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” by 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. 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 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:
It is 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.
On November 1, 1934, the Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve was established 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” by 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.
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 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.
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.
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 Icelandic geysers known to people, 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 occupy several tens of square meters, or begin to grow 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 largely depends on the size of the caves, the shape and location of the cracks/channels, as well as how quickly the groundwater moves through them and, of course, on their quantities: through a wide channel of regular shape, 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.
- The bubbles, squeezed from all sides, try to expand and begin to squeeze out the top layer of water from below, literally pushing it to the surface, thus creating a series of small fountains, symbolizing the approach of a larger eruption.
- When the water splashes out, the upper layer of water does not press as hard on the lower layer as before - and allows the excessively hot water to transform into steam. Therefore, after some time, huge jets of hot water fly up above the ground, surrounded by clouds of steam.
The geyser stops spewing water only when the underground caves are completely emptied of water. The next eruption will not occur until the groundwater again fills the underground labyrinths and does not heat up there to the required 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 if you step in the wrong place, seemingly on green grass, you may well find yourself in the middle of a scalding slurry - and your foot, not finding 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 is absolutely not justified in this case - 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 like mercury, arsenic, 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).
A powerful fountain of hot water and steam from the ground - have you ever seen this? If this happens under your windows, then most likely you need to urgently call the emergency service. But in nature this phenomenon is called a geyser.
Geysers are found only in areas of volcanic activity. And although there are plenty of volcanoes on Earth, there are not so many geysers, since their formation requires certain thermodynamic conditions.
The largest groups of geysers are concentrated in only 5 places on our planet: Kamchatka, Iceland, North America, New Zealand and Chile. There is also a small group of geysers in Japan and China. And in the photo above - .
Valley of Geysers, Kamchatka
The Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka was discovered relatively recently - in 1941. All the springs are located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve on an area of four square kilometers on the slopes of a flowering canyon, along the bottom of which the Geysernaya River flows.
At the time of the opening of the valley, more than 40 geysers were active, but after a landslide in 2007 their number decreased. However, the valley has not lost its beauty because of this; it still attracts the attention of tourists and scientists from all over the world. The largest geysers in the valley at the moment remain Grotto and Velikan; they emit up to 60 tons of boiling water.
Thermal springs have an impact on the flora and fauna in the valley. Unique plants and lichens cover the slopes of the valley. The ground around the springs is warm, so bears often come here to bask, of which, as you know, there are a lot of them in Kamchatka.
Haukadalur Valley, Iceland
Just a hundred kilometers from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, there is another beautiful valley of geysers - Haukadalur. Due to the high seismic activity in this part of the Earth, the Haukadalur valley is constantly changing.
The valley is famous for the “oldest” geyser called Geysir. This is the very first geyser discovered by man in the 13th century, which gave its name to this natural phenomenon. However, it was explored only in 1847. Another geyser that brings fame to this valley is Strokkur. It erupts every 3-10 minutes, throwing out a column of steam and hot water to a height of 20-30 meters.
The water in nearby springs and streams flowing from this geyser reaches a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius. In total, there are about 30 small geysers and hot springs in the valley. The most interesting of them, Blesi, consists of two closely located pools. This is perhaps the most spectacular source. In one of the pools, the water is colored a rich blue color due to the silicon compounds it contains. The water temperature here does not exceed 40°C. But in the neighboring pool the water is clear and its temperature reaches 100°C.
The valley is also famous for its waterfall Gullfoss(orig. Gullfoss), which is an impressive sight. The waterfall consists of two steps turned at right angles to each other. The total height difference is 70 meters.
Geysers in the reserve Yellowstone, USA
Yellowstone National Park in the United States contains the largest number of geysers on earth - about three hundred geysers. And there are about ten thousand geothermal sources. The first geothermal source was discovered in 1807, and explored only in 1869. The springs and geysers are located in the caldera of the dormant Yellowstone volcano.
One of the most famous geysers in Yellowstone is Old Faithful. It erupts every 90 minutes, throwing 14,000 to 32,000 liters of boiling water to a height of 30-56 meters. Another famous geyser in Yellowstone Park is Steamboat Geyser. It can spew a fountain of hot water and steam to a height of over 90 meters. The tallest and most unpredictable geyser in the world: the interval between eruptions ranges from 4 days to 50 years.
The national park is notable not only for the presence of geysers, it is based on the site of a supervolcano, the eruptions of which are among the largest on Earth. Major volcanic eruptions occur approximately every 600,000 years.
In addition to geysers, there is a unique place on Earth - Mammoth hot springs. They were created over thousands of years by hot water and calcium deposits flowing in large quantities from underground.
