Hot‐spring Systems Geobiology: abiotic and biotic influences on travertine formation at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park serves as a natural laboratory to study the complex interplay of abiotic and biotic factors in travertine formation. Research reveals that microbial communities directly influence travertine growth rate and crystalline structure, while hydrology, heat dispersion, and geochemistry shape terrace geomorphology at larger scales. Time-lapse field photography and numerical modeling provide insights into how these processes interact over space and time. This study establishes a conceptual framework for understanding the combined effects of geological and biological factors on calcium carbonate precipitation, offering new perspectives on ancient microbial life records.

FOUKE, B. W. (2011). Hot‐spring Systems Geobiology: abiotic and biotic influences on travertine formation at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, USA. Sedimentology, 58(1), 170–219. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2010.01209.x