The Minerva Terrace in Yellowstone

The Minerva Terrace in Yellowstone

The "Minerva Terrace", also known as Mammoth Hot Spring is located in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is a complex of natural hot spring terraces formed over thousands of years. 

Since the 1890s, when it began operation has gone through two active and inactive periods. Since its discovery until 1900 and remained active. Then I had a long enough time that it was not proved any activity that lasted until the middle of last century. Happily for our view, in 1951, the state reported that Minerva was again active. 

Among the many attractions of this amazing natural park, the Minerva Terrace is undoubtedly one of the most surprising of all. Located in the northwest area of the park, on a gently sloping hillside, a spring of thermal water flows intermittently for thousands of years, slowly forming the terraces of carbonate calcium largest in the world. 

The water comes from underground Norris Geyser Basin and its most active periods can become deposited on the slope up to two tons of limestone sediment source, creating new terraces of colorful and whimsical shapes and expand at will, capturing on their way old trees that are doomed to imminent death.