Fire and Brimstone EarthCache

Interesting Facts about Sulphur

• Sulphur makes up almost 3% of the earth’s mass. If you think that’s not much, next time you look to the sky and see the moon, think of this: the earth contains enough sulphur to make not just one new moon, but two.
• Sulphur burns with a very satisfying blue flame – its old name is brimstone, which means ‘burn stone’ or ‘stone that burns.’
• Pure Sulphur has no smell, but many of its compounds stink! For example sulphur compounds called mercaptans give skunks their awful smell. Rotten eggs (and most stink bombs) get their distinctive aroma courtesy of hydrogen sulphide, H2S.
• Certain cave bacteria digest hydrogen sulphide and produce snottites (think of slimy stalactites) in caves. These snottites drip sulphuric acid with a pH as low as zero – that’s enough to burn holes in your clothes if you stand underneath them. Snottite bacteria thrive in areas where there are sulphur deposits or sulphur-containing minerals or hydrocarbons. The sulphuric acid they excrete carves out new cave systems underground by dissolving rocks.
• There’s a much higher proportion of sulphur in the earth’s core than in its crust – approximately 100 times more.
• Penicillin is a natural, sulphur-based antibiotic.
• Sulphur deposits are found naturally in areas around hot springs and in volcanic regions. It is also widely found in nature as iron pyrites (iron sulphide), galena (lead sulphide), gypsum (calcium sulphate), Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) and many other minerals.

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  Sulphur deposits around a volcano vent

  Sulphur Flats

  This area was first mined for Sulphur in the1890s and then filled in for use as landfill. Rotorua District Council is now cleaning up the area and restoring some of the natural features that were once here. The Sulphur mounds you see have all formed since 1970 when the landfill was finally closed.

  The yellow and black colours in the rocks of this area are sulphur crystals formed from rising hydrogen sulphide gas that also causes the distinctive smell. Black crystals are formed under hotter temperatures 112degC, yellow crystals at slightly less 98degC.

  The grey coloured sinter rock formed from silica deposited by alkaline spring water that flowed over this area when the lake level was higher.
  The milky colour of the water of Sulphur Bay is caused by the particles of sulphur suspended in the water. This sulphur has been produced by hydrogen sulphide gas rising from the lake bed in fumaroles or chimneys

  

  Growing sulphur mounds

  To log this geocache 

  Please send the answers to the following questions to me via my profile BEFORE logging your find. There is no need to wait for an answer, I will contact you if there is a problem.

  1. Once you have left the parking coords and are walking towards the water what is the first thing you notice?

  2. At the listed coords describe the vista, what can you see near you and what can you see in the distance?

  3. At the waypoint you will be standing on a bridge, describe the flow underneath. Rate of flow, depth, colours etc.

  4. Is this area barren? Do you see wildlife or vegetation here? Why do you think this is?