Whether geysers. Surprising nearby - geysers. The most mysterious geyser

November 1, 1934 in Kamchatka was formed Kronotsky State Natural biosphere reserve, which houses one of the wonders of Russia - the Valley of Geysers. In honor of this event, we bring to your attention a selection of famous geyser fields of the world.

Beppu, Japan

In the northeast of Kyushu is the hot springs capital of Japan - the city of Beppu. Sacred springs of the same name sheltered about 2,800 springs, fumaroles and microgeysers on their territory. Special attention visitors are 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.

Unusual name appeared thanks to the bubbles, reminiscent of the shaved heads of Buddhist monks. But perhaps the most famous source is considered Blood Pond (Chinoike Jigoku). The unusual name appeared due to the red color of the reservoir, "painted" with iron-containing minerals.

El Tatio, Chile

There are five large geothermal regions on Earth with active geysers - four of them are located in Iceland, New Zealand, the USA and Kamchatka. The fifth valley of geysers hid 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 mountain 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 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 "gush". The very first documented and 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 out a stream of hot water to a height of up to 20 meters. Due to its restlessness, it is considered one of the most active geysers in the world.

The beginning of the eruption of the Strokkur geyser:

Like any geyser, Strokkur’s work consists of several stages: filling the basin with water, soaring, ejecting a hot jet of water and the rest stage:

In this picture, you can see in detail all the phases of the eruption.

The largest and most powerful in the world was in New Zealand - the height to which he raised boiling water sometimes 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 impressive eruption:

It is noteworthy that the Icelandic Valley of Geysers until recently was owned by director Sigurdur Jonasson, who donated it to the state. He purchased the area in 1935. Previous owner James Craig, whiskey maker and later Prime Minister Northern Ireland, fenced off the springs, and charged people entry fees. Today everyone can see Icelandic geysers absolutely free. By the way, there are about 30 active geysers in the country.

Yellowstone, USA

On the other side Pacific Ocean there is a geyser that erupts above all other active geysers in the world. This source is located in the Yellowstone National Park (USA) and is named Steamboat. It throws a jet 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 strength is so great that the old pine trees growing nearby were broken and washed away by water during one of the eruptions. By the way, it lasts from 3 to 40 minutes. This geyser is unpredictable: it can wake up every four days, or it can fall asleep for 50 years, as it was in 1911. After a long lull, 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 was active for the first time in eight years.

The park's other popular geyser, Old Faithful, erupts much more frequently and is renowned for its punctuality. Almost every 90 minutes, he throws out 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 meters long and 75 meters 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 has 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 foundation of the Kronotsky Reserve. It 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 discovering this unique place earlier.

However, even today not everyone can see the Kamchatka geysers. Firstly, you can only get to them by helicopter, and secondly, visiting only 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. About 40 geysers, thermal springs, mud pots and volcanoes have stuck around the slopes of the canyon for 6 km from the mouth of the river.

The Velikan geyser is considered the pride of the valley. It erupts infrequently - its cycle is 5-7 hours. But when he wakes up, a jet of boiling water rises 20-30 meters high under pressure, and puffs of steam can reach 300 meters!

Five years ago, the youngest geyser in Russia spouted 14 km from the Valley of Geysers. It became an unexpected discovery for the employees of the Kronotsky Reserve, when on September 28, 2008, a stream of boiling water rose up from under the Kamchatka earth in the middle of one of the most active hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka in the Uzon Valley. It is assumed that the Pulsating source hit this place earlier. The tourists who were nearby at that moment were allowed to name the newly formed “fountain”. If the staff of the reserve did not change their minds in time, the geyser was named "Cool". In the end, they called him "Muddy". At first, it erupted every 15-20 minutes, after a year - about every 12 minutes, in 2010 - an hour and forty minutes. Today, the jet of steam rises 5-6 meters every 2-3 hours, but its cycle depends on the weather. The geyser responds to strong winds and temperature difference, which is reflected in its activity.

Geysers are quite an impressive sight.
Powerful jets of boiling water and burning 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 the Earth has ever produced. This is Waimangu, stationed in New Zealand and active from 1886 to 1904. The streams 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. It is about them that will be discussed in this top. So, the top 10 most beautiful geysers today. Happy reading!

On the territory of North America in Yellowstone National Park is the highest active geyser on Earth. The steamboat, which got its name due to emissions similar to steam emissions from pipes steam engines. Other geysers adorn this American national park, but the Steamboat is the largest among all located here. Erupting, the geyser releases powerful jets of steam or boiling water (temperature 70 degrees) up to 90 meters.
Steamboat Geyser has an unpredictable release schedule ranging from four days to fifty years.
The eruption takes place in two stages. The initial stage lasts from three to forty minutes. At this moment, a water jet of boiling water soars high into the sky. The water phase passes into the steam phase, during which the geyser emits not water, but steam into the air. The maximum height of the steam fountain was recorded as one hundred and fifty meters. The next stage sometimes lasts several hours.
Interestingly, the geyser has two openings, north and south, and the distance between them is five meters.

