Prismatic Spring Features in Latest Yellowstone Violation Video as Tourist Crosses Hydrothermal Feature

Prismatic Spring, a hydrothermal phenomenon in Yellowstone National Park, was walked on by a tourist on camera.

Officials said that because it disturbs the ecosystem, such behavior is prohibited.

More Violations in Yellowstone National Park

Another video of tourists to Yellowstone National Park YNP illegally abandoning the boardwalk and disturbing thermal phenomena was uploaded to the "Tourons of Yellowstone" Instagram page on June 26.

One of the two men was captured on camera crossing Grand Prismatic Spring.

This comes after a video of two people getting off a boardwalk to visit Silex Spring earlier this week was released online, while videos of tourists getting too close to wildlife were also posted online.

Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the thermal features that YNP prohibits visitors from touching because doing so could harm the environment, result in severe burns, or even result in death if a thin crust of bacterial mat cracks.

The iconic spring experiences temperatures that range from 145.4 to 188.6 Fahrenheit, which are quite close to boiling.

Buckrail was informed by YNP that rangers are looking into the films and that the Park is aware of them.

The YNP requests that any information regarding park visitors who disobey the rules be reported via the 24-hour anonymous tip line.

YNP Hydrothermal Feature, The Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring actually has rainbow colors, going from red to blue as white light passes through a prism.

The Hayden Expedition, the first federally-funded expedition to what would become Yellowstone, was initially identified and named the spring in 1871.

When heated water seeps through fractures in the Earth's surface, hot springs are created.

Geysers erupt because of barriers that are close to the surface. Hot springs have free-flowing water that constantly rises, cools, and falls in temperature. Extremely hot water comes out from the center of the Grand Prismatic Spring, and as it spreads out across its vast surface, which is around 370 feet across, it progressively cools, creating rings of different temperatures around the center.

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Heat-Loving Bacteria

The gorgeous coloring of the hot spring is a result of the heat-loving bacteria that live there.

Temperatures in the spring's heart, where water bubbles 121 feet up from underground chambers, can soar to 189° Fahrenheit, which is too hot for most life.

Some life does, however, manage to exist, although it is confined to creatures that feed on inorganic substances like hydrogen gas.

The water in the center of the pool appears to be incredibly clear and has a stunning, deep blue hue because there isn't much life there.

In contrast, when the water cools and expands out, it forms concentric circles with varied temperatures.

It is important to note that each of these varied temperature rings produces a completely diverse habitat where various kinds of bacteria can live. And the various bacterial species give the spring its prismatic hues, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.

Safety in Hydrothermal Areas

The National Park Service continues to remind visitors to stay on boardwalks and designated trails because hydrothermal water can severely burn anyone who comes close. It is not allowed to run, push, or shove in the area.

Guardians and parents should supervise children at all times.

Lastly, under no circumstance should anyone attempt to scratch hydrothermal mats.

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