Grand Prismatic Microbial Mats
by Rob Hemphill
Title
Grand Prismatic Microbial Mats
Artist
Rob Hemphill
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The colourful microbial mats at the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. The Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.
A microbial mat is a multi-layered sheet of microorganisms, mainly bacteria and archaea. Microbial mats grow at interfaces between different types of material, mostly on submerged or moist surfaces, but a few survive in deserts. They colonize environments ranging in temperature from –40 °C to 120 °C. A few are found as endosymbionts of animals.
Although only a few centimetres thick at most, microbial mats create a wide range of internal chemical environments, and hence generally consist of layers of microorganisms that can feed on or at least tolerate the dominant chemicals at their level and which are usually of closely related species. In moist conditions mats are usually held together by slimy substances secreted by the microorganisms, and in many cases some of the microorganisms form tangled webs of filaments which make the mat tougher. The best known physical forms are flat mats and stubby pillars called stromatolites, but there are also spherical forms.
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Featured in the following FAA Groups:
"World Landscape Lovers of Art" 06/24/2020
"Hodge Podge" 06/22/2020
"Monthly Theme and Artist Promotion Group" 06/18/2020
"Global Art Forum" 06/16/2020
"Just Perfect" 06/16/2020
"Travel Art" 06/15/2020
"Mind-Blowing Photography" 06/14/2020
"An Image Inspiring Meditation" 06/14/2020
"New FAA Uploads" 06/14/2020
"Global Art Forum" 06/14/2020
"Exploration Photography" 06/14/2020
"Fine Art America Professionals" 06/14/2020
"Art District" 06/14/2020
"Fine Art America Based Masters Advocacy" 06/13/2020
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Uploaded
June 13th, 2020
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Viewed 405 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/22/2024 at 11:55 PM
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Comments (53)
Kathryn Jones
An amazing phenomenon! And a great capture! I must look up these microbial mats on Google. One of our daughters visited Yellowstone and was fascinated by the place. I can see why!
Tatiana Travelways
Congratulations - Your beautiful artwork has been featured in the "Travel Art" gallery at Fine Art America! For further promotion, you can post it to the specific Travel Destinations galleries, our Facebook group and our Pinterest board - All the links are provided on our group's homepage.
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