Red, multi-characterized thermal crater in Yellowstone, created by the 1959 earthquake

Many of Yellowstone National Park's thermal features are defined by their characters. The regularity of Old Faithful, or the sheer noise and clouds of steam of Steamboat Geyser, or the colorful palette of artists' colours.

By that logic, Red Spring may be Yellowstone's most ambitious. Instead of building a reputation around one person, you try to be many things and succeed. Along the way, he is dazzled by the sight of this pool of red goo boiling and exploding, which seems to announce the prominent appearance of a demon from the underworld.

As the seasons change in the park, this relatively modern thermal feature changes with them.

“It's all about water,” said Mike Poland, the scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. “It's the same feature, but the availability of water makes a big difference in its appearance.”

The earth moved

While many of Yellowstone's thermal features have been active for hundreds or thousands of years, Red Spouter's origins can date back to just one day 65 years ago.

On August 17, 1959, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded outside the western entrance to Yellowstone. The intensity of the earthquake caused floods and landslides, killing 28 people.

The Hebgen Lake earthquake remains the largest in the US Intermountain West in modern times.

“This earthquake shook the hydrothermal system, creating new pathways for hot water and gases to reach the surface,” Poland said.

Within the park, the intensity of the earthquake changed the behavior of many thermal features. She also created a few new things, including a faucet, which shows that nature is already red in tooth and claw.

The Red Spouter, created by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on August 17, 1959, could be a mud pot, hot spring or hot gas vent. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) The Red Spouter, created by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 17, 1959, could be a mud pot, hot spring or hot gas vent. (Adobe Stock) Red Spouter was created by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on August 17, 1959, and could be a mud pot, hot spring, or hot gas vent. (Adobe Stock) Left arrow, right arrow, just add water

Red Spouter is a fumarole. And a hot spring. And the clay pot. It all depends on the season.

Poland said the key to understanding Red Spouter behavior is water availability. The absence or abundance of water determines the mood of the thermal property.

“When groundwater levels are very low — usually in late summer — the feature behaves like a fumarole, venting gases into the air,” he said. “But when groundwater levels are higher, usually in the spring, it can be a flowing mud bowl or even look like a spring.”

This is not an uncommon phenomenon in Yellowstone. Many of the thermal features in the park change their behavior depending on their seasonal saturation.

Geysers like Old Faithful are fed by an underwater plumbing system, which forces water through narrow openings to create dramatic water-splashing displays. Like many other thermal features in the park, Red Spouter activity depends on the amount of surface water from rain, winter snow runoff, or other indirect sources that drain into its area.

“Go to the artists' drawing bowls, the mud volcano area, or some of the features in Norris (Basin) in the spring and again in late summer and compare what kind of activity you see,” Boland said. “It will look different due to different water conditions. This is especially the case for fumaroles and clay pots, as they will look different depending on the water levels.

As for color, Poland isn't entirely sure why the faucet is reddish. Some thermal features get their color from microorganisms that thrive in the water, but he believes there is a more realistic explanation for Red Spouter.

“I'm not sure, but I think it's related to the type of rocks in that area,” he said. “The color is likely leaching from the existing clay.”

Easy entry

Yellowstone National Park has some amazing secrets, but the Red Spouter isn't one of them. It is one of the central features along the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail.

Anyone hoping to experience the Red Spouter as a splashing hot spring or sparkling clay bowl should go in the winter or spring when there is sufficient moisture in and around the spout. In the extreme heat of summer, steam will be coming out of the nozzle, but there probably won't be anything else.

Poland does not believe that Red Spouter harbors multiple personalities. Instead, it is another fascinating reflection of how Yellowstone's surface world has influenced how visitors and scientists experience the forces at work below the surface.

“I can't say Red Spouter has multiple personalities,” he said. “(The fact) that it changes with the seasons is its character. It's all about the water.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at [email protected].

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