The Boiling Point

Vibrant colours disguise hidden dangers in the depth’s of Yellowstone’s hot springs. Despite the deadly temperatures, microbial life still thrives in the boiling, mineral-rich waters. In this episode we look at the mechanisms behind the hot springs and geysers, and how tiny creatures thrive where others dare not go. Further Reading:https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/hydrothermal-deposits-record-climate-changes-yellowstone https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/hydrothermal-puzzles-lakes-lower-geyser-basin https://www.jstor.org/stable/4250479 https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/fumaroles.htm https://www.nps.gov/articles/thermophile-yell.htm https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/b1444 https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/hot-springs.htm https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/botany/chapter/thermus-aquaticus/ http://www.ncsociology.org/torchmagazine/v931/coppinger.pdf https://enviro2.doe.gov.my/ekmc/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1385557763-3-s2.0-B0122268652002704-main.pdf https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/life-in-the-extreme-terrestrial-hot-springs/ https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/thermophiles-in-time-and-space.htm https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/where-pigment-ends-photosynthetic-fringe-and-upper-temperature-limit#news https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/which-more-hazardous-yellowstone-visitors-wildlife-or-hot-springs   Credits: Intro/Outro music “Americana” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Hydrothermal sound effects:Yellowstone Sound Library via nps.gov and Artlist.io General flowing water sound effects:Ivo Vicic via Artlist.io Background ResearchKiara Thomas This episode was produced on Anaiwan land, and we acknowledge that this land was never ceded. We recognise and respect the ongoing culture and community of the Anaiwan people, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders past, present, and emerging. In acknowledging the traditional custodians of our lands, we also acknowledge the First Nations people of the Americas, some of whose ancestral lands are now known as Yellowstone. 27 Tribes have ancestral and modern ties to this land, and we acknowledge their history, and extend our respect to their people and elders also. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.