Bacteria Photos

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Grand Prismatic Spring (left) and Excelsior Geyser (right). Grand Prismatic Spring displays a stunning rainbow of colors created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The blue water in the center is too hot to support any bacterial life, while the outer orange rings are the coolest water. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring (left) and Excelsior Geyser (right). Grand Prismatic Spring displays a stunning rainbow of colors created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The blue water in the center is too hot to support any bacterial life, while the outer orange rings are the coolest water. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world. Midway Geyser Basin.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13571  
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13352  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13426  
Grand Prismatic Spring displays a stunning rainbow of colors created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The blue water in the center is too hot to support any bacterial life, while the outer orange rings are the coolest water. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring displays a stunning rainbow of colors created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The blue water in the center is too hot to support any bacterial life, while the outer orange rings are the coolest water. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world. Midway Geyser Basin.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13573  
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off. Midway Geyser Basin.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13587  
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off. Midway Geyser Basin.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13591  
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 07265  
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 07268  
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring displays brilliant colors along its edges, created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The outer orange and red regions are the coolest water in the spring, where the overflow runs off.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 07264  
Bacteria mats and Grand Prismatic Spring. The orange color is due to bacteria which thrive only on the cooler fringes of the hot spring, while the hotter center of the spring hosts blue-colored bacteria, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Bacteria mats and Grand Prismatic Spring. The orange color is due to bacteria which thrive only on the cooler fringes of the hot spring, while the hotter center of the spring hosts blue-colored bacteria.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 26954  
Morning Glory Pool, has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Morning Glory Pool, has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 26955  
Bacteria mats and Grand Prismatic Spring. The orange color is due to bacteria which thrive only on the cooler fringes of the hot spring, while the hotter center of the spring hosts blue-colored bacteria, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Bacteria mats and Grand Prismatic Spring. The orange color is due to bacteria which thrive only on the cooler fringes of the hot spring, while the hotter center of the spring hosts blue-colored bacteria.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 26958  
Panorama dimensions: 4624 x 8376
Bacteria mats and Grand Prismatic Spring. The orange color is due to bacteria which thrive only on the cooler fringes of the hot spring, while the hotter center of the spring hosts blue-colored bacteria, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Bacteria mats and Grand Prismatic Spring. The orange color is due to bacteria which thrive only on the cooler fringes of the hot spring, while the hotter center of the spring hosts blue-colored bacteria.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 26964  
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13353  
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Morning Glory Pool has long been considered a must-see site in Yellowstone. At one time a road brought visitors to its brink. Over the years they threw coins, bottles and trash in the pool, reducing its flow and causing the red and orange bacteria to creep in from its edge, replacing the blue bacteria that thrive in the hotter water at the center of the pool. The pool is now accessed only by a foot path. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13354  
Colorful bacteria mats mark the hot water flowing from Pump Geyser, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Colorful bacteria mats mark the hot water flowing from Pump Geyser.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13412  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13418  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13420  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13421  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13425  
Castle Geyser (during steam phase, not eruption) with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser (during steam phase, not eruption) with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13427  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13437  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13443  
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Castle Geyser erupts with the colorful bacteria mats of Tortoise Shell Spring in the foreground. Castle Geyser reaches 60 to 90 feet in height and lasts 20 minutes. While Castle Geyser has a 12 foot sinter cone that took 5,000 to 15,000 years to form, it is in fact situated atop geyserite terraces that themselves may have taken 200,000 years to form, making it likely the oldest active geyser in the park. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13444  
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13449  
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13453  
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13455  
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Geyser (right), Turban Geyser (center) and Vent Geyser (left) erupt in concert. An apron of bacteria covered sinter occupies the foreground when water from the eruptions flows away. Grand Geyser is a fountain-type geyser reaching 200 feet in height and lasting up to 12 minutes. Grand Geyser is considered the tallest predictable geyser in the world, erupting about every 12 hours. It is often accompanied by burst or eruptions from Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser just to its left. Upper Geyser Basin.
Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13459  
Colorful bacteria mats mark the runoff from Sunset Lake, Black Sand Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Colorful bacteria mats mark the runoff from Sunset Lake.
Location: Black Sand Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13511  
Grand Prismatic Spring displays a stunning rainbow of colors created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The blue water in the center is too hot to support any bacterial life, while the outer orange rings are the coolest water. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring displays a stunning rainbow of colors created by species of thermophilac (heat-loving) bacteria that thrive in narrow temperature ranges. The blue water in the center is too hot to support any bacterial life, while the outer orange rings are the coolest water. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world. Midway Geyser Basin.
Location: Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13572  
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