This country keeps a lot of dangerous places, and especially many that can "boast" of a decent cluster of large geysers. One of its representatives is Pohutu.
It is located in a place called Vakarevareva, where you can find a valley of geysers, which can provide as many as sixty-five geysers of various sizes, power and frequency!
"Pohutu" from the language of the Maori people can be translated 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 hourly intervals 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 currents rush out of the Hive at intervals that are rather difficult to predict, which adds to the danger of this place. The time between eruptions can be as much as 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 counterpart. The bottom line is that it activates somewhere ten to twenty minutes before the start of the Hive eruption.

Again North America national park"Yellowstone", in which a huge number of geysers. And one of the most beautiful "Castle", as it was called in the second half of the XIX century. In those years, in the bizarre shapes of the hot spring cone, researchers saw something similar to medieval castle. But over the years, this shape has been constantly changing due to eruptions and new layers of mineral deposits. Now it is hardly possible to see the outlines of the castle, but the name remains.
Eruptions occur every 10-12 hours. A huge, thirty-meter water column rises above the ground. And this picture lasts about twenty minutes.

6. Old Faithful. USA

The famous geyser located in the heart of Yellowstone Park will make a lasting impression on you. Own interesting name he deserved military punctuality, because the eruptions occur "just on schedule." Such a 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 that each of its eruption is clearly visible to all observers. These spectacular sights make a stunning impression, because everyone is waiting for a powerful fountain from underground at a certain time, but the eruption will still come as a surprise to you! A huge fountain of boiling water, wrapped in steam, shoots up sixty meters and it 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 not far from Stary Sluzhaki.

The Icelandic geyser is an excellent attraction for a huge number of tourists. Let's see why.
It is interesting that Strokkur is located only forty meters from one of the most powerful geysers - Geysir, however, it has a number of differences with it. For example, Strokkur erupts very rarely, and can be dormant for several years. However, when it starts to act, the spectacle is memorable. The time intervals between eruptions at this geyser are from four to six minutes, and the water soars up to fifty meters up.
It is also interesting that sometimes Strokkur develops incredible speed and can very quickly erupt up to four times in a row.

The Valley of Geysers, located in Kamchatka, is one of the largest accumulations of geysers on Earth, and the only one in Eurasia. The largest thermal spring in the Kamchatka Territory of the currently operating is called the "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. Such intense fountaining lasts about two minutes, after which the geyser soars intensely. One full cycle of the geyser lasts approximately a little over four hours.
The giant impresses with its grandiosity of the eruption, bewitching with its action and colors, as well as with a deafening roar. It is capable of throwing 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 " Golden ring Iceland". This geyser consists of two basins, the water in them is azure-blue, but ... with an unpleasant smell of hydrogen sulfide. The mouth of the geyser about three meters sticks out a little from the pool, resembling a giant bowl. When he is calm, the water in him calmly splashes - then it overflows the vent and splashes into the basin, then it disappears into this huge hole. Well, when the Leaping Witch begins its eruption, then the fountain flies up three times (usually 15-20 m), but sometimes its height can reach 60 meters. Then Grila calms down, the water disappears into the vent, and greenish water continues to boil in 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 inadvertently 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, boiling water dissolved minerals, which formed a geyser on the surface and a pedestal surrounding it. To date, the height of this hot spring is 1m 50cm, but its walls continue to grow. Forty pools have formed around the once small fountain for several decades, 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. Boiling water from the underground painted the geyser in such unusual colors, because it is rich in sulfur dioxide, minerals and algae from underground lake. This is the reason for Fly's constant growth.

1. Geysir. Iceland

The most famous, the very first Great Geysir in the Haukadalur valley. It was he who gave the name to such a phenomenon of the nature of our planet, because in 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 throws out a jet 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 meters.
The activity of Geysir is regulated by earthquakes, that is, it can remain inactive for years, and after an earthquake it can “gush” with boiling water several times a day. At the beginning of the last century, Geysir was almost completely quiet. And eighty years ago, an artificial channel was dug through a layer of quartz, and the Greatest One again returned to a stormy life. You can also stimulate activity with the help of soap! But to avoid environmental issues soap is rarely used. And only on the National Day of Iceland, the Government of the country allows this practice, because the picture of a huge seventy-meter column of water and steam is truly a breathtaking sight!

This harsh and inhospitable island (Iceland in translation is “the land of ice”) is interesting in that volcanic phenomena are distinguished here by peculiar features that are not repeated anywhere else.

Here, as if with our own eyes, the most stormy, most ancient periods are restored before us.

Volcanic activity in Iceland

By tense volcanic activity iceland- most notable area the globe. The manifestation of volcanism, which took place here on a grandiose scale in the Tertiary period, has not calmed down to this day.

Lava flows of the most ancient eruptions stretch like a continuous rocky desert, sometimes for tens of kilometers. The largest of them - Odadahraun (in the northeastern half of the island) is over 130 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide.

The total area under the lava flows reaches 7000 square kilometers, i.e. almost equal to Onega lake(without northern bays).

