A high-angle landscape shot of the vibrant turquoise and white travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs with a winding mountain river valley visible below.

Travertine Terraces Hydrothermal Formations

Terraces of Sculpted Earth

Steaming mineral waters cascade softly over an intricate, multi-tiered staircase of brilliant white travertine, pooling into vibrant pockets of turquoise, jade, and deep amber.

David S. McMeans · Nikon Z7 II · Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Park County, Wyoming, USA

Image

Channels

Terraces of Sculpted Earth

Steaming mineral waters cascade softly over an intricate, multi-tiered staircase of brilliant white travertine, pooling into vibrant pockets of turquoise, jade, and deep amber. These delicate, scalloped basins are formed entirely from layers of calcium carbonate, deposited over countless centuries by thermal springs bubbling up from deep subterranean depths. Below this surreal, glowing formation, a cold ribbon of river water cuts through a barren, clay-colored valley flanked by sparse alpine brush and steep, weathered hillsides. In this geothermal wonderland where the earth breathes aloud, the dynamic contrast between the pristine thermal pools and the raw, rugged wilderness showcases a landscape in constant, silent metamorphosis.

Open the photograph page