The most beautiful geysers in the world. Amazing things nearby - geysers
1. Valley of Geysers, Russia The Valley of Geysers was discovered 7 years after the founding of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. This happened in the summer of 1941 during the expedition of Tatyana Ustinova and Anisifor Krupenin. The inaccessibility of the Valley of Geysers did not allow us to discover this unique place earlier. However, even today not everyone can see Kamchatka geysers. Firstly, the only way to get to them is by helicopter, and secondly, visiting is only possible with the permission of the administration. The Valley of Geysers is a gorge up to 4 km wide and 8 km long, along the bottom of which the Geysernaya River flows. Over a distance of 6 km from the mouth of the river, the slopes of the canyon are covered with about 40 geysers, thermal springs, mud pots and volcanoes. The pride of the valley is the Giant Geyser. It does not erupt frequently - its cycle is 5-7 hours. But when he wakes up, a stream of boiling water under pressure rises 20-30 meters high, and clouds of steam can reach 300 meters! Five years ago, 14 km from the Valley of Geysers, the youngest geyser in Russia erupted. It became an unexpected discovery for the employees of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve when, on September 28, 2008, a stream of boiling water rose up from under the Kamchatka soil in the middle of one of the most active hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka in the Uzon Valley. It is believed that the “Pulsating” spring previously erupted at this location. Tourists who were nearby at that moment were allowed to call the newly formed “fountain”. If the staff of the reserve had not come to their senses in time, the geyser would have received the name “Cool”. As a result, they called it “Mudty”. At first it erupted every 15-20 minutes, a year later - approximately every 12 minutes, in 2010 - an hour and forty minutes. Today the steam jet rises 5-6 meters every 2-3 hours, but its cycle depends on the weather. The geyser reacts to strong winds and temperature changes, which affects its activity.
2. Yellowstone, USA
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean there is a geyser that erupts higher than the Kamchatka Giant and all other active geysers in the world. This source is located in Yellowstone National Park (USA) and is named Steamboat. It throws a stream of water 91 meters up, which is almost equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 meters from the ground to the tip of the torch). Its power is so great that old pine trees growing nearby were broken and washed away during one of the eruptions. By the way, it lasts from 3 to 40 minutes. This geyser is unpredictable: it can wake up once every four days, or it can fall asleep for 50 years, as it did in 1911. After a long lull, the Steamboat woke up in 1961 - two years after one of the strongest earthquakes (magnitude 7.5) that occurred in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Hebgen. This year, on July 31, the geyser showed activity for the first time in the last eight years. The park's other popular geyser, Old Faithful, erupts more frequently and is renowned for its punctuality. Almost every 90 minutes it emits jets hot water to a height of more than 40 meters. No less popular among visitors is the Grand Prismatic Spring, a boiling cauldron measuring 91 m long and 75 m wide. It is known for its acidic colors that change with the seasons thanks to pigmented bacteria living in the pond. By the way, Yellowstone National Park is home to a record number of geysers. On an area of 8983 square kilometers, about 3 thousand hot springs pulsate, which is two thirds of the total number all the geysers of the world.3. Haukadalur, Iceland
The word "geyser" comes from the Icelandic "geysa", which means "to gush out". The very first documented known to the world geysers, Geysir was discovered in 1294. He gave the name to all the boiling and gushing springs of the world. Like most of Iceland's geysers, Geysir is located in the southeastern part of the island, in the Haukadalur valley, which literally means "hot spring garden." Unfortunately, the legendary Geysir lost its activity as a result of the 2000 earthquake. But he was replaced by Strokkur. It erupts every 5-10 minutes, throwing a stream of hot water to a height of up to 20 meters. Thanks to its restlessness, it is considered one of the most active geysers in the world. It is noteworthy that until recently the Icelandic Valley of Geysers was the property of director Sigurdur Jonasson, who donated it to the state. He purchased the area in 1935. Previous owner James Craig, a whiskey distiller and later prime minister of Northern Ireland, fenced the springs and charged people an entrance fee. Today, everyone can see Icelandic geysers completely free of charge. By the way, there are about 30 active geysers in the country.4. Waimangu, New Zealand
