The geothermal area of Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most dynamic part of the volcanic caldera of Yellowstone. It is located near the northwestern edge of the caldera, where major faults in the Earth’s crust intersect with the ring-fracture zone that resulted...
Plume Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone erupts with a high fountain of boiling water and steam. As the water passes through the vent in the ground, it is set into rapid rotation. This unique moment is frozen in time and backlit by the sun, creating pure...
One of the most alien-looking places on Earth is Fly Geyser in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada. It is an incredible experience to admire the rising Milky Way above the boiling water spouting from the geyser at new moon. Standing in 50°C (122°F) hot water...
Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California, is an endorheic basin, a closed drainage basin that retains all its water without any outflow. It contains a dried-out salt lake covered with a network of mud cracks. Temperatures are oven-like, and the valley holds the...
The ancient bristlecone pine forests high in the White Mountains on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada in California grow at altitudes between 3,000 and 3,400 m (9,800 and 11,000 ft) under arid, high-alpine conditions. They are home to the oldest living trees in...
