Effects of potential geothermal development in the Corwin Springs Known Geothermal Resources Area, Montana, on the thermal features of Yellowstone National Park

Petrographic and geochemical analyses of travertine-depositing hot springs at Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, have been used to define five depositional facies along the spring drainage system. Spring waters are expelled in the vent facies at 71 to 73؇C and precipitate mounded travertine composed of aragonite needle botryoids. The apron and channel facies (43-72؇C) is floored by hollow tubes composed of aragonite needle botryoids that encrust sulfide-oxidizing Aquificales bacteria. The travertine of the pond facies (30-62؇C) varies in composition from aragonite needle shrubs formed at higher temperatures to ridged networks of calcite and aragonite at lower temperatures. Calcite ''ice sheets'', calcified bubbles, and aggregates of aragonite needles (''fuzzy dumbbells'') precipitate at the air-water interface and settle to pond floors. The proximal-slope facies (28-54؇C), which forms the margins of terracette pools, is composed of arcuate aragonite needle shrubs that create small microterracettes on the steep slope face. Finally, the distal-slope facies (28-30؇C) is composed of calcite spherules and calcite ''feather'' crystals. Despite the presence of abundant microbial mat communities and their observed role in providing substrates for mineralization, the compositions of spring-water and travertine predominantly reflect abiotic physical and chemical processes. Vigorous CO 2 degassing causes a ؉2 unit increase in spring water pH, as well as Rayleigh-type covariations between the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon and corresponding ␦ 13 C. Travertine ␦ 13 C and ␦ 18 O are nearly equivalent to aragonite and calcite equilibrium values calculated from spring water in the higher-temperature (ϳ50-73؇C) depositional facies. Conversely, travertine precipitating in the lower-temperature (Ͻϳ50؇C) depositional facies exhibits ␦ 13 C and ␦ 18 O values that are as much as 4‰ less than predicted equilibrium values. This isotopic shift may record microbial respiration as well as downstream transport of travertine crystals. Despite the production of H 2 S and the abundance of sulfideoxidizing microbes, preliminary ␦ 34 S data do not uniquely define the microbial metabolic pathways present in the spring system. This suggests that the high extent of CO 2 degassing and large open-system solute reservoir in these thermal systems overwhelm biological controls on travertine crystal chemistry.

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Depositional Facies and Aqueous-Solid Geochemistry of Travertine-Depositing Hot Springs (Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.)

Fouke

Farmer

Marais

et al. 2000

Journal of Sedimentary Research

319

364

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Reconstruction of Water Temperature, pH, and Flux of Ancient Hot Springs from Travertine Depositional Facies

Veysey

Fouke

Kandianis

et al. 2008

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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An extensive data set of the physical and chemical attributes of two modern hot springs in the Mammoth Hot Springs complex of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A., yields a strong correlation between travertine depositional facies and the temperature, pH, and flux of the hot-spring water from which the travertine precipitated. Because advection dominates in these hot-spring drainage systems, we quantify variability between and within springs in order to construct a hydrologic model that defines the primary flow path in the context of key macroscopic travertine accumulation patterns. This model, based on 343 in situ triplicate measurements, provides the basis for the use of travertine facies models to quantitatively reconstruct hot-spring aqueous temperature, pH, and flux solely from precipitated travertine. As an example reconstruction, we deduce that previously described Pleistocene apron and channel facies travertine quarry deposits from central Italy precipitated from hot-spring waters with a pH of 6.86 6 0.19 and a temperature of 65.4 6 3.6uC.

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The question of recharge to the geysers and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park

Rye¹,

Truesdell²

1993

Open-File Report

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The extraordinary number, size and unspoiled beauty of the geysers and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park make them a national treasure. The hydrology of these special features and their relation to cold waters of the Yellowstone area are poorly known and in the absence of extensive, deep drillholes are only available indirectly from isotope studies. The 6D -818O values of precipitation and cold surface and ground water samples fall close to the global meteoric water line (Craig, 1961). 6D values of monthly samples of rain and snow collected over the period 1978 to 1981 at two stations in the Park show strong seasonal variations, with average values for winter months close to those for cold waters near the collection site. 5D values of over 300 samples of cold springs, cold streams, and rivers collected during the fall since 1967 show consistent N-S and E-W patterns throughout and outside of the Park although values at a given site may vary by as much as 8%o from year to year. These data along with hot spring data interpreted earlier (Truesdell et al., 1977; Pearson and Truesdell, 1978), show that recharge to the Yellowstone thermal waters occurs at different levels. Near geyser basins, shallow recharge waters dilute ascending deep thermal waters particularly at basin margins. Deep recharge is heated to >350°C to become the major deep thermal reservoir fluid that supplies steam and hot water to all (?) geyser basins on the western side of the Park. This water (8D = -148 to -150%c) is isotopicafiy lighter than all but the farthest north, highest-elevation, cold springs and streams. The most likely area of recharge for the deep thermal water in the western part of the Park is in the Gallatin Range where major N-S faults connect with the caldera. This recharge area for the deep thermal water is at least 20 kilometers and possibly as much as 70 kilometers from outflow in the thermal areas. Volumetric and flow models based on published chloride flux studies of thermal waters suggests that in a 0.5 to 4 km deep reservoir the residence time of most of the thermal water should be less than 1900 years. The amount of isotopically light water infiltrating in the Gallatin Range during our samph'ng period may not be enough to provide the present outflow of deep water suggesting that some recharge may have occurred during a slightly cooler time with a greater amount of winter precipitation.

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Effects of potential geothermal development in the Corwin Springs Known Geothermal Resources Area, Montana, on the thermal features of Yellowstone National Park

Cited by 3 publications

References 23 publications

Depositional Facies and Aqueous-Solid Geochemistry of Travertine-Depositing Hot Springs (Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.)

Depositional Facies and Aqueous-Solid Geochemistry of Travertine-Depositing Hot Springs (Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.)

Reconstruction of Water Temperature, pH, and Flux of Ancient Hot Springs from Travertine Depositional Facies

The question of recharge to the geysers and hot springs of Yellowstone National Park

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