The northern island of the country has long been known for its geysers, in honor of which the aborigines nicknamed this part of New Zealand “the land of hot water.” As a result of the eruption of Mount Tarawera on June 10, 1886, the most powerful geyser in the world, Waimangu, was born, which was active from 1900 to 1904. During the “session” he threw out about 800 tons of water. In 1902, the hot water fountain rose to a record 450-meter height. But two years later, in 1904, the legendary fountain ceased to exist. It was replaced by geysers of a calmer nature, which you can admire 20 km from the town of Rotorua, in the Waimangu Valley. On its territory there is a complex of geothermal springs, the most powerful of which is the Pohutu geyser. Every hour it splashes out a stream of hot water 30 meters into the air. He keeps at least company famous geyser"Prince of Wales's Feathers", which delights numerous tourists with a hot show every 20 minutes.5. El Tatio, Chile
There are five large geothermal areas on Earth with active geysers - four of them are located in Iceland, New Zealand, the USA and Kamchatka. The fifth valley of geysers is hidden far and high. On the border of Chile with Bolivia, at an altitude of 4320 meters above sea level in the Andes, there is the highest geyser field in the world - El Tatio (Spanish: El Tatio). About 80 geysers release boiling water from the depths of the earth, reaching a height of 75 cm to 6-7 m. The best time Sunrise is considered the best time to visit the valley. At a time when the air temperature reaches below zero, each of the sources is surrounded by a special halo of steam. In addition, the springs begin to gush before dawn and cease their activity by nine o'clock in the morning.6. Beppu, Japan
In the northeast of the island of Kyushu is the capital of hot springs of Japan - the city of Beppu. The sacred springs of the same name shelter on their territory about 2800 springs, fumaroles and microgeysers. Special attention visitors are attracted by the so-called “Nine Circles of Hell” - nine unusual springs, each of which has a certain zest. For example, the “Shaved Head” spring (Oniishibozu Jigoku) resembles a large boiling gray puddle. The unusual name appeared due to the bubbles resembling the shaved heads of Buddhist monks. But perhaps the most famous source is the Bloody Pond (Chinoike Jigoku). The unusual name appeared due to the red color of the reservoir, “colored” with iron-containing minerals.On November 1, 1934, a city was formed in Kamchatka, where one of the wonders of Russia is located - the Valley of Geysers. In honor of this event, we present to your attention a selection of famous geyser fields around the world.
Beppu, Japan
In the northeast of the island of Kyushu is the capital of hot springs of Japan - the city of Beppu. The sacred springs of the same name shelter on their territory about 2,800 springs, fumaroles and microgeysers. Particular attention of visitors is attracted by the so-called “Nine Circles of Hell” - nine unusual sources, each of which has a certain zest. For example, the Shaved Head Spring (Oniishibozu Jigoku) resembles a large boiling gray puddle.
The unusual name appeared due to the bubbles resembling the shaved heads of Buddhist monks. But perhaps the most famous source is the Bloody Pond (Chinoike Jigoku). The unusual name appeared due to the red color of the reservoir, “colored” with iron-containing minerals.
El Tatio, Chile
There are five large geothermal areas on Earth with active geysers - four of them are located in Iceland, New Zealand, the USA and Kamchatka. The fifth valley of geysers is hidden far and high. On the border of Chile with Bolivia, at an altitude of 4,320 meters above sea level in the Andes is the highest geyser field in the world - El Tatio(Spanish: El Tatio).
About 80 geysers release boiling water from the depths of the earth, reaching a height of 75 cm to 6-7 m. The best time to visit the valley is considered to be dawn. At a time when the air temperature reaches below zero, each of the sources is surrounded by a special halo of steam.
In addition, the springs begin to gush before dawn and cease their activity by nine o'clock in the morning.
Haukadalur, Iceland
The word "geyser" comes from the Icelandic "geysa", which means "to gush out". The very first geyser documented and known to the world, Geysir, was discovered in 1294. He gave the name to all the boiling and gushing springs of the world. Like most of Iceland's geysers, Geysir is located in the southeastern part of the island, in the Haukadalur valley, which literally means "hot spring garden." Unfortunately, the legendary Geysir lost its activity as a result of the 2000 earthquake. But he was replaced by Strokkur. It erupts every 5-10 minutes, throwing a stream of hot water to a height of up to 20 meters. Due to his restlessness he is considered one of the most active geysers in the world.
