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RUNOFF

For hundreds of years, the water in Yellowstone’s geyser basins works its way through the underlying bedrock. The hot water dissolves silica, as well as other minerals and elements, and carries them along in solution. Silica is a common component of sand, and is used to manufacture glass and concrete.

Some of the dissolved rock lines the subterranean passageways. The rest is carried to the surface and is deposited upon the surrounding landscape as siliceous sinter or geyserite. Geyserite usually forms very slowly, at a rate of only .5 to 1 inch (12-25 mm) per century!

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