Iceland has 26 large active volcanoes and many smaller ones. The most famous is Hekla volcano(1447 meters high), crowned with three peaks. The combination of black basalt scales, black ash and white spots of snow gives Hekla a very gloomy look.

This is one of the most active volcanoes: since the XII century, Hekla has over 70 eruptions. One of largest eruption Gekla was in 1947.

It went on for over a year. The roar of the volcano was heard for 400 kilometers. Last eruption was in 2000.

From large and small craters, Hekla, in addition to lava, throws out a mass of the finest ash, which plunges into darkness a significant part of the island and fills up its vast areas. Ashes are carried far away by the wind.

In 1947 it was discovered in Southern England, Scandinavia and Finland. The consequences of this eruption caused many disasters to the population, turning the flowering areas closest to the volcano into a desert. Not only crops and pastures were badly damaged, but also sheep, deprived of pasture.

Features of lava volcanoes in Iceland

It is interesting to note that the outpouring lava happening in Iceland not only through volcanoes, but also directly from huge fissures. They stretch for tens of kilometers, breaking up the hills they meet on the way. At 150-200 meters, the crack faults go into the depth. There are especially many of them in the northeastern part of the island. During the eruption, low cones (up to 50 meters) appear above the cracks.

A powerful eruption of lava from the Skaptar crack, 24 kilometers long, occurred in 1783. More than 90 volcanic craters and cones formed on it (34 of them up to 50 meters high). The erupted lava covered 900 square kilometers. The average power of the stream reached 30 meters. The total amount of ejected volcanic products was determined to be approximately 27 cubic kilometers.

The consequence of this eruption was the death of livestock feed. In the end, 9,000 people, i.e., almost one-fifth of the island's population, died from earthquakes, famine and epidemics. In addition, as a result of the ash eruption, crops in Scotland were completely destroyed (approximately 1000 kilometers from the eruption area). In Scotland, famine also set in and many people died.

Particularly destructive catastrophes occur during the eruption Icelandic volcanoes, located among the glaciers, (more:) since the outpouring of lava causes massive melting of ice with the formation of mud flows that cause terrible devastation.

Geysers of Iceland

In addition to volcanoes, Iceland is famous for its wonderful geysers. These are peculiar steam-water volcanoes. They periodically throw out fountains of hot water and steam (in German, "heiss" - hot).

Hot deep waters contain a significant amount of dissolved silica. When water is cooled, silica precipitates in the form of a white precipitate - geyserite. Over time, a low flat cone with a cup-shaped recess grows out of it.

At the bottom of this bowl-shaped pool is the mouth of the channel, which goes to a depth of 20-30 meters. Hot water, coming from the channel, gradually fills the pool. After a while, it boils, and instantly a huge column of water and steam flies up to 20-40 meters in height. Part of the water is returned to the pool. The geyser calms down and then again, after 10-20 minutes, or even after 20 hours, the same picture repeats.

The periodicity of the geyser is explained by the fact that superheated water is collected at the very bottom of the channel, at about 126-127 °. However, even at this temperature, it does not boil, because the overlying layers press on the water, the temperature of which gradually decreases to 70-80 °.

Gradually, due to the influx of heat from below, the temperature in the water column rises, steam bubbles begin to emerge, then the water boils from the surface, the pressure immediately decreases, and the superheated water, turning into a vapor state, instantly erupts. The water thrown out by the fountain cools, partially returns to the pool and goes into the channel. The influx of superheated deep waters gives rise to a new explosion.

Geysers of other countries

In addition to Iceland, there are geysers in New Zealand, in the USA (in Yellowstone National Park), as well as in other countries where volcanic activity is manifested or where it has manifested itself before, because. How long does lava keep warm?

Geysers are known with unrelenting activity for many centuries, but at the same time, reverse phenomena are also observed, when the geyser gradually fades, turning into hot spring, or even disappear altogether.

Even before 1904, the famous, now silent Waimangu geyser operated on the northern island of New Zealand, throwing out the most powerful fountain in the world 450 meters high.

Kamchatka is also rich in geysers, especially in the area of ​​the fading Kikhpinych volcano (to the south of Lake Kronotsky). The bulk of the geysers (at least 22 large and about 100 small ones) are located in the valley of the Geysernaya river.

The most powerful geyser - Giant - every 2 hours 50 minutes throws out a fountain of water and steam almost 40 meters. The Velkan pool is 3 by 1.5 meters with a depth of at least 3 meters. The water temperature of Kamchatka geysers is 94-99°.

Kamchatka is also rich in hot (from 50-100°) and warm (from 20 to 50°) mineral springs of various chemical composition.

Mud volcanoes are found in the area of ​​active and especially attenuated volcanoes. These are low hills with a hollow at the top. Kamchatka mud volcanoes are quite tiny in size - 30 centimeters in height with a crater diameter of 15-10 centimeters.

From time to time they pour out streams of mud and emit gases. mud volcanoes are hot and cold. The former are associated with volcanic regions, while the latter are more associated with oil fields (for example, the Baku fields, the island of Java, Mexico, etc.).

