Travertine records climate-induced transformations of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system from the late Pleistocene to the present
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Abstract
Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their deposits, provide a window into the evolution of the postglacial hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field. Today, most hydrothermal travertine forms to the north and south of the ca. 631 ka Yellowstone caldera where groundwater flow through subsurface sedimentary rocks leads to calcite saturation at hot springs. In contrast, low-Ca rhyolites dominate the subsurface within the Yellowstone caldera, resulting in thermal waters that rarely deposit travertine. We investigated the timing and origin of five small travertine deposits in the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins to understand the conditions that allowed for travertine deposition. New 230Th-U dating, oxygen (δ18O), carbon (δ13C), and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopic ratios, and elemental concentrations indicate that travertine deposits within the Yellowstone caldera formed during three main episodes that correspond broadly with known periods of wet climate: 13.9−13.6 ka, 12.2−9.5 ka, and 5.2−2.9 ka. Travertine deposition occurred in response to the influx of large volumes of cold meteoric water, which increased the rate of chemical weathering of surficial sediments and recharge into the hydrothermal system. The small volume of intracaldera travertine does not support a massive postglacial surge of CO2 within the Yellowstone caldera, nor was magmatic CO2 the catalyst for postglacial travertine deposition.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Travertine records climate-induced transformations of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system from the late Pleistocene to the present |
| Series title | GSA Bulletin |
| DOI | 10.1130/B37317.1 |
| Edition | Online First |
| Year Published | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Geological Society of America |
| Contributing office(s) | Volcano Science Center |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| Other Geospatial | Terrace Spring |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |