Norris Geyser Basin is one of the hottest and most dynamic of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal areas. Many hot springs have temperatures above the boiling point (200°F) here. The Carnegie Institute of Washington, D.C. made test wells in 1929 to determine subsurface temperatures. One test hole was abandoned at 265 feet when the temperature reached 401 °F and the steam pressure threatened to destroy the drilling rig.
At these temperatures, it is impossible to walk on the ground and the only way to get close to all the thermal features is a boardwalk that gets constantly replaced, repaired and adjusted to the almost daily changing features of the geyser basin.
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