Geyser - a natural phenomenon, which is a source, under pressure in the form of a fountain, periodically ejecting hot water and steam. The temperature of the ejected water sometimes reaches up to 100 degrees. The name of this amazing natural phenomenon was given in honor of the name of one of the oldest known geysers in Iceland - Gelsir. The formation of geysers is associated with volcanic activity. They occur in places where very close to the surface of the earth is magma that has not cooled down after the eruption, which emits a large number of steam and gases rising up through accessible channels and cracks. These gases and steam enter the caves filled with underground waters, which have arisen during volcanic eruptions, heat these inputs, and mix with them. Further, the heated lower layer of this water rushes up and is thrown to the surface along the channels and cracks found. The geyser stops flowing when underground caves run out of water. But when the groundwater fills these caves again and heats up to the required temperature, there will be another eruption.

Geysers, hot springs and mineral springs are the last echoes of formidable volcanic activity.

Geysers are springs in which eruptions of boiling water occur at regular intervals. With an explosion and a roar, a huge column of boiling water, shrouded in thick clouds of steam, flies up in a large fountain, sometimes reaching 80 m.

The fountain beats for a while, then the water disappears, the clouds of steam dissipate, and a state of rest sets in.

Some geysers throw water very low or just spray it. There are hot springs, similar to puddles, in which the water boils with bubbles. Usually around the geyser there is a pool, or a shallow crater, the diameter of which reaches several meters. The edges of such a pool and the area adjacent to it are covered with deposits of silica contained in boiling water. These deposits are called geyserite. Near some geysers, cones of geyserite are formed from a few centimeters to several meters high.

Immediately after the eruption of the geyser, the pool is freed from water, and at the bottom of it you can see a channel (vent) filled with water, going deep underground.

Before the beginning of the eruption, the water rises, slowly fills the pool, boils, splashes, then with an explosion, a fountain of boiling water flies high.

Geysers are a very rare and beautiful natural phenomenon. It can be observed here (in Kamchatka), in Iceland, in New Zealand and North America. Small solitary geysers are found in some other volcanic areas.

In the eastern part of Kamchatka, south of Lake Kronotskoye, there are many geysers in the valley of the river. Geyser. The river starts on the lifeless slopes extinct volcano Kikhpinych and downstream forms a valley up to 3 km wide. On the ledges of the slopes of this valley there are many hot springs, hot and warm lakes, mud pots and geysers.

About 20 large geysers are known here, not counting the small ones that splash out water only a few centimeters. Near some of them, the soil is warm, and sometimes even hot.

Many geysers are surrounded by streaks of multi-colored geyserite of bizarre shapes, similar to beautiful artificial lattices. Sometimes geyserite covers areas of several tens of square meters. So, for example, near the largest Kamchatka geyser - the "Giant", throwing out a huge fountain to a height of several tens of meters, a geyserite site of about a hectare was formed. It is all covered with streaks in the form of small stone rosettes of a grayish-yellow color.

Geyser eruption. Photo: Geoffrey Plauche

Geyser in section. The dashes show water, the circles show gases.

Nearby is the geyser "Pearl", named after the shape and color of the geyserite deposits: with a mother-of-pearl tint, similar to pearls. There is a geyser "Sakharny" with abundant and beautiful deposits of pale pink geyserite. This is a pulsating source, the water from it is not thrown out by a fountain, but splashes out in uniform shocks.

Geyser "Pervenets" is located on a rocky hot area almost on the very bank of the river. Noisy, near the mouth of the river. Geyser. The “Firstborn” pool, about one and a half meters in diameter and the same depth, is surrounded by large blocks of stones. If you look into the pool immediately after the eruption, you can see that there is absolutely no water in it, and at the bottom there is a hole, or a channel that goes obliquely into the depths. After some time, a rumble is heard from under the ground, similar to the noise of a motor: water begins to rise through the channel, gradually filling the pool. It boils, reaches the edges of the pool, rises higher and higher, splashes out and, finally, with an explosion, an obliquely directed column of boiling water bursts out, shrouded in thick clouds of steam. The fountain rises to a height of at least 15-20 m. It beats for two or three minutes, then silence sets in, the steam dissipates, and you can again look into the empty pool without risk. After a short period of time, a rumble is heard again and the geyser begins to act again.

Iceland has long been famous for its hot springs, boiling rivers and geysers. In the valleys of almost all its rivers, rising clouds of steam from boiling springs and geysers are visible. They are especially numerous in the southwestern part of the island. It is interesting to see the famous "Big Geyser" there. Its pool is about 18 m in diameter. The smooth bottom of the pool in the center turns into a rounded crater about 3 m in diameter, similar in shape to the bell of a pioneer forge.

The channel of the geyser goes to a great depth, connecting underground with cracks with caves, periodically filled with hot water and steam.

The water temperature in the geyser on the surface is up to 80°, and in the channel at a certain depth up to 120°.

The eruption of the "Great Geyser" is very beautiful. It is repeated every 20-30 hours and lasts 2.5-3 hours. "Big Geyser" gushing to a height of up to 30 m.

