Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces - Impressed by the rock formations and their colors – white, yellow, gold, and orange! All these colors are due to the presence of bacteria and algae that flourish in the extremely hot waters of the springs. Over thousands of years they have formed terraces called travertine formations - Rain waters seep into the rocks, and once they reach a certain depth, they are heated by the action of boiling magma. They rise back to the surface of the earth. The waters at Mammoth Hot Springs are not expelled into the air. They cross the rocks up and deposit limestone sediments on the surface. The warm waters slowly flow from one basin to another, forming terraces as shown in the picture. It flows over some white limestone and orange travertine deposits. Mammoth Hot Springs is “journey to the center of Earth”, but outdoors!
The diversity of life in Yellowstone's thermal hot springs is more complex than we'd ever thought. Heat-loving microbes living in the Yellowstone's thermal pools – showing as living thermometer. The color of the bacteria is determined by the temperature of the water (You can tell the water temperature by the colors of microorganisms). The area is nature’s laboratory and provide unique opportunity to study and unveil earth’s secrets.
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