Fountain Paint Pot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fountain Paint Pot |
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Fountain Paint Pot, 1899
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| Location | Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park |
| Coordinates | 44°33′02″N 110°48′22″W / 44.550578°N 110.8062419°W |
| Elevation | 7,306 feet (2,227 m) |
| Type | Mud pot |
Fountain Paint Pot
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The Fountain Paint Pot is a special kind of mud pot found in the Yellowstone National Park. It's located in an area called the Lower Geyser Basin. People often call it 'Paint Pots' because of its colorful mud!
Contents
What Makes Fountain Paint Pot So Colorful?
The Fountain Paint Pot gets its name from the amazing colors of its mud. You can see reds, yellows, and browns. These different colors come from iron in the mud. The iron changes color depending on how much oxygen it has. This is similar to how a rusty nail turns reddish-brown.
How Mud Pots Work
Like all hot springs, the Fountain Paint Pot is heated by the Earth's warmth. Deep underground, hot water is pushed up to the surface. This water mixes with dirt and minerals, creating the thick mud you see.
Rising gases from below cause the mud to bubble and burp. It looks like a giant pot of boiling paint! The way the mud bubbles changes with the seasons. In early summer, after a lot of rain and melted snow, the mud is very watery. But by late summer, when there's less water, the mud becomes much thicker.
Amazing Geysers Nearby
The Fountain Paint Pot area is also home to several exciting geysers. A geyser is a hot spring that shoots water and steam high into the air.
- Fountain Geyser: This geyser usually erupts several times a day. Its eruptions can be quite large and impressive.
- Clepsydra Geyser: This geyser is often active, meaning it erupts frequently. However, it usually stops erupting right after Fountain Geyser has a big show.
- Morning Geyser: This geyser is very powerful but doesn't erupt often. It might be quiet for years and then suddenly become active again.
Exploring the Area Safely
You can visit the Fountain Paint Pot and the nearby geysers by walking on a special boardwalk. This trail starts from a parking lot on the main road. It's very important to stay on the boardwalk. Going off the trail is not allowed because the ground can be very hot and dangerous. There are hidden hot spots and thin crusts that could break.
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Closeup of the paintpots
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Two large paintpots
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Overflow of Silex Spring
