Yellowstone National Park is a treasure trove of natural wonders, home to dancing geysers, mighty waterfalls, and wildlife. Among all these spectacles, one hot spring stands out for its once surreal beauty and today’s sad story – Morning Glory Pool. Its vibrant palette of colors and delicate name hide a story of human neglect and the lasting consequences it has left on nature.
This is not just a story about a beautiful spring; it is a lesson about our responsibility towards the world around us.
A name born from admiration
The story of Morning Glory Pool begins in 1883, when Mrs. E.N. McGowan, the wife of the assistant park ranger, was so captivated by its beauty that she named it. The spring reminded her of the morning glory flower (Latin: Convolvulus ), known for its funnel-shaped shape and intense blue color. The name quickly caught on and became synonymous with one of the most beautiful and photographed hot springs in all of Yellowstone.
Historical photographs from the period, such as those taken by Frank J. Haynes, testify to the incredible, deep, and pure blue that dominated the pool. This color was not due to pigments, but to physics – the pure, hot water absorbs all colors of the light spectrum except blue, which it scatters back, creating the visual effect of a deep sapphire.
The scientific magic behind colors
The beauty of the Morning Glory Basin is not just aesthetic; it is the result of a fascinating biological phenomenon. The colors in Yellowstone’s hot springs come from billions of microscopic organisms called thermophiles—bacteria that have adapted to life in extremely high temperatures. These organisms form dense communities known as microbial mats.
Different types of thermophiles survive at different temperatures, and each type has its own characteristic color:
- Deep Blue: In the hottest parts of the spring, where the temperature exceeds 70°C, the water is too hot for most thermophiles. Here, the pure blue color of the water dominates.
- Yellow and orange: As the water cools toward the edges of the pool, temperatures become suitable for thermophiles, which use sunlight for photosynthesis. These organisms produce pigments like carotenoids (similar to those in carrots) that protect them from the harsh sun, giving the mats their yellow and orange hues.
- Green: At even lower temperatures, other types of bacteria that contain chlorophyll appear, giving the water a greenish color.
It was this delicate temperature gradient that created the beautiful, concentric circles of color for which the Morning Glory Basin was famous – with a hot, blue center and rings of yellow, orange, and green toward the edges.
Human Negligence and “Faded Glory”
For decades, the Upper Geyser Basin road ran right next to the Morning Glory Pool, allowing thousands of visitors easy access. Unfortunately, this accessibility came at a price. Out of ignorance, vandalism, or the mistaken idea that it was a “wishing well,” visitors have thrown various objects into the crystal-clear water for years: coins, rocks, cans, tissues, and even pieces of furniture.
This debris settled at the bottom of the spring, gradually clogging the underwater vents through which the hot water emerged to the surface. With the reduced inflow of hot water, the overall temperature of the pool began to drop.
This temperature change set off a chain reaction. The cooler water allowed thermophiles (yellow and orange) that prefer lower temperatures to spread toward the center of the pool, gradually drowning out the once dominant blue color. The Morning Glory Pool began to lose its trademark color.
The park authorities became aware of the problem. In the 1970s, drastic measures were taken – the pool was partially drained in an attempt to remove the accumulated garbage. However, the damage had already been done. Despite efforts, it was not possible to completely clear the clogged openings and restore the original temperature. A plaque now stands next to the pool explaining this sad story and warning that “Morning Glory” is slowly becoming “Faded Glory”.
The lesson that nature sends us
The story of the Morning Glory Pool is a powerful reminder of the fragility of natural ecosystems. A seemingly innocuous act, like flipping a coin, repeated thousands of times, can have catastrophic and irreversible consequences.
What happened to this pool is not unique. Other hot springs have suffered a similar fate. A rare eruption of nearby Ear Spring in 2018 brought decades-old trash to the surface, including a pacifier from the 1930s, confirming how long human waste can persist in these fragile systems.
Today, the road no longer passes by the pool, access is limited to wooden walkways, and visitors are constantly educated about the importance of conservation. While the Morning Glory Pool may never regain its original, intense blue color, it serves as an eternal reminder. It teaches us that we are guests in nature and that it is our duty to respect and protect it, so that future generations can marvel at its wonders, not just stories of what once was.
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