Yellowstone National Park

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Chemical Modeling of Acid Waters

Yellowstone National Park

Our project is investigating the redox chemistry of sulfur and arsenic in the hydrothermal systems of Yellowstone National Park to gain insight into the deep flow system, to determine the rates and mechanisms of oxidation upon exposure of these elements to air, and to collaborate with researchers who are investigating the pathways of arsenic to plants and animals in the Park. Major elements, other trace elements, and stable isotopes are being determined to provide more complete chemical analyses on Yellowstone waters than have been reported previously and to refine conceptual models of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system.

Participants: Kirk Nordstrom, James Ball, Blaine McCleskey, and Philip Verplanck

National Park Service - Yellowstone

Yellowstone Publications

McCleskey, R.B., Ball, J.W., Nordstrom, D.K., Holloway, J.M., and Taylor, H.E.., 2004, Water-Chemistry Data for Selected Hot Springs, Geysers, and Streams in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 2001-2002. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1316. 94 p.

Nordstrom, D.K., Ball, J.W., and McCleskey, R.B., 2004, Oxidation reactions for reduced Fe, As, and S in thermal waters of Yellowstone National Park: biotic or abiotic, in Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R., II, eds., Water-Rock Interaction, Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Water - Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, New York, July 2004: New York, A.A. Balkema, p. 59-62.

Holloway, J.M., Smith, R.L., and Nordstrom, D.K., Nitrogen transformations in hot spring runoff, Yellowstone National Park, USA, in Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R., II, eds., Water-Rock Interaction, Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on Water - Rock Interaction, Saratoga Springs, New York, July 2004: New York, A.A. Balkema, p. 145-148.

Ball, J.W., McCleskey, R.B., Nordstrom, D.K., Holloway, J.M., and Verplanck, P.L., 2002, Water-Chemistry Data for Selected Springs, Geysers, and Streams in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1999-2000. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-382. 112 p. (view pdf)

Ball, J. B., Nordstrom, D. K., McCleskey, R. B., Schoonen, M. A., Xu, Y., 2001, Water-chemistry and on-site sulfur-speciation data for selected springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1996-1998. U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-49. (view pdf)

Xu, Y., Schoonen, M.A.A., Nordstrom, D.K., Cunningham, K.M., and Ball, J.W., 2000, Sulfur geochemistry of hydrothermal waters in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. II. Formation and decomposition of thiosulfate and polythionate in Cinder Pool: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 97, p. 407-423. (on-line abstract)

Xu, Y., Schoonen, M. A. A., Nordstrom, D. K., Cunningham, K. M., and Ball, J. W., 1998, Sulfur geochemistry of hydrothermal waters in Yellowstone National Park: Park: I. The origin of thiosulfate in hot spring waters: Geochem. Cosmochem. Acta 62, p. 3729-3743. (on-line abstract)

Ball, J.W., Nordstrom, D.K., Cunningham, K.M., Schoonen, M.A.A., Xu, Y., and DeMonge, J.M., 1998, Water-chemistry and on-site sulfur-speciation data for selected springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 1994-1995: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-574, 35 p. (view pdf)

Ball, J.W., Nordstrom, D.K., Jenne, E., and Vivit, D.V., 1998, Chemical analyses of hot springs, pools, geysers, and surface waters from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and vicinity, 1974-1975: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-182, 45 p. (view pdf)

Nordstrom, D.K., Cunningham, K.M., Ball, J.W., Xu, Y., and Schoonen, M.A.A., 1998, Sulfur redox chemistry and the origin of thiosulfate in hydrothermal waters of Yellowstone National Park, in Arehart, G. B., and Hulston, J. R., eds, Proceedings 9th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction (WRI-9): Rotterdam, A. A. Balkema,, p. 641-644.