Like any geyser, the work of Strokkur consists of several stages: filling the basin with water, steaming, releasing a hot stream of water and the resting stage:
Clickable, 1600×1066 px:
In this picture you can see in detail all the phases of the eruption. Clickable, 4000×1000 px:
The largest and most powerful geyser in the world was located in New Zealand - the height to which it raised boiling water at times reached 400–450 meters.
It is noteworthy that until recently the Icelandic Valley of Geysers was the property of director Sigurdur Jonasson, who donated it to the state. He purchased the area in 1935. The previous owner, James Craig, a whiskey distiller and later prime minister of Northern Ireland, fenced the springs and charged people an entrance fee. Today, everyone can see Icelandic geysers completely free of charge. By the way, there are about 30 active geysers in the country.
Yellowstone, USA
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean lies a geyser that erupts higher than all other active geysers in the world. This source is located in Yellowstone National Park (USA) and bears the name Steamboat. It throws a stream of water 91 meters up, which is almost equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 m from the ground to the tip of the torch). Its power is so great that old pine trees growing nearby were broken and washed away during one of the eruptions. By the way, it lasts from 3 to 40 minutes. This geyser is unpredictable: it can wake up once every four days, or it can fall asleep for 50 years, as it did in 1911. After a long lull, the Steamboat woke up in 1961 - two years after one of the strongest earthquakes (magnitude 7.5) that occurred in the area of Lake Hebgen. This year, on July 31, the geyser became active for the first time in the last eight years.
Another popular geyser in the park called Old Faithful, erupts much more often and is famous for its punctuality. Almost every 90 minutes it throws jets of hot water to a height of more than 40 meters:
No less popular among visitors Grand Prismatic Spring- a boiling cauldron, the dimensions of which are 91 m in length and 75 m in width. It is known for its acidic colors that change with the seasons thanks to pigmented bacteria living in the pond.
A hundred years ago, after a terrifying eruption of Mount Tarawera, a geyser of impressive size formed on one of the islands of New Zealand: a column of water emitted from the bowels of the Earth exceeded four hundred meters. The fountain was black, it rose up, then calmed down for two days - and then went back to work. This continued for several years until a huge boiling lake formed. This is where the connection arose - volcanoes and geysers.
Naturally, not all geysers act in this way and create miracles of such a scale, but the fact that volcanoes and geysers are interconnected is a fact, since they are a manifestation of the late stage of volcanic activity and can only be seen where fire-breathing mountains are located.
A geyser is a source that, as water accumulates in it, with an explosion and roar, throws out a column of water above the earth's surface, the temperature of which often exceeds 100 ° C (at the same time, it can be either very low or eject a stream as much as 80 meters up). This fountain flows for a while, then calms down, the steam disappears, and almost nothing reminds of its former activity. The large geyser operates only in those places where volcanoes are either still active or were so until recently.
This amazing natural phenomenon received its name in honor of one of the oldest known to people Icelandic geysers Geysir (translated as “to break through”) from the world famous Høykadalur valley, (Valley of Geysers).
Appearance
A geyser is not always a tall fountain; sometimes the stream splashes out low or appears in the form of splashes, and some are ordinary puddles of boiling water. They are usually surrounded by rocky, often multi-colored formations, somewhat reminiscent of beautiful artificial gratings. The source is lined with silica (geyserite), which falls to the surface of the earth along with a hot seething stream.
Such rocky formations can often take several dozen square meters, or start growing upward. For example, around the Giant, the largest geyser in Kamchatka (the fountain of which is several tens of meters), the size of the geyserite platform is no less impressive than its name, and occupies about a hectare, while the deposits on it extremely closely resemble small gray-yellow roses.
Such rocky springs can take different shapes:
- Swimming pool;
- Crater;
- Bowls;
- Low, very flat dome;
- Rocky formations in the form of cones with truncated contours and steep slopes;
- In some cases, the shape is completely unusual and bizarre, for example, when minerals form a flower or crystals.
Before the water begins to erupt, it slowly fills the rock formation, boils and splashes out. After the fountain calms down, the pool is completely free of water. If you know for sure that the geyser will not splash out a new stream now, you can take a risk and (with the permission of the guide) look inside - then the curious will be able to see the vent, which goes far into the bowels of the Earth.
