
- Jupiter Source: It is located south of Minerva source you got the name in the 1880s due to its imposing tower-like formation.
- New Highland Source: This source was active until 1952. She lets her terrace growing rapidly.
- Orange Mound source: She has received its name from the orange color, which adduced their patio.
- Bath Lake: This small lake was named in 1880 as; Soldiers were wont to bathe there. Now bathing is banned because it endangers algae and bacteria.
- Devil 's Thumb: A rock in the form of a large thumb.
Slightly east of Mammoth Hot Springs is the Mount Everts.