Runoff of a hot spring with algae and bacteria.
The run off channels of Whirligig Geyser are a living thermometer. Thermophiles living use iron for energy from Whirligig's iron rich water and become coated with rust. These chemical users are called "chemotrophs." Temperatures in this rust colored channel are 122-140 degrees Fahrenheit (50-60 degrees Celsius). Thermophilic algae inhabit the green channel. Like other plants, these algae use green chlorophyll to photosynthesis. The temperature in the green channel is 100-133 degrees Fahrenheit (38-56 degrees Celsius). Whirligig Geyser is in the Porcelain Basin of the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park.
Size: 5034px × 3354px
Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
Photo credit: © Jamie Pham / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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