These sources are located not only at the bottom, but also on the walls of rocky formations.
Education
A geyser is formed only where magma that has not cooled down after an eruption is located as close as possible to the surface of the Earth. Hot magma constantly releases huge amounts of gases and vapors, which rise up through all the cracks accessible to them, thus ending up in the caves created when the volcano erupted. These caves are a whole labyrinth, the grottoes of which, filled with underground water, are connected by tunnels or cracks.
Magmatic gases and vapors, mixing with deep waters, heat them up and at the same time not only themselves become part of the boiling water, but also dissolve minerals and other substances in it. After this, the water does not stop its movement, since the hot lower layer becomes less dense - and rushes upward (at the same time, cooler water falls down, where it also heats up). There are two options for releasing boiling water, since exactly how the geyser will erupt depends largely on the size of the caves, the shape and location of the cracks/channels, and how fast people are moving through them The groundwater and, of course, on their quantity: through a wide channel correct form
- a stream of boiling water is easily brought out and if the source is narrow, winding, then:
- The water is heated unevenly, which is why it becomes too hot at the bottom, but is not able to turn into steam due to the pressure from above, and is also not able to go up.
- This situation cannot continue for long, so the water vapor takes the form of bubbles. Bubbles, squeezed from all sides, try to expand and begin to squeeze out from below upper layer
- water literally pushing it to the surface, thus creating a series of small fountains, symbolizing the approach of a larger eruption.
The geyser stops spewing water only when underground caves, the water completely leaves. The next eruption will not occur until groundwater will again fill the underground labyrinths and will not warm up there until desired temperature. It is worth noting that a geyser can be regular - the duration of the eruption, both as a whole and at its individual stages, is constant each time and it can be quite predicted - and irregular - the period between eruptions of the same geyser can last from a couple of minutes to several days, Moreover, the duration of individual stages, as well as the size of the fountain, will be different each time.
Possible dangers
Despite the fact that this phenomenon from afar is an extremely beautiful sight, it is advisable to observe it from a distance and not approach unless instructed by the guide.
The ground around them is so hot that, having stepped in the wrong place, it would seem green grass, it is quite possible to find yourself in the middle of a scalding slurry - and your foot, not meeting any support, will easily go down (and not all boots can protect you from a burn).
It is dangerous to come close to a geyser filled with boiling water, since with any careless movement you can fall into it and be boiled alive, as often happens with careless animals. Or another misfortune may occur when a person looks into a source, and water suddenly splashes out.
The theory that everything that nature has created is useful for humans, in in this case It does not justify itself at all - the water in geysers not only does not bring any benefit to the human body, but is also dangerous for it, since it contains various toxic elements such as mercury, arsenic, and antimony.
Why is this phenomenon useful?
Many countries have learned to use the geyser for good. For example, in Iceland, with its help, they not only receive electricity and heat houses, but also set up greenhouses in which flowers, tropical fruits and vegetables are grown, and some greenhouses, to the delight of the residents, have been turned into parks (in this country there are extremely few trees, and greenery the street is not typical even in the summer).
Geysers are quite an impressive sight.
Powerful jets of boiling water and scalding steam are constant companions of active geysers. They fascinate with their mystery, surprise, beauty and power.
History can tell you about the most powerful geyser that the Earth has ever presented. This is the Waimangu, located in New Zealand and active in the period from one thousand eight hundred eighty-six to one thousand nine hundred and four. The flows of its waters and stones rose to a height of up to four hundred and fifty meters!
But it is worth noting that in our time you can still find geysers of decent power and at the same time very beautiful. These are exactly what we will talk about in this top. So, the top 10 most beautiful geysers today. Happy reading!
In North America, Yellowstone National Park is home to the tallest active geyser on Earth. The steamship, which received this name due to emissions similar to steam emissions from pipes steam engines. This American national park is decorated with other geysers, but Steamboat is the largest among all located here. When erupting, the geyser releases powerful jets of steam or boiling water (temperature 70 degrees) up to 90 meters.
The Steamboat Geyser has an unpredictable release schedule ranging from four days to fifty years.
