Customer Reviews

Yellowstone's Geysers, Hot Springs and Fumaroles (Field Guide)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I cannot speak highly enough of this book.
My boyfriend and I just got back from our first trip to Yellowstone- and this book was invaluable to us.
We took it with us as we went to the various geyser basins. It was incredibly helpful!

We read about the geysers,hot springs, fumuroles and mud pots as we got to each one.

The book also has great color photos of each feature.

It is broken down into these sections:
* Geyser Life
* Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces
* Norris Geyser Basin
* Gibbon Geyser Basin
* Lower Geyser Basin
* Midway Geyser Basin
* Biscuit Geyser Basin
* Black Sand Basin
* Upper Geyser Basin
* Shoshone Geyser Basin
* Mud Volcano Area
* West Thumb Geyser Basin
* Heart Lake Geyser Basin
* New Zealand - (3 hot springs)

As an example, here's what the book says about Fountain Paint Pots (in the Lower Geyser Basin):
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Temperature= 202.8 degrees F
Dimensions: 80 X 40 feet

Fountain Paint Pots was originally named "Mud Puff" by the 1871 Hayden survey and later turn-of-the-century tourists called it Mammoth Paint Pots.But guide books referred to the area as Fountain Geyser and Paintpots and the name was adopted in 1927.

The mud is composed of clay and fine particles of silica broken down by acids and grinding action.
The tinting of the mud in colors of pink and gray from iron oxides is derived from the original rock.
The bubbling action results in escaping steam and gasses- mainly carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

In the spring and early summer the mud is thin and the pots boil. By late summer and fall there is less moisture and the mud is thicker, creating unusual shapes and formations.
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The only gripe that I have about this book is that it does not list every single feature.
There is a map at the beginning of each section- in red are the features that are talked about- and in black are the ones that are not mentioned.

In the Lower Geyser Basin- there were several feautures that we came to that were not talked about in the book, such as:
Leather Pool, Celestine Pool, Firehole Pool and Surprise Pool, Hot Lake, Jet Geyser, Twig Geyser, etc...

In the Midway Geyser Basin, Opal Pool is not talked about. We walked up to it and wanted to know more about it.

But I do highly recommend this book.
Most of the features are listed. The author talks about the history and goes into detail about the characteristics about the features.
I recommend this book for anyone taking their first trip to Yellowstone. Take this book along with you as you tour the fascinating geological features of the park.You will be glad that you had this helpful guide.
This book also is great for everyone who loves Yellowstone and would like to learn more about the magic of this park.

I took my family to Yellowstone National Park hoping to see some of the more unusual geysers in action. Carl Schreier's book was a great help in choosing which geysers to wait for to see the eruptions. For each geyser, hot spring, and fumarole, Schreier's book contains a photo and interesting information concerning the discovery of the various thermal sights, and an accurate description of the interval and duration of the geysers. Everyone in our family was reading it.

This book has all the information you need about the geysers in Yellowstone. Which basin of the park each geyser is located. It has maps of the different basins and where you will find each of the Geysers. Includes color pictures of each geyser and gives great detail about each, including intervals of when the geyser errupts.

This little field guide is hands-down the best guide to use in choosing which geysers to view, and where, while in Yellowstone National Park. T. Scott Bryan's "The Geysers of Yellowstone" is also a great book, but has few photos and all in black and white (except the cover), and its comprehensiveness reduces its usefulness for quick consultation during a visit. Buy Bryan's book to learn everything there is to know about Yellowstone's Geysers, but buy Schreier's gorgeously illustrated and compact Field Guide for use IN the Park on your vacation.