|
Welcome
to Point of Interest Road
Signs! A
collection of photos of road and trail signs. Click
here for more Wyoming Signs
Yellowstone
National Park - Living Thermometer
Location
of sign - the Norris Geyser Basin trail near Whirligig Geyser in Yellowstone National Park
Photo
taken June 2008
Close-up
view of sign
Wide
view of sign
Text
of sign:
Living
Thermometer
Can
you imagine living in a geyser? Thermophiles - microorganisms that thrive in
the heat - are perfectly adapted to living in geysers
and
their runoff channels. Some live where temperatures are hottest, while
others reside in cooler areas. As you look at the colors
around
Whirligig Geyser, you are looking at a "living
thermometer".
At
122-140°F (50-60°C) Whirligig's runnoff channel is hot enough to burn
you. Thermophiles living here use iron for energy from
Whirligig's
iron-rich water, and become coated with rust. These chemical-users are
called "chemotrophs."
Thermophile
algae, including Cyanidium, inhabit the green channel. Like plants,
these tiny single celled organisms photosynthesize,
or
use sunlight for energy. These "phototrophs" live
where temperatures range from 100-133°F (38-56°C).
Communal
Life
Norris
Geyser Basin is highly acidic. Amazingly thermophiles living
here thrive in heat and acid.
Thermophiles
are too small to see without a microscope, but their vast
communities are clearly visible.
The number of thermophiles living beneath a ten-inch square may
exceed the number of people on earth!
Did
You Know?
Scientists
study these thermophiles to learn how life has adapted to iron-rich,
acidic conditions.
Mineral
deposits here record one of Earth's most extreme habitats.
Scientists use this record to aid their search for similar deposits
and
possible life on Mars.
This exhibit made possible by a generous grant to the Yellowstone
Park Foundation from NASA Astrobiology Institute and
Lockheed
Martin Space Operations.
Graphics
on the sign
In addition
to the text there is a picture of multicolored runoff, a thermometer and two close-ups
of thermophiles.
Please help us
out by submitting
a photo!
You
can find more information about the state of Wyoming here and
get an Wyoming
Homepage here
|