The eruption takes place in two stages. First stage lasts from three to forty minutes. At this moment, a stream of boiling water flies high into the sky. The water phase turns into a steam phase, during which the geyser emits steam, not water, into the air. The maximum height of the steam fountain was recorded at one hundred and fifty meters. The next stage sometimes lasts several hours.
Interestingly, the geyser has two holes, north and south, and the distance between them is five meters.
This country contains many dangerous places, and especially many that can “boast” of a decent concentration of large geysers. One of its representatives is Pohutu.
It is located in a place called Whakarevareva, where you can find a valley of geysers, which can provide as many as sixty-five geysers of different sizes, power and frequency!
“Pohutu” can be translated from the Maori language as “explosion,” which is quite a self-explanatory name for such a natural phenomenon. This geyser is one of the most famous in New Zealand. Constant eruptions occur at intervals of an hour and can reach thirty meters.
The famous Yellowstone National Park, located in the United States of America, has a lot to offer the visitor. This time, a very powerful geyser “Beehive”, which got its name due to the jagged cone from which, in fact, eruptions occur.
The height of its eruptions often reaches sixty-five meters. Hot and dangerous streams burst out of the Hive at intervals that are quite difficult to predict, adding to the danger of this place. The time between eruptions can be either five hours or a full day.
However, the park workers were able to make their task easier by discovering an interesting detail: next to the Hive there is a smaller geyser (about seven meters), which turned out to be a kind of indicator of its larger brother. The point is that it activates somewhere between ten and twenty minutes before the Hive erupts.
And again North America, National Park“Yellowstone”, which has a huge number of geysers. And one of the most beautiful is the “Castle”, as it was called in the second half of the 19th century. In those years, in the bizarre shapes of the hot spring cone, researchers saw something similar to a medieval castle. But over the years, this shape has constantly changed due to eruptions and new layers of mineral deposits. Now you can hardly see the outlines of the castle, but the name remains.
Eruptions occur every 10-12 hours. A huge, thirty-meter column of water rises above the ground. And this picture lasts about twenty minutes.
6. Old Servant. USA
The famous geyser located in the heart of Yellowstone Park will make an indelible impression on you. Yours interesting name it deserves military punctuality, because eruptions occur “exactly on schedule.” This creation of nature can be called an ideal geyser. It is very convenient to observe it, because it rises above the plain (ten meters), its crater is about two meters, so each of its eruptions is clearly visible to all observers. These breathtaking spectacles make a stunning impression, because everyone is waiting for a powerful fountain from underground at a certain time, but the eruption will still be unexpected for you! A huge fountain of boiling water, shrouded in steam, soars up sixty meters and this can last up to five minutes. The periods between eruptions reach one and a half hours; tourists can find out about the next eruption on a special board near Old Sluzaki.
The Icelandic geyser is an excellent bait for a huge number of tourists. Let's figure out why.
The interesting thing is that Strokkur is located only forty meters from one of the most powerful geysers - Geysir, however, it has whole line differences. For example, Strokkur erupts very rarely and can remain dormant for several years. However, when the action begins, the spectacle is memorable. The time intervals between eruptions at this geyser are from four to six minutes, and the water flies up to fifty meters up.
It is also interesting that sometimes Strokkur develops incredible speed and can erupt very quickly up to four times in a row.
The Valley of Geysers, located in Kamchatka, is one of the largest clusters of geysers on Earth, and the only one in Eurasia. The largest thermal spring currently operating in the Kamchatka Territory is called “Giant”. The size of the griffin of this geyser is 1.5 by 3 meters, its depth is about three meters.
Its eruption begins with a strong splash, and then a column of boiling water soars up to thirty meters, and clouds of steam - up to three hundred meters. This intense gushing lasts about two minutes, after which the geyser intensely soars. One full cycle of geyser operation lasts approximately a little more than four hours.
The giant impresses with its enormity of eruption, captivating with its action and colors, as well as its deafening roar. It is capable of splashing out about 25 tons of hot water.
It is located in the south of Iceland, in the Valley of Geysers, which is the most famous and is called the “Golden Ring of Iceland”. This geyser consists of two basins, the water in them is azure blue, but... unpleasant smell hydrogen sulfide. The mouth of the geyser, about three meters, protrudes slightly from the pool, reminiscent of a giant bowl. When it is calm, the water splashes calmly in it - it either overflows the mouth and splashes into the basin, or disappears into this huge hole. Well, when the Jumping Witch begins its eruption, then the fountain flies up three times (usually 15-20 m), but sometimes its height can reach 60 meters. Then Gryla calms down, the water disappears into the vent, and greenish water continues to bubble in the giant bowls.
