Temperature Readings at Sulphur Works

Continued from this earlier post:

MOH and I went back to Lassen Volcanic National Park about two weeks ago, taking our IR thermometer and a water or snow thermometer. Our intention: measure the sidewalk temperatures near the boiling mud pot at Sulphur Works, and—if possible—get a reading or two of the boiling mud in the mud pot.

The boiling mud pot at Sulphur Works.

Approaching the boiling mud pot area at Sulphur Works.

We approached the mud pot on the sidewalk, taking our first temperature reading 60 feet west of the approximate center of the mud pot. We continued taking several readings, until we were about 105 to 110 feet east of the center of the mud pot. Most measurements were taken at the center of the sidewalk, about half way between the curb and the inner edge. Reading #9 was outside the sidewalk curb, near the outer edge of the reddish concrete of the sidewalk, just inside the black asphalt of the road. Reading #10 was near the inner edge of the sidewalk, just inside the inner curb.

MOH was in charge of our two thermometers and of taking readings, I was in charge of determining our approximate location (by pacing) from the center of the boiling mud pot, and I was also in charge of recording the readings taken.

Looking back toward the mud pot from the area of the farthest reading. The steaming mud pot is just beyond the large whitish area.

  Reading #1,        60' west,   center of sidewalk:           66.1° F
  Reading #2,        35' west,   center of sidewalk:           68.6° F
  Reading #3,        10' west,   center of sidewalk:           74.8° F
  Reading #4,          0' west,   center of sidewalk:           76.5° F
  Reading #5,        25' east,    center of sidewalk:           67.5° F
  Reading #6,        55' east,    center of sidewalk:           98.4° F
  Reading #10,      60' east,    inner edge of sidewalk:    149.0° F
  Reading #7,        95' east,    outer edge of sidewalk:     97.3° F
  Reading #8,      105' east,    center of sidewalk:          107.8° F
  Reading #9,      105' east,    beyond the curb:             128.0° F

The two hottest spots on the sidewalk that we could find were some distance from the center of the boiling mud pot. The first and hottest area—reading #10, with #6 nearby, located about 60 and 55 feet east of the center of the mud pot—was near a little side drainage from which steam was barely issuing. The second hottest area that we measured—readings #8 and #9, located about 105 feet east of the center of the mud pot—was near a small, steaming hole in the ground.

Reading #10 was taken along the inner edge of the sidewalk here; #6 was slightly closer to the center of the mud pot, near the center of the sidewalk.

Closer view of the general area beyond reading #10. 

NOTE: All measurements were taken on the sidewalk, not beyond in this hot, crusty ground. Scalds and severe burns can result from breaking through the ground in the hydrothermal areas in the Lassen area, so we didn't venture beyond the fence.

The ground was steaming slightly in this area near reading #10.

Reading #9 was taken near the outside of the sidewalk pavement, just inboard of the highway; #8 was at this location in the center of the sidewalk.

More growths along sidewalk cracks near readings #8 and #9.

This small, steaming hole in the ground is located inside the fence near readings #8 and #9.

Here we are back at the boiling mud pot, ready to measure the temperature of the mud.

After completing our sidewalk measurements with the IR thermometer, we went back to the mud pot to measure the temperature of the boiling, muddy water. Our first dip of the thermometer, which was attached by foil to a walking stick that MOH hung over the fence railing into the water, was somewhat disappointing: a mere 140°F or so, though we read the thermometer after it was pulled from the water.

We took a second reading near a small boiling area just west of the main mud pot. This time, I captured the reading with the camera: about 172°F. We went back to the main pot, and the camera captured a temperature of about 160°F.

Temperature at the center of the mud pot: about 160° F.

Temperature in a small side pool slightly west of the main pot: 172° F.

Approximate locations of sidewalk temperature readings.

All readings were taken on 21Oct2012 between 11:31 am and 12:02 pm PDT. I regret that I didn't take a GPS and instead relied on my somewhat variable 5-foot pace for locations.