Sulphur Caldron
Ten times more acidic than lemon juice, Sulphur Caldron sits on the edge of one of the most active areas of Yellowstone's buried volcano. Sulphur-rich gasses rise furiously here, filling Sulphur Caldron with sulfuric acid. Incredibly, this muddy pool is teeming with life!Home Sweet Home
Billions of thermoacidophiles thrive in Sulphur Caldron. They convert the pool's hydrogen sulfide gas into sulfuric acid.
The sulfuric acid breaks soil and rock into mud, making this spring a very muddy home.What is a Thermoacidophile?
Thermo = Heat
Acid = Acidic
Phile = Love
Microorganisms that "love" to live in an extremely hot, acidic environment are called "thermoacidophiles."pH Scale Basics
If you have ever had "heart burn" from eating acidic foods and used an antacid to relieve the pain, you can easily understand pH basics.
"pH" means "power of hydrogen." Acids release hydrogen ions, and alkaline solutions remove them. Acids and bases neutralize each other.
Thermoacidophiles thrive in an acidic environment that would be deadly to humans. Sulphur Caldron's microbes live in a pool that is almost as acidic as battery acid!Left Table
pH Scale
Marker is on Grand Loop Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