Man and nature took part in the appearance of this miracle. At the beginning of the last century, while drilling a well for a well, the owners of the Fly ranch accidentally damaged a geothermal pocket. Almost fifty years later, scalding hot water penetrated the surface of the earth and everyone saw a small fountain. Making its way, the boiling water dissolved minerals, which formed a geyser on the surface and a pedestal surrounding it. Today the height of this hot spring is 1m 50cm, but its walls continue to grow. Over several decades, forty pools were formed around the once small fountain, and they occupied about 30 hectares. If we take into account the natural elevation, the “geyser hill” and the terraces surrounding it, we get a height of 3m 60 cm.
Fly constantly throws out three jets of hot water. The geyser fascinates with its beauty - unusually bright, rich colors against the background of a dull surrounding landscape. In such unusual colors the geyser was colored by boiling water from the underground, because it is rich sulfur dioxide, minerals and algae from an underground lake. This is the reason constant growth Flya.
1. Geysir. Iceland
The most famous, the very first in the Haukadalur Valley is the Great Geysir. It was he who gave the name to this phenomenon of the nature of our planet, because in translation from Icelandic the word gjosa means “to break through,” and it was discovered in the 13th century. It is located next to the Hekla volcano. When Geysir becomes active, it emits a stream of hot water that reaches sixty meters. Such eruptions occur infrequently; the rest of the time the Great Geysir “sleeps”. During periods of hibernation, it “turns” into a small lake with greenish water. The lake is very small - 1.2 meters, and its diameter is 18 m.
The activity of Geysir is regulated by earthquakes, that is, it can remain inactive for years, and after an earthquake it can “gush” boiling water several times a day. At the beginning of the last century, Geysir almost completely died down. And eighty years ago, an artificial canal was dug through a layer of quartz, and the Greatest One returned to a turbulent life. You can also stimulate activity with soap! But to avoid environmental problems soap is used extremely rarely. And only on National Day of Iceland does the Government of the country allow this practice, because the picture of a huge seventy-meter column of water and steam is truly a breathtaking sight!
Geysers are incredibly beautiful and mysterious natural phenomena, manifestations of its deep power and processes hidden from us. I bring to your attention a selection of famous geyser fields in the world.
Beppu, Japan
In the northeast of the island of Kyushu is the capital of hot springs of Japan - the city of Beppu. The sacred springs of the same name shelter on their territory about 2,800 springs, fumaroles and microgeysers. Particular attention of visitors is attracted by the so-called “Nine Circles of Hell” - nine unusual sources, each of which has a certain zest. For example, the Shaved Head Spring (Oniishibozu Jigoku) resembles a large boiling gray puddle.The unusual name appeared due to the bubbles resembling the shaved heads of Buddhist monks. But perhaps the most famous source is the Bloody Pond (Chinoike Jigoku). The unusual name appeared due to the red color of the reservoir, “colored” with iron-containing minerals. 
El Tatio, Chile
There are five large geothermal areas on Earth with active geysers - four of them are located in Iceland, New Zealand, the USA and Kamchatka. The fifth valley of geysers is hidden far and high. On the border of Chile with Bolivia, at an altitude of 4,320 meters above sea level in the Andes, there is the highest geyser field in the world - El Tatio (Spanish: El Tatio).
About 80 geysers release boiling water from the depths of the earth, reaching a height of 75 cm to 6-7 m. The best time to visit the valley is considered to be dawn. At a time when the air temperature reaches below zero, each of the sources is surrounded by a special halo of steam.
In addition, the springs begin to gush before dawn and cease their activity by nine o'clock in the morning. 
