Methane Oxidation Rates in 61 Yellowstone Hot Springs

Figshare data from a study on biological methane oxidation across 61 Yellowstone National Park hot springs spanning pH 1.9–9.0 and temperatures of 28.6–92.2 °C. The dataset includes geochemical analyses, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and metagenomic data from 17 experimental sites where oxidation was measured under ambient and air-amended conditions. It was authored by Alta E. G. Howells to investigate the thermal limits of methanotrophy.

Use Cases

• Analyze the correlation between methane oxidation rates (MOR) and CH4/O2 concentration ratios across the 61 hot spring sites.
• Model the influence of NH3 concentration on methane oxidation rates to test for competitive inhibition by ammonia oxidizers.
• Identify microbial community patterns by linking the relative abundance of Methylocystaceae or Verrucomicrobia to site-specific pH and temperature ranges.
• Investigate geochemical conditions at the 89.9 °C site to explore potential novel thermophilic methanotroph lineages.

Strengths

• Data covers 61 distinct hot spring sites, providing a broad survey of hydrothermal ecosystems.
• Includes measurements from extreme environmental conditions, with pH from 1.9 to 9.0 and temperatures from 28.6 to 92.2 °C.
• Integrates multiple data types: geochemistry, 16S rRNA sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and 14CH4 microcosm assays from 17 experimental sites.

Limitations

• The dataset is small at 26.2 KB, indicating limited scope and likely summary-level data rather than raw sequences or extensive measurements.
• No column names or sample data are provided, limiting understanding of the data structure and specific variables available.
• The study focuses solely on Yellowstone National Park, limiting geographic generalizability to other hydrothermal systems.

Provenance

Source

Figshare, authored by Alta E. G. Howells.

Collection Method

Combined geochemical analyses, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenome sequencing, and 14CH4 microcosm assays.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Yellowstone National Park hot springs.