Earthquake’s Offspring

Earthquake’s Offspring. . , Red Spouter , As you stand here, imagine traveling back in time to August 17, 1959. You would find yourself on a grassy knoll. Red Spouter did not exist!, Shortly before midnight, a major earthquake rocked Hebgen Lake, Montana, approximately 25 miles northwest of here. Jolts rippled through Yellowstone. In the aftermath, Red Spouter was born., The ‘59 Quake... , . Measured magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale. , . Was the most powerful to strike the area in recorded history., (sidebar) , Some Like It Hot! , Even seething hot springs support life. Heat-loving microorganisms called “thermophiles” thrive in Red Spouter. They live on gases like hydrogen sulfide, the cause of the rotten-egg odor you likely smell here., (sidebar) , Still Changing After All These Years, Hot Spring , Soaked by snowmelt, Red Spouter splashes muddy water in spring., Mudpot , In late summer, the pool is drier. It spits and splatters thick mud., Fumarole , Nearly dry by fall, Red Spouter becomes a steam vent., This exhibit made possible by a generous grant from the Yellowstone Park Foundation