The harsh nature of Iceland makes the inhabitants use some of the hot springs to irrigate their fields. Vegetables and cereals are grown on heated soils. Hot water sources are also used for heating houses in cities and towns. For example, the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, is completely heated by hot springs.

Until 1904, the Waimangu geyser operated on the North Island of New Zealand. It was the largest geyser in the world. During strong eruption its jet was thrown into the air for 450 m. But now this geyser has completely disappeared. This is explained by a decrease of 11 m in the water level in the nearest lake. Taravera.

On the shore of the lake Waikato ( New Zealand) there is a geyser "Crows Nest" ("Crow's Nest"), the eruption of which depends on the water level in the lake. If the water is high, then the geyser erupts every 40 minutes, if the water level is low, the eruption occurs after 2 hours.

Numerous and varied hot springs and geysers are located in North America on the border of the states of Wyoming and Montana. This beautiful place, surrounded by the high snowy ridges of the Rocky Mountains, is called Yellowstone National Park. It is a high plateau, cut by deep river valleys and lake depressions.

Several million years ago, very strong volcanic eruptions took place here, which left this amazing corner of nature behind. Of the 200 geysers in Yellowstone Park, the Old Faithful is considered the most famous. For many hundreds of years, it does not stop its activity, as well as some other geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone Park.

Imagine what a huge amount of heat these geysers and hot springs bring to the surface of the Earth! It is estimated that the heat from all sources in Yellowstone Park can melt about 3 tons of ice per second.

Where does this heat come from?

Geysers occur in areas where uncooled magma lies near the earth's surface. The gases and vapors released from it, rising, go a long way along the cracks. At the same time, they mix with groundwater, heat it up and themselves turn into hot water with various substances dissolved in it. Such water comes to the surface of the earth in the form of seething combustible springs, various mineral springs, geysers, etc.

Scientists suggest that underground the geyser consists of caves (chambers) and passages connecting them, cracks and channels found in frozen lava flows. These caves are filled with circulating underground waters, at a shallow depth from which there are uncooled magma chambers.

The eruption of geysers occurs in different ways, depending on the size of underground chambers, on the shape of the channels and the location of cracks through which heat flows from the depths of the bowels, on the amount and speed of groundwater inflow. It is known from physics that the boiling point of water at a pressure of 1 atmosphere at sea level is 100 °. If the pressure increases, the boiling point rises,

and as the pressure decreases, it decreases. The pressure of the water column in the geyser channel raises the boiling point of the water at the bottom of the channel. Water when heated from below comes into motion; the heated lower layer of water becomes less dense and rises to the surface, and more cold water from the surface it descends, where, warming up, it rises in turn, and so on. Thus, vapors and gases, continuously seeping through cracks from the depths, warm the water, bringing it to a boil.

If the geyser channel is wide and has a more or less regular shape, the water, moving (circulating), mixes, boils and splashes to the surface in the form of a hot spring. If the channel is winding and narrow, the water cannot mix and heats up unevenly. Due to the pressure from above the water column below, the water is superheated and does not turn into steam. Steam is released in separate bubbles. Accumulating below, the compressed steam tends to expand, presses on the upper layer of water in the channel and raises it so much that it splashes onto the Earth's surface in small fountains - precursors of an eruption. Splashing water reduces the weight of the water column in the channel; consequently, the pressure at depth decreases and superheated water, being above the boiling point, instantly turns into steam. The steam pressure from below is so great that it pushes water out of the canal in the form of huge fountains of boiling water and puffs of steam.

Answer left Guru

Description

Geysers can take the form of small truncated cones with fairly steep slopes, low, very gentle domes, small bowl-shaped depressions, hollows, irregularly shaped pits, etc.; in their bottom or walls there are outlets of tubular or slit-like channels.

The activity of a geyser is characterized by periodic recurrence of dormancy, filling the basin with water, spouting of a steam-water mixture and intense steam emissions, gradually giving way to their calm release, cessation of steam release and the onset of a dormant stage.
There are regular and irregular geysers. For the former, the duration of the cycle as a whole and its individual stages is almost constant, for the latter it is variable, for different geysers the duration of individual stages is measured in minutes and tens of minutes, the rest stage lasts from several minutes to several hours or days.

The chemical composition of water

The water ejected by the geyser is relatively clean, slightly mineralized (1-2 grams per liter), in terms of chemical composition it is sodium chloride or sodium chloride-hydrocarbonate-sodium, containing a relatively large amount of silica, from which a close-to-opal rock is formed at the exit of the channel and on the slopes. - geyserite. The main mass of the geyser's water is of atmospheric origin, possibly with an admixture of magmatic water. The activity of the geyser as a whole is relatively short-term and depends on a number of conditions - a decrease in heat flow, cessation of movement near the channels groundwater and etc.