Haukadalur, Iceland
The word "geyser" comes from the Icelandic "geysa", which means "to gush out". The very first geyser documented and known to the world, Geysir, was discovered in 1294. He gave the name to all the boiling and gushing springs of the world. Like most of Iceland's geysers, Geysir is located in the southeastern part of the island, in the Haukadalur valley, which literally means "hot spring garden." Unfortunately, the legendary Geysir lost its activity as a result of the 2000 earthquake. But he was replaced by Strokkur. It erupts every 5-10 minutes, throwing a stream of hot water to a height of up to 20 meters. Thanks to its restlessness, it is considered one of the most active geysers in the world.Beginning of the eruption of the Strokkur geyser:
Like any geyser, the work of Strokkur consists of several stages: filling the basin with water, steaming, releasing a hot stream of water and the resting stage:
In this picture you can see in detail all the phases of the eruption.
The largest and most powerful geyser in the world was located in New Zealand - the height to which it raised boiling water at times reached 400–450 meters. Waimangu was active for only 4 years, starting in 1900. A photograph from the 1913 book Picturesque New Zealand shows its spectacular eruption:
It is noteworthy that until recently the Icelandic Valley of Geysers was the property of director Sigurdur Jonasson, who donated it to the state. He purchased the area in 1935. The previous owner, James Craig, a whiskey distiller and later prime minister of Northern Ireland, fenced the springs and charged people an entrance fee. Today, everyone can see Icelandic geysers completely free of charge. By the way, there are about 30 active geysers in the country.
Yellowstone, USA
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean lies a geyser that erupts higher than all other active geysers in the world. This source is located in Yellowstone National Park (USA) and is named Steamboat. It throws a stream of water 91 meters up, which is almost equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 m from the ground to the tip of the torch). Its power is so great that old pine trees growing nearby were broken and washed away during one of the eruptions. By the way, it lasts from 3 to 40 minutes. This geyser is unpredictable: it can wake up once every four days, or it can fall asleep for 50 years, as it did in 1911. After a long lull, the Steamboat woke up in 1961 - two years after one of the strongest earthquakes (magnitude 7.5) that occurred in the area of Lake Hebgen. This year, on July 31, the geyser became active for the first time in the last eight years.
The park's other popular geyser, Old Faithful, erupts more frequently and is renowned for its punctuality. Almost every 90 minutes it throws jets of hot water to a height of more than 40 meters:
No less popular among visitors is the Grand Prismatic Spring, a boiling cauldron measuring 91 m long and 75 m wide. It is known for its acidic colors that change with the seasons thanks to pigmented bacteria living in the pond.
By the way, Yellowstone National Park is home to a record number of geysers. On an area of 8,983 square kilometers, about 3 thousand hot springs pulsate, which is two-thirds of the total number of all geysers in the world. Also see the article “Travel to national park Yellowstone."
Valley of Geysers, Russia
The Valley of Geysers was discovered 7 years after the founding of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. This happened in the summer of 1941 during the expedition of Tatyana Ustinova and Anisifor Krupenin. The inaccessibility of the Valley of Geysers did not allow us to discover this unique place earlier. Clickable, 1600×1060 px. (Photo by Dimarik):
However, even today not everyone can see Kamchatka geysers. Firstly, the only way to get to them is by helicopter, and secondly, visiting is only possible with the permission of the administration. The Valley of Geysers is a gorge up to 4 km wide and 8 km long, along the bottom of which the Geysernaya River flows. Over a distance of 6 km from the mouth of the river, the slopes of the canyon are covered with about 40 geysers, thermal springs, mud pots and volcanoes.
The pride of the valley is the Giant Geyser. It does not erupt frequently - its cycle is 5-7 hours. But when he wakes up, a stream of boiling water under pressure rises 20-30 meters high, and clouds of steam can reach 300 meters!
Five years ago, 14 km from the Valley of Geysers, the youngest geyser in Russia erupted. It became an unexpected discovery for the employees of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve when, on September 28, 2008, a stream of boiling water rose up from under the Kamchatka soil in the middle of one of the most active hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka in the Uzon Valley. It is believed that the “Pulsating” spring previously erupted at this location. Tourists who were nearby at that moment were allowed to call the newly formed “fountain”. If the staff of the reserve had not come to their senses in time, the geyser would have received the name “Cool”. As a result, they called it “Mudty”. At first it erupted every 15-20 minutes, a year later - approximately every 12 minutes, in 2010 - an hour and forty minutes. Today the steam jet rises 5-6 meters every 2-3 hours, but its cycle depends on the weather. The geyser reacts to strong winds and temperature changes, which affects its activity.
