Yellowstone National Park in Park County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Grand Prismatic

Yellowstone National Park

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, February 8, 2011

1. Grand Prismatic Marker

Caption: (bottom left) Park visitors on boardwalk enveloped in blue steam.

Inscription. Why all the vivid colors? One word - sunlight. The brilliant blue of the water is caused by sunlight being scattered by mineral particles in the water. The spring often appears to have a blue haze hovering over it. This is caused by the steam reflecting the blue from the water.
Bright orange heat-loving bacteria known as thermophiles populate the run-channels These microbes contain colorful pigments that allow them to make energy from sunlight and drive in the hot conditions of the spring.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 44° 31.409′ N, 110° 50.394′ W. Marker is in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, in Park County. It can be reached from U.S. 191. The marker is located at the Grand Prismatic Overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yellowstone National Park WY 82190, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Bighorn Basin

and in Greater Yellowstone.

It is also in the American

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Grand Prismatic Spring: Prism of Light, Spectrum of Life (approx. 0.2 miles away); Life on the Edge (approx. 0.2 miles away); Buried Alive (approx. ¼ mile away); Excelsior Geyser (approx. ¼ mile away); White Dome Geyser (approx. 2.1 miles away); Fountain Paint Pot (approx. 2½ miles away); a different marker also named Fountain Paint Pot (approx. 2½ miles away); Earthquake’s Offspring (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yellowstone National Park.

More about this marker. The Grand Prismatic Overlook is a 1/2 hike from the Fairy Falls parking lot.

Also see . . . Microbial mat -- Wikipedia. A microbial mat is a multi-layered sheet of microorganisms, mainly bacteria and archaea, or bacteria alone. Microbial mats grow at interfaces between different types of material, mostly on submerged or moist surfaces, but
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, February 8, 2011

2. Grand Prismatic Spring
a few survive in deserts....Although only a few centimetres thick at most, microbial mats create a wide range of internal chemical environments, and hence generally consist of layers of microorganisms that can feed on or at least tolerate the dominant chemicals at their level...Microbial mats are the earliest form of life on Earth for which there is good fossil evidence, from 3,500 million years ago, and have been the most important members and maintainers of the planet's ecosystems. (Submitted on August 11, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Microbial mats image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, February 8, 2011

3. Microbial mats

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 11, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.