Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Yellowstone National Park is so large that is covers three states, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, 96% in Wyoming. It is a live volcano - geysers, fumaroles (steam vents), hot springs, mudpots... Witnessing the volcanic power in a geyser, and its energy in hot springs is amazing. One of the biggest challenges in visiting Yellowstone is finding a close place to stay. It's a big park, just driving along the park is 4 hours. You can either stay inside it (lodge which can be expensive and booked way in advance); or you have to drive quite a while to even hit any park attractions. The photo was taken at Grand Prismatic Spring. The vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat. Because there's very little living in the center of the pool, the water looks extremely clear, and has a beautiful, deep-blue color. As the water spreads out and cools, it creates concentric circles of varying temperatures. Each ring creates a very different environment inhabited by different types of bacteria. And it's the different types of bacteria that give the spring its prismatic colors.
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