Yellowstone National Park is a popular destination for travelers, famous for its hot springs and geysers shooting hot water fountains into the sky. The US national parks had remarkable success in 2021, but the increased number of visitors has caused increased pollution. It damages the delicate ecosystem of places like Yellowstone. The Morning Glory Pool, one of the attractions, is acutely threatened and may have already been destroyed.
Fatal effects of garbage on Yellowstone National Park: Morning Glory Pool loses its color
For decades, tourists have thrown trash into the Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone National Park, leading to disastrous consequences for the water.
The Morning Glory Pool is renowned for its blue color, reminiscent of the Morning Glory flower. This unique shade is caused by bacteria that thrive in temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius. The air that heats up inside the Earth and flows into the water through air shafts is responsible for the high temperature; however, the water is getting colder due to large amounts of garbage clogging the air shafts. Consequently, the color of the Morning Glory Pool has changed.
This color change is exacerbated by other organisms that thrive in cold water. These new bacteria tend to be yellow to orange and gradually displace the original blue bacteria.
Natural wonders in Yellowstone National Park probably destroyed – tourists are probably to blame
However, this problem has been well-known for a long time. According to experts, the contamination with garbage was so strong in the 1950s that the Morning Glory Pool was notorious for being a garbage can. Efforts to clean up polluted water in the 70s failed, leaving it with its current appearance.
Experts are concerned that the Morning Glory Pool may never return to its original vibrant color due to waste from volcanic eruptions.
Effects of tourism not only felt in Yellowstone National Park
Last year, the national park was not only troubled by garbage; severe flooding in Yellowstone led to hazardous conditions, so even people had to be brought to safety.
Tourists have an impact not only on nature but also on the inhabitants of popular resort areas. Therefore, some regions of Italy have already set up red zones to stop mass tourism.