Education and principle of action

There are a number of hypotheses regarding the formation and periodic activity of geysers. According to updated data by V. V. Averyev, A. S. Nekhoroshev and V. M. Sugrobov, a necessary condition for the existence of a geyser is its replenishment in the near-surface parts of the channel with superheated waters with a temperature above 100 ° C. When water rises up the channel, its pressure decreases and the water boils; at the same time, the elasticity of the resulting steam rapidly increases, which, overcoming the water pressure in the channel, throws water out. With the beginning of the geyser spouting, all the water in the channel boils and erupts due to a significant increase in the volume of the steam-water mixture.

The ejected water, somewhat cooled, partially falls back into the bosom of the geyser and again enters its channel. Most of the water seeps into the channel from side rocks, heats up (and overheats in the lower parts of the channel), and steam is again formed and the steam-water mixture is released.

Location

Geysers are known:

in Kamchatka in Iceland ("country of geysers") in North America in New Zealand in Japan in China. Famous geysers

Large geysers in Kamchatka were discovered in 1941. in the valley of the Geysernaya River (Valley of Geysers), near the Kikhpinych volcano. In total, there are about 100 geysers in Kamchatka. Of these, about 20 are large, in size and strength of eruptions not inferior to the active geysers of Iceland, Yellowstone national park USA and New Zealand. The largest geyser in Kamchatka is the Giant, throwing out jets of water 40 meters high and steam several hundred meters high.

There are about 30 geysers in Iceland, among which the Jumping Witch (Grilla) stands out, spewing a steam-water mixture to a height of 15 meters approximately every 2 hours.

Among the geysers of Yellowstone National Park (about 200), the largest are Giant and Old Faithful. The first emits steam and water to a height of up to 40 meters with a period of 3 days, the second - to a height of 42 meters every 53-70 minutes.

The powerful and most beautiful geyser in New Zealand - Tetarata, which was located on a terraced hill of pink siliceous tuff, disappeared during the eruption of the Tarawera volcano in 1886.

Another New Zealand geyser - Waimangu - the largest and most powerful on Earth - acted irregularly with a period of 5 to 30 hours from 1899 to 1904. He threw out about 800 tons of water with each eruption, and the stones captured by the jet rose to a height of 457 meters. The action of the geyser ceased due to a drop of 11 meters in the water level in the neighboring lake Tarawera. Of the modern New Zealand geysers, Pohutu stands out, periodically gushing to a height of 20 meters.

OBZh grade 6

"The effect of nicotine on the body" - Threat. Smoking affects appearance. Greedy smoking. Changes in the oral cavity. Lungs of smokers with different experience. Lungs of smokers. Consequences of long-term intensive smoking. The threat of passive smoking. The effect of nicotine on the body. Tolstoy. smoking process. Dangerous consequences of smoking. The purpose of a woman. lagging behind children in physical and mental development. Mortality of people. Emphysema of the lungs.

"Consequences of drugs" - Influence on a person. Young woman. Types of psychotropic substances. Drug experience. Spread the word to teenagers. Age of onset of addiction. Extensive bleeding. Ecstasy. LSD. Drugs and age. Reasons for drug use. For a world without drugs. Nasvay.

"Prevention of bad habits in adolescents" - It is necessary to actively carry out preventive work. What will tomorrow be like for our youth. Give up bad habits yourself. Holding role playing. Irreparable harm. What should parents do in such a situation? desire to demonstrate. People are pathologically dependent on their bad habits. Parents about bad habits of teenagers. What issues should be discussed first? Where does all this come from.

"Volcanic eruptions" - Types of volcanoes. A. New Zealand. Volcanoes, about the eruption of which no information has been preserved in the history of mankind, are called? Drawings of volcanoes. Cotopaxi. Lava. A bowl-shaped depression at the top of a volcano? Lullaillaco. Iceland. Define geographical coordinates famous volcanoes. Ingestion of the smallest particles of ash into the lungs leads to the loss of livestock. Erupted magma is called? Why study volcanoes?

"Injuries at school" - So that there are no injuries at school. At the technology lesson.

A group of schoolchildren. Change games. Before gym class. How many schoolchildren suffered because of the footboard. "School" injuries. Moving to another office. After lessons. How to prevent injury. Turn. Games.

"Fire Safety Quiz" - Charles Perrault "Sleeping Beauty". Firefighters. What was the name of the head of the fire brigade in the 19th century. Fire safety. Do not try to run out of the house. Fire is one of the greatest wonders of nature. Warm up. What was the name of the fighter. G.Kh.Andersen “Flint”. Lazar Lagin "Old Man Hottabych". S. Mikhalkov "Uncle Styopa." Strictly observe the firefighters' rules. The first fire brigade in Moscow was created in the twenties.

In total, there are 17 presentations in the topic "OBZH Grade 6"

5class.net > OBZh grade 6 > Volcanic eruptions > slide 22

Geysers of Kamchatka

A geyser is a thermal spring that periodically erupts hot water and steam. Types of eruptions range from a fountain to bursts, from an inclined jet to a regular stream. The operating mode of the geyser is always different and may change. If the eruption of water occurs continuously, it is not called a geyser. Another name for a geyser is a pulsating spring. Since the 19th century, 2 models of geyser devices have been known - this is a chamber model and a borehole model.

