Your Advice Needed, Is This Fresh Yellowstone Lava?

Hi all! Hey I have been away for a while. But something has come up that I need an opinion on. It may be nothing for all I know. So what do you say, is this fresh lava? If it isn't, could it be intact after all those years?

Take a look at the lower right corner up close and personal. See those 2 or so black blobs and/or possible charring? The photographer had no clue what was going on there but never even questioned it. She has been to yellowstone hundreds of times.

And please, I am not claiming it is in fact lava or charring, I am just asking your opinion, so no flaming me please.

a reply to: elouina

I have no idea if it is lava or not. I'm going to wait and hopefully someone in the know will give a great answer. If it IS fresh lava, that's kind of a scary thought.

a reply to: sarra1833

It may be nothing..

But hey while we are waiting for an answer, do you want to see something really neat? This is supposed to be some sort of discharge channel. Now I know those are normal, but I like the pic. I guess the bacteria makes it look like fresh lava.

This is definately in the Midway Geyser Basin. Now I could be wrong about this since it depends on what you call near. But it is 24 miles away from the Norris geyser basin which is where they had over 5 CM uplift in the last 8 months. It is also not too far from the recent big earthquake.

a reply to: elouina

No

a reply to: Maximus2014

That's fair enough. But can you explain why the answer is no?

a reply to: elouina

Ive done a little reading and pic searching and learned that if the lava has a high level of rhyolite then it will have a white appearance when it cools, such as is shown in your pic OP. Now we just need to find out if YS lava is high in rhyolite or not. If YS magma is know to be low in rhyolite then we can say that your pic isnt one of magma. Here is a link to a page showing such a flow.

www.hilo.hawaii.edu...

Shaade

a reply to: Shaade

Oh I thought that was lime. Anyways, I was referring to the small shiny black blob and a flat one somewhat near it. Almost like a tidge creeped out. And thanx for your investigative help. My cat is dying right now so I am a bit preoccupied.


Oh and the last rhyolitic eruption was 70,000 years ago with a previous schedule of every 40,000 years. The most recent eruption was Basiltic.

originally posted by: Shaade
a reply to: elouina

Ive done a little reading and pic searching and learned that if the lava has a high level of rhyolite then it will have a white appearance when it cools, such as is shown in your pic OP. Now we just need to find out if YS lava is high in rhyolite or not. If YS magma is know to be low in rhyolite then we can say that your pic isnt one of magma. Here is a link to a page showing such a flow.

www.hilo.hawaii.edu...

Shaade

I find this topic really interesting and I applaud you (as well as giving you a star) for a researched answer, unlike the person above who just said "no" (a "yes" would have been as moronic)...

a reply to: elouina

thank you and I hope you dont mean dying as in the literal sense. If so then my prayers to you and your little kitty.

originally posted by: Shaade
a reply to: elouina

thank you and I hope you dont mean dying as in the literal sense. If so then my prayers to you and your little kitty.

Yes dying. He is next to me. If he isn't gone by morning I am taking him in for an appointment to help him along. He is very close. And thank you!

a reply to: elouina

Im sorry to hear that, my prayers to the little man.

originally posted by: Shaade
a reply to: elouina

Im sorry to hear that, my prayers to the little man.

Well, it is likely 1.5 years overdue for him to be dying. He was on his deathbed back then and I managed to get him going again. Not this time...

Anyways did you see my comment about the 40,000 year schedule of rhyolitic flows? It is actually 30,000 years overdue for a rhyolitic flow. So then I guess that white could be rhyolite. But is it from 70,000 years ago? Wouldn't it be dirty looking, and not so fresh looking? Maybe it is lime since it is from the Midway geyser basin? Maybe even snow although I thought that area was too warm for snow to stick around.

But anyways, the blobs are my main interest.

I'm sorry about your cat....that's sad news......my prayers to you.....as for the lava flow , I'm not an expert but I thought the white stuff was cooled lava and the black blobs look like. It too....but...I really don't know. Are you close to there? Can you go investigate or did the photographer smell any Sulpher or odor?

originally posted by: Meldionne1
I'm sorry about your cat....that's sad news......my prayers to you.....as for the lava flow , I'm not an expert but I thought the white stuff was cooled lava and the black blobs look like. It too....but...I really don't know. Are you close to there? Can you go investigate or did the photographer smell any Sulpher or odor?

I got this from a blog, and I was trying to protect her innocent fun pictures from conspiracy scrutiny that may bother her. But for a person that skinny dipped in the midway basin springs as a youngster I think she would know what this is. To quote her caption under the picture:

Don't know how or why, but I do know this is cool

Oh let me cough up the link... her visit was from this month.
Bascombe's TravelBlog

And here is the picture full sized.
The Full Sized Picture

a reply to: Meldionne1

Here is some cooled lava for comparison:

a reply to: sarra1833

I'm waiting for the experts too! I just wanted to add that I saw your Fun being 41 and you look 21. Just saying.

a reply to: elouina

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. I don't have any kids and when mine died, it was like losing a child. I'll pray for you and your cat.

a reply to: elouina

That white substance does show some cracking but definitely looks way younger than the surrounding material, could be weeks to a few years old (as theres no dirt buildup on it).
As far as the blackened blobs, ive also seen the same material inside the cracks at the bottom of the pic and some within the cracks just above the white substance in the pic (could be high obsidian or basalt content, if it is lava.) The black also appears, to me, to be of a lot older age than the white.
I would love to know the dimensions of the white area, as well as the date this was taken and a closer approximation to where this is located.

Shaade

These are the sinter terraces near Grand Prismatic Spring, in the Midway Geyser Basin. Very, very common.

In other words, no, not lava. Just google up some images of it, and you will see.