Living Thermometer

Living Thermometer. . , Can you imagine living in a geyser? Thermophiles – microorganisms that thrive in 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 in and around Whirligig Geyser, you are looking at a “living thermometer.”, At 122 - 140° F (50 - 60° C), Whirligig’s runoff 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.”, Thermophilic 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 on 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.