There are 4 stages of the geyser. Some of them include all stages. The first is called filling: after the geyser spouts water, it begins to accumulate again, this stage ends when the channel is filled and ready to erupt. This mode can reach several hours. The second is an outflow. Under the pressure of steam at depth and heating of the lower layers of water, which tends to the top, water is pushed to the surface. The next stage is the eruption. When the intensity of boiling in a narrow channel reaches its apogee, the water is forcefully pushed to the surface. The fourth stage of soaring. After pushing all the water to the surface, the remaining boiling water inside the geyser continues to be active, due to which the geyser can release steam from the gryphon for some time.

Names of geysers in Kamchatka

Some geysers are named according to their mode of operation, as well as the type, structure and amount of ejection: Fountain, Shroud, Fickle, Horizontal, Weeping, Eight, Pink Cone, etc. In sum, central part The Valley of Geysers has 26 named geysers. Here are some of them:

Geyser Averevsky

Considered the most active geyser in the valley. The discharge capacity per day is about 1000 m3. This handsome man is located on a separate site near the geyser ensemble Vitrazh. The height of the jet reaches 5 m.

The geyser was discovered and named in the 70s in honor of Valery Averyev, a famous volcanologist who made a great contribution to the development of the Kronotsky Reserve, as well as the study of the hydrothermal sites of the valley.

Geyser Big

The largest geyser in the valley accessible to tourists. Spouting a fountain of boiling water up to 10 m high, the pillars of its subsequent steam can lift up to 200 m.

Its eruptions can be observed every hour. Located in a convenient location for viewing.

After the historical landslide in 2007, the Bolshoy geyser was flooded and stopped its activity for 3 months. The manifestation of activity, noticed later, was the result of the activities of volunteers who manually cleared blockages of stones, thereby freeing the geyser from filling with water.

According to T. Ustinova, the eruption of the Bolshoy geyser was a majestic picture. Its ejections were accompanied by a roar and huge puffs of steam.

Geyser Giant

The largest geyser with a constant mode of operation. The column of boiling water reaches 35 m in a very short time. The site on which the Giant is located is strewn with geyserite, small streams, algae and small hot springs. The period of its eruptions is 5-7 hours, and therefore it is a great success to observe its eruption during the excursion.

Geyser Giant has a certain peculiarity in its work. The so-called "false urges" at work. Some time before the "real" eruption, the geyser ejects jets of boiling water to a height of 2 m, which can be repeated up to several times, before a large ejection.

Hell Gate Geyser

This geyser is interesting not only for its name, but also for its appearance. Presenting 2 big holes in the ground, it is constantly shrouded in steam, and low-frequency noise and muffled “sighs” are heard from its black depths.

Geyser Horizontal

The most remote geyser from the excursion trail. Having an irregular shape, it is located on the steep bank of the Geysernaya River, and the jets of its eruption pass at an angle of 45 degrees.

Geyser Grotto

Wrapped in mysticism and puffs of steam, this geyser is the most mysterious in the valley. It is located on the ledge of the Vitrazh geyser complex. The appearance of its eruptions was rumored for a long time until they were captured on camera. After that, it was recognized as a geyser with very rare types of eruptions.

Its ejections are a horizontal jet of water, which, through a roar and a roar, beats out of its cave, blocking the entire stained-glass window, and washing away the soil on the opposite bank. The jet length reaches 60 m.

Geyser Pearl

The most beautiful geyser of the valley. Its eruptions are represented by the correct form, and large splashes shimmer in the sun. The geyser itself is shrouded in a stone building, which is covered with gray geyserite, resembling pearls. Even the most inexperienced photographer will be able to capture the beauty of this source.

Geyser Fortress

This geyser is famous for the fact that before the 2007 landslide, its mode of operation could be called a pulsating source.

Geyser Fickle

It is part of the Vitrazh geyser complex and is one of the largest on its slope. Its structure is a narrow gap, and eruptions are known as wide and powerful splashes of water from its left side. Based on the name, its mode of operation is unstable and changes every 5 minutes.

Geyser Firstborn

The name speaks for itself. The discovery of the Valley of Geysers began with him, in the spring of 1941, by geologist T. Ustinova and her assistant Anisofor Krupenin during the study of the upper reaches of the Shumnaya River.

Until the 2007 landslide, it was considered the largest geyser in the Valley. The mode of his work varied from 40 minutes to 2 hours. After the detrital mud came off, the work of the geyser was stopped, and independently restored only in 2011.

Geyser Fountain

The largest geyser of Vitrazh. A stable operating mode of 4 minutes and a stable jet height of 10 m. According to T. Ustinova, the Fountain was previously considered “the most beautiful geyser valleys."

Geyser Shaman

The only geyser of its kind, located 16 km from the valley, in the caldera of the Uzon volcano. The caldera of the volcano in its history had no mention of geysers. Only in 2008, rumors began to circulate about the appearance of the first of these. In 2009, the presence of a geyser in the caldera was confirmed, the cause of which has not been disclosed to this day. The operating mode of the geyser changed in 2010 and 2011.

