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Believe it or not, Yellowstone was once a lush and forested environment. As the plate above the hot spot continues to move, more craters will be created in Yellowstone. That's why, as the plate slowly moves, it creates a trace of volcanic activity as the hot spot erupts volcanic lava. Because the impact in Oregon was so great, it remains stationary while the North American tectonic plate shifts above it. The energy emitted from this collision resulted in heating of water near fault lines in Idaho. About 17 million years ago, a meteorite collision occurred in present day southeast Oregon. Then the water will rise back up to create hot springs.Ĭreation of Yellowstone Hot Springs The volcanic activity responsible for creating the hot springs are caused by the moving hot spot, which is currently under Yellowstone. When created in non-volcanic areas, water becomes heated as it comes into contact with hot rocks within the earth's crust. If it rises back up slowly, it will become a hot spring if it rises back up quickly, it will become a geyser. This superheated water then rises back up, creating either a hot spring or geyser depending on the rate it rises. When created in an area near active volcanic zones, like Yellowstone, water becomes heated as it comes into contact with magma. They can either be created in a volcanic or non-volcanic manner. Hot springs can be created in different ways. 1 They are everywhere: different countries and areas, even some on the seafloor.
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Hot springs are geothermal springs that are substantially higher in temperature than the air temperature of the surrounding region. Yellowstone Hot Springs What are hot springs?
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Here we characterize the specific conditions and variability attributed to different regions in Yellowstone hot springs as well as address hot springs from other countries. Within these geothermal springs, as well as in other countries, microbes have been identified to inhabit the elevated water temperatures and utilize the various resources available to them. Yellowstone is home to the third largest hot spring in the world, Grand Prismatic Spring, and hot springs here have been receiving more attention than ever for its unique colors and temperatures. Yellowstone is known for its geothermal activity that includes its famous geysers and hot springs that span across the entire park. Yellowstone National Park is one of the most interesting and unique places on Earth. 3.2 Temperature/Microbial Zones of Hot Springs.3 What Microbes Live in Yellowstone Hot Springs?.
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