Water Chemistry Data for Selected Springs, Geysers, and Streams in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Beginning 2009-Sample Information

McCleskey, Blaine; Chiu, Randall; Nordstrom, Kirk; Campbell, Kate; Roth, David; Ball, James; Plowman, Terry

There are over 10,000 thermal features in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) (Whittlesey, 1988), where waters have pH values ranging from about 1 to 10 and surface temperatures up to about 95 °C (~93°C is boiling at YNP’s altitude; some pools are superheated). Many geothermal waters have concentrations of silica, arsenic, boron, fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, lithium, sulfate, and alkalinity that are greater than most natural waters (McCleskey and others, 2010a). Active geothermal areas in YNP provide insight into geothermal processes occurring at depth, such as formation of mineral deposits, microbiological processes in extreme environments, biogeochemical oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, and water-rock interactions. Investigations into the water chemistry of YNP hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, mud pots, streams, and rivers have been conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other earth-science organizations and academic institutions since 1888 (Gooch and Whitfield, 1888). More recently, this group of USGS researchers have sampled features in YNP at least annually since 1994 (Ball and others, 2010; Ball and others, 2006; Ball and others, 2002; Ball and others, 1998a; Ball and others, 2001; McCleskey and others, 2005), with some earlier data back to 1974 (Ball and others, 1998b). Several interpretive papers have been published on many aspects of this project and of other collaborative research efforts (Deng and others, 2011; Gihring and others, 2001; Holloway and others, 2011; McCleskey and others, 2010a; McCleskey and others, 2010b; Nordstrom and others, 2005; Nordstrom and others, 2009). In this survey, water samples were collected and analyzed for major and trace constituents from 19 thermal areas of YNP: the Amphitheater Springs area, Nymph Lake area, West Nymph Creek Thermal Area, Norris Geyser Basin, Chocolate Pots, Gibbon Geyser Basin (including Geyser Springs Group, Sylvan Spring area, Monument Geyser Basin, and Beryl Spring), Secret Valley Hot Springs, Lower Geyser Basin, Quagmire Group, Midway Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin, Lone Star Geyserarea, Forest Springs area, Crater Hills area, Mud Volcano area, and Snake Hot Springs area. Because the water samples were collected from numerous thermal areas throughout YNP and encompass a wide range of chemistry, the data may be useful for interpreting the geochemical processes affecting the redox species of arsenic, iron, nitrogen, and sulfur; the occurrence and distribution of dissolved mercury; and the general hydrogeochemistry of hot springs. In addition, some streams and creeks were sampled to determine hydrothermal signatures in surface runoff. Many of the samples were collected in support of a collaborative study on the microbal ecology of acidophilic bacteria and archaea in YNP. The purposes of this report are to: (1) provide water chemistry data from numerous sample sites in YNP, (2) provide sample location details, (3) describe methods used to collect and analyze the samples, (4) describe quality-assurance and quality-control procedures, and (5) supplement interpretive reports. The methods and quality-assurance and quality-control procedures can be found in a separate file (http://water.usgs.gov/nrp/yellowstone-water-chemistry/Methods_QAQC.pdf) and the water chemistry data is also available in a spreadsheet (http://water.usgs.gov/nrp/yellowstone-water-chemistry/YNP_FinalData.xlsx).

Water Chemistry Data for Selected Springs, Geysers, and Streams in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Beginning 2009-Sample Information

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