The territory of the park is beautiful and multifaceted - rocky peaks, deep canyons, rivers, meadows. The park is home to the largest herds of American bison in the world, wolves, grizzly bears, moose, bison and other animals.
Valley of Geysers Rotorua, New Zealand
Geothermal springs in New Zealand were discovered in 1850, and their exploration began in 1867. To develop tourism in the middle of the Rotorua Valley, near the lake of the same name, a city of the same name was built. By 1880, Rotorua had become famous for its unique pink and white terraces, formed as a result of volcanic activity on the shores of Lake Rotomahana. Subsequently, this stunning creation of nature was destroyed during a volcanic eruption. The valley is located on Severny Island and is famous for the fact that all types of natural thermal activity occur here.
Hot mud springs, geysers, volcanoes are nearby - all surrounded by an idyllic tropical landscape with enormous biodiversity. Around the geysers there are lakes, the water in which is painted in bright colors, depending on the minerals present.
Valley of Geysers Tatio, Chile
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).
It is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere. About 80 geysers release boiling water from the depths of the earth. The height of the fountains of these geysers can reach 7 meters. Geysers begin to operate before dawn and go out by 9-10 a.m. as the morning air warms up. Boiling water, steam, sulfur and various minerals form at dawn a fantastic picture of many colors, constantly changing in the light of the first rays of the sun.
Near the geysers there are thermal wells with warm mineral water. The water here is rich in sulfur, sodium and potassium, and its temperature reaches 49 degrees Celsius.
Largest number of teeth the garden snail has about 25,000, even more than the shark. Despite such a large number of teeth, the snail is not at all scary or dangerous. With its small teeth it grinds the leaves on which it feeds. In fact, these are not teeth, but tiny spikes.
There are places on our planet that cannot be called quiet. There, tremors shake the ground from time to time, the rocks become red-hot, and columns of smoke and tongues of fire burst out of the ground - a volcanic eruption begins. As a rule, in such places a layer of hot magma lies close to the surface of the earth next to groundwater.
Magma heats both the porous rocks and the water that seeps through them. If water flows freely from there, a hot spring will form on the surface. But if the water is confined among these stones, it heats up to a high temperature and breaks out to the surface at certain intervals. And then a column of water rises above the ground, which soon disappears, only to appear again after some time. This natural fountain is called a geyser (from the Icelandic word geysa - to gush).
Where are geysers found?
In Europe, Iceland is considered the country of geysers - a large island in the Atlantic Ocean, covered with glaciers, above which volcanoes rise. 140 km north of the capital of Iceland - Reykjavik - in the Haukadalur valley, a huge stream of hot water with steam soared into the sky, rising to a height of more than 40 m (the roof level of a 13-story building). This hot fountain was called the Great Geysir. It has been “sleeping” for many years, but on Iceland’s National Day, geologists artificially “launch” it by loading tons of soap into it.
Nearby, in the same valley, another famous geyser, Strokkur, is located and active. Around the clock, at regular intervals, it throws a column of hot water up to 30 m high into the sky. This column can be seen from a distance of 5 km. After a few seconds, the fountain falls and becomes a lake with a smooth surface. The first sign of the next approaching release is a ripple on the surface of the water.
The Valley of Geysers is also found in Russia, Kamchatka, the USA, New Zealand, and Japan.
The highest geyser fountain - 500 m - was observed from 1901 to 1904 in New Zealand. Fountains between 30 and 60 m high are common. The Faithful Old Man in Yellowstone National Park in the USA spits out tens of thousands of liters of boiling water every 65 minutes.
In Kamchatka, on the territory of the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve, the Valley of Geysers lies in a deep canyon. It extends 3.5 km upstream of the Geysernaya River. The Valley of Geysers was discovered near the Kikhpinych volcano in 1941. There are more than 20 large geysers in the valley. Some of them gush every 10-12 minutes, others erupt once every 4-5 hours. The largest geyser, the Giant, is located on the right bank of the river. Its stream rises to a height of 40 m, and the duration of the eruption reaches 4.5 hours.
In areas of volcanic activity deep within the Earth, groundwater is heated by molten magma and forms hot springs. In order for water to boil, its temperature at depth must exceed 100 ° C - like in a pressure cooker, where water is brought to a boil under high pressure. Only in a geyser, instead of a pot lid, there is a layer of colder water, lying closer to the earth’s surface.
When the “lid” comes into contact with hot underground steam and boils so that the steam becomes larger, its excess begins to escape in a thin stream. The pressure drops, and the rest of the water, whose temperature exceeds 100 ° C, boils. And then - instantly! - a large volume of superheated steam carries along water in the form of a boiling fountain soaring to the sky.
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