Geyser Shaman is known for its first working names Cool and Muddy.

Also among the 26 geysers are: Bastion, Bubbling, Bathtub, Pretender, Upper, Gosha, Double, Cauldrons, New Fountain, Soaring, Weeping, Shroud, Five Minutes, Pink Cone, Slit.

You can capture the eruptions of the water column and listen to the roar of groundwater in the following programs

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Iceland is one of the northernmost and most successful countries in the world. Her small population fully satisfies its needs through fishing and energy, built on the hydrothermal energy of geysers and volcanoes. Visiting the country of geysers is a dream of many travelers. Harsh attracts not only with stunning beauty, but also with amazing opportunities.

First impression

Iceland is a country of geysers and volcanoes. Literally translated as "country of ice". This Island state with a small mono-ethnic population - approximately 322 thousand inhabitants (as of 2016). The bulk is concentrated in cities, which can be reached by water, air and roads. The middle part of the country is practically deserted, it is occupied by vast glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, etc.

Icelandic is one of the oldest languages ​​in the world. It is directly related to the language of the Vikings, who owned this island back in the 8th-9th centuries. The desire to preserve is enshrined at the state level. Instead of foreign concepts that easily come into use, they come up with their own, having common roots with the Icelandic and Old Norse languages ​​(part of linguistic purism), thus consolidating their own traditions.

The nature of Iceland is amazing. It is she who attracts travelers from all over the world. In historical chronicles, the island was described as wooded mountains on the seashore, but over time, the forests almost disappeared, giving way to mountains and glaciers. Vegetation today occupies only a quarter of the island, the rest is a land of ice, fire and geysers.

Cities

The largest cities in the country of geysers are Reykjavik, Kopavogur, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordur, Akranes, Husavik, Seydisfjordur. With just over 202,000 inhabitants, Reykjavik, the capital, is the country's most populous city. There are also those where the population does not exceed a thousand.

Reykjavik is the most northern capital Europe, literally translated as "bay of smoke." Founded and named by the Vikings, it surprises with its proximity thermal waters, geysers and a snow dormant volcano with legendary history- Esya. That's enough modern city fit together Newest technologies with ethnographic buildings and a measured way of life of urban residents. Moderate temperature, proximity to glaciers and the presence of thermal springs make this place attractive for those who improve their health by swimming in the water. different temperatures. And for local residents, thermal springs are a year-round open pool where you can hold business negotiations or just enjoy being in the healing water.

Volcanoes

Most tourists who come to the land of ice, fire and geysers dream of seeing volcanoes at least from afar. The history of the island and even Europe is connected with them, the eruptions of some led to crop failure, famine and a decrease in the number of inhabitants.

Today, some of the country's volcanoes are considered dormant, about 25 active volcanoes are located on the island. The last eruption was recorded in the south of the country in May 2011 (Grimsvotn volcano). Some volcanic systems have been mastered by mountain tourists, among them the Kerling Sulur volcano (Northern Iceland) should be noted.

Geysers

In which country are geysers not only a target extreme tourism and scientific research, but also a source of useful energy? Without a doubt, Iceland is a leader in the field of geothermal energy.

Today, the country's economy is almost completely built on the energy of geysers. Most famous geysers: Big Geyser, Stokkur and some others. Like volcanoes, they animate local residents and have their own legends. The highest geyser is Stokkur. It throws jets of boiling water and steam to a height of up to 200 meters. Most of the geysers are not harmless - it is not recommended to approach them, even if they just slowly bubble up without rising in height.

Most popular place associated with the action of geyser energy is the Blue Lagoon, in which the boiling water of the geyser mixes with the salty water of the ocean, forming healing pools in which you can swim. The Blue Lagoon is considered one of the symbols of the country of geysers; it attracts not only tourists, but also people who want to improve their health.

Water element

Numerous volcanic eruptions and glaciers contributed to the formation water system Iceland. The most long river Iceland - Thjoursau, flowing out of the glacier and flowing into Atlantic Ocean. It is an enchanting sight with waterfalls and canyons.

Some rivers and lakes of the country of geysers attract lovers of fishing. Salmon and trout in these places reach especially large sizes. For a long time, the main industry of the country was fishing, so fishing is still one of the main activities. In the tourist segment, the country of geysers and fishing attracts those who do not want to follow the rules sports tourism. Here all the fish caught belongs to the fisherman.

waterfalls

Iceland's waterfalls are another source of natural energy and an occasion to get acquainted with the unusual nature of this country. Here is the largest waterfall in Europe - Dettifoss. Its height is 44 m, width - 100 m. Hafragilfoss competes with it - 27 meters in height and 91 m in width. Located nearby, they invariably attract tourists with their pristine strength. All waterfalls in Iceland are not equipped to visit, they look completely virgin. This is what attracts travelers.

Iceland is a country of geysers, volcanoes and waterfalls. Unusual and rock formations, glaciers and rivers, volcanic lakes with piercing clear air and blue skies set the tone for this harsh earth, inviting here those who want to immerse themselves in the world of wild and pristine nature.