The travertine terraces of Yellowstone National Park’s Mammoth Hot Springs are intricate fountains built out of limestone from deep underground. As the geothermal water rises to the surface, a trickle of minerals layer on top of previous deposits. Colorful patches of pinks, oranges and pastels are actually alive – created from heat-loving thermophile organisms. These beautiful stone cascades change readily as the Earth’s magmatic caldera churns below the surface of the park.
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