South Fork of Tantalus Creek, southwestern Back Basin, southern Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Hotspot, northwestern Wyoming, USA on on 9 August 2011. (looking ~S)
The South Fork of Tantalus Creek flows north and drains the Gray Lakes area of Norris Back Basin. The water is warm to hot, acidic, chloride-rich, and sulfate-rich. The green coloration in the channel on the left is from colonies of unicellular, photosynthetic, extremophile organisms - Cyanidium caldarium in this case. Confusingly, despite its green color, Cyanidium caldarium is a red alga (Rhodophyta, Rhodophyceae, Cyanidiales, Cyanidiaceae). This genus of red algae is known to prefer hot, acidic water environments.
The hill in the distance is composed of rhyolitic ash-flow tuff of the Lava Creek Tuff (lower Middle Pleistocene, 640 ka) and covered by Upper Pleistocene glacial till.
Tags: Norris Geyser Basin Back Wyoming Yellowstone hot spring springs geysers South Fork Tantalus Creek
Tantalus Creek, north-central Back Basin, southern Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Hotspot, northwestern Wyoming, USA on 9 August 2011. (looking ~NW)
Tantalus Creek is the main drainage in Norris Back Basin. Here, it is flowing to the northwest; it joins with the South Fork of Tantalus Creek in the distance. Much of the water in these creeks is geyser and hot spring runoff. Chemically, the creek water is acidic, chloride-rich, and sulfate-rich.
Tags: Tantalus Creek Back Basin Norris Geyser Yellowstone Wyoming
(looking upstream)
Tags: white creek group white creek white creek group ravine ravine group lower geyser basin lower geyser basin yellowstone geology geysers wyoming hot spring springs hot spring hot springs
(looking upstream)
Tags: white creek group white creek white creek group ravine ravine group lower geyser basin lower geyser basin yellowstone geology geysers wyoming hot spring springs hot spring hot springs
(looking downstream)
Tags: white creek group white creek white creek group ravine ravine group lower geyser basin lower geyser basin yellowstone geology geysers wyoming hot spring springs hot spring hot springs