In addition to the interesting visuals - the crater with boiling mud in the bottom, a "mud pot" - the stench at these places is unbelievable, primarily because of elemental sulfur and sulfur compounds. We have a spectacular geothermal area in northern California, a couple of hundred miles north of San Francisco, at Lassen Volcanic National Park - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_areas_in_Lassen_Volcanic_National_Park
Matt Young · 5 March 2012
elemental sulfur and sulfur compounds
I should have noted that the mountain in the background is largely elemental sulfur, otherwise known as brimstone. If you think that hell is below the surface of the earth, you can easily see why it is associated with fire and brimstone.
Henry J · 5 March 2012
And to think, sulfur is in the same chemical group as oxygen, just heavier!
Paul Burnett · 6 March 2012
Matt Young said: I should have noted that the mountain in the background is largely elemental sulfur...
I should have noticed the characteristic sulfur-yellow highlights on that background mountain.
At Mount Lassen, there are tiny cracks and holes in the soil, with vegetation growing near them - the leaves have a hoarfrost of bright yellow elemental sulfur growing on them from the sulfur vapor coming out of the ground.
4 Comments
Paul Burnett · 5 March 2012
In addition to the interesting visuals - the crater with boiling mud in the bottom, a "mud pot" - the stench at these places is unbelievable, primarily because of elemental sulfur and sulfur compounds. We have a spectacular geothermal area in northern California, a couple of hundred miles north of San Francisco, at Lassen Volcanic National Park - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_areas_in_Lassen_Volcanic_National_Park
Matt Young · 5 March 2012
Henry J · 5 March 2012
And to think, sulfur is in the same chemical group as oxygen, just heavier!
Paul Burnett · 6 March 2012