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The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world,[1] next to those in New Zealand. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.
[edit] History
The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of fur trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midway Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring,[2] with a diameter of 300 feet (91 m). In 1870 the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition visited the spring, noting a 50-foot (15-meter) geyser nearby (later named Excelsior).[3][4]
The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green.[5] The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.
The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from a light-absorbing overtone of the hydroxy stretch of water.[6] Though this effect is responsible for making all large bodies of water blue, it is particularly intense in Grand Prismatic Spring because of the high purity and depth of the water in the middle of the spring.
[edit] Physical structure
The spring is approximately 250 by 300 feet (75 by 91 m) in size and is 160 feet (49 meters) deep. The spring discharges an estimated 560 gallons (2000 litres) of 160°F (71°C) water per minute.[7]
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Grand Prismatic Spring and Midway Geyser Basin
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[edit] References
Media related to Grand Prismatic Spring at Wikimedia Commons
