Mystical springs of colour
Avatar

Mystical springs of colour

by Julia Miloczki, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria

The geothermal area Sol de Mañana in southwestern Bolivia is one of the highest geyser fields in the world (above 4000m). The area is characterized by volcanic activity and the sulphur springs host mud lakes and steam pools. Thermophilic, hyperthermophilic and acidophilic bacteria that colonize areas of varying temperatures are responsible for the different colours