description Congress Pool Overview
Congress Pool is a variable hot spring in Yellowstone's Norris Geyser Basin, named for the Fifth International Geological Congress in 1891.
help Congress Pool FAQ
Where is Congress Pool in Yellowstone?
Congress Pool is a hot spring in Porcelain Basin within the Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Its inventory places it in Gibbon Canyon and identifies it as feature NPB078. [Yellowstone feature record](https://rcn.montana.edu/Features/Detail.aspx?id=6923)
Why is it called Congress Pool?
The name refers to the Fifth International Geological Congress, whose 1891 visit to Yellowstone coincided with the feature's emergence. The reference is to a geological meeting, not the United States Congress. [Yellowstone feature record](https://rcn.montana.edu/Features/Detail.aspx?id=6923)
Why can Congress Pool look blue, muddy, or violently boiling?
Norris thermal features are highly variable, so Congress Pool may appear pale blue at one visit and muddy or violently boiling at another. Historical descriptions and modern observations show that its appearance is not fixed. [Yellowstone feature record](https://rcn.montana.edu/Features/Detail.aspx?id=6923)
Is Congress Pool a geyser or a hot spring?
Modern feature records classify Congress Pool as a hot spring, although the United States Geological Survey recorded powerful geyser-like eruptions there in 1891. Its location in Norris Geyser Basin explains why both hot-spring and geyser descriptions appear in older accounts. [USGS report](https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1456/pp1456_text.pdf)
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