Buried Alive

Excelsior Geyser’s rugged crater was created by rare massive geyser eruptions, and it also preserves a record of past life. For thousands of years, microbes have grown in the runoff channels extending from nearby Grand Prismatic Spring. These vast communities were buried alive as flowing hot water deposited a crust of silica minerals. The resulting deposit, called sinter, preserved the shape of the microbial mat it entombed. As new mats grew, more layers developed. Today’s formation is the result of this interplay between its living and nonliving components. Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features provide a glimpse into the distant past when intense volcanism was widespread on the young Earth. The lifeforms found here help scientists understand the type of life that likely arose and diversified billions of years ago on our planet. Formations that entomb microbes in Yellowstone’s geysers and hot springs may also offer clues in the search for life on other worlds. Volcanic hot spring systems are believed to have existed on other planets in our solar system, and if similar formations are found, they may contain evidence that life existed elsewhere in the universe.

Wyoming · United States