Mineral Deposits on Trees

Mineral Deposits on Trees

The geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone are the things everyone comes to see, but it’s worth looking around to see some of the nearby features that can easily go unnoticed.

One of the things that Sherree and I commented on several times was that the trees near the springs were sometimes almost completely white. The steam that rises from the springs can carry a lot of minerals (sinter, geyserite, or travertine) with it, and as that steam dissipates on the nearby trees, the minerals are left behind. That builds up, and of course makes the tree look white. Sometimes this kills the trees, sometimes not: we saw some firs that were large and alive.

See the original on Flickr.