GEYSERS (from the Icelandic geysa - to gush), springs that periodically eject hot water and steam. Geysers are distributed mainly in areas of modern or recently stopped volcanic activity. Four stages are distinguished in their cycle: rest, outflow, eruption (fountain), soaring (some of them may not be expressed). Geysers with a practically constant cycle duration are regular, with a variable one - irregular. The presence of a resting stage distinguishes geysers from other pulsating (including boiling) sources. Cycle duration can be measured in minutes, hours, days, and even years. The dormant stage lasts from several minutes to several hours or days (the duration of the dormant and outflow stages and their relationship with the cycle duration are individual for each geyser), the eruption stage lasts from one to several minutes, the soaring stage, if any, does not exceed several minutes. The water emitted by the springs is low-mineralized (1-2 g/l), contains a relatively large amount of silica, from which covers of geyserite (porous opal rock) are formed at the exit of the channel, which looks like a small truncated cone or a shallow depression (pit). Geysers are characterized by the height of the steam-water fountain and the mass of water ejected in one eruption (power).

Regarding the periodic regime of geyser activity, there are a number of assumptions. According to one of the most common hypotheses of the functioning of geysers (borehole model), proposed in the middle of the 19th century, there is a channel into which hot water with a boiling point higher than at atmospheric pressure (over 100 ° C) enters. Boiling does not occur because over hot water there is a fairly long column of chilled water. As water enters, its level rises and after a while reaches the surface. The outflow (drainage) begins, as a result of which the pressure in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bcontact of the cooled and hot water decreases and there comes a moment when it becomes less than the corresponding boiling point of water. Boiling begins and the release of a steam-water mixture - an eruption. If the water supply at depth is obstructed, then the level of the boiling zone will drop until the system is emptied. The steam will rise and exit the channel, and the ejected water will partially sink down, forming a column of chilled water that does not allow the hot water entering at depth to boil. The system will return to the initial state. Other models of geyser functioning are known: mixing of cold and hot waters with a variable flow rate or a chamber model that takes into account special form supply channel. According to some researchers, each geyser has an individual mechanism of activity, due to the complex structure of the underground system of channels and the multiplicity of water flows that feed the geysers.

Geysers are found in many countries. Tall, powerful geysers are known in Iceland, Canada, the USA, China, Japan, New Zealand and Russia (discovered in Kamchatka in the Valley of Geysers in 1941). The mass of water ejected in one eruption is the largest in Kamchatka geysers (for example, Grotto, Velikan, Maly). In total, there are about 100 geysers in Kamchatka, of which about 20 are large. In the USA, in Yellowstone National Park, there is the highest modern geyser - Steamboat, or Steamboat (the maximum height of its steam-water fountain is 90-120 m; the last major eruptions were in 1989, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005); other tall geysers are Giant and Old Faithful. In the past, the highest and most powerful geyser on Earth was Waimangu (North Island, New Zealand), which operated irregularly with a period of 5 to 30 hours in 1899-1904, throwing out a jet of water with each eruption to a height of up to 180 m (about 800 tons of water ), while individual sprays reached a height of 450 m. Another highest geyser of the past is Excelsior (Yellowstone national park); in the 1880s it erupted in a wide water front up to a height of 90 m, in 1985 its last activity was noted.

Lit .: Ustinova T. I. Kamchatka geysers. M., 1955; Droznin VA Physical model of the volcanic process. M., 1980; Rinehart 3. S. Geysers and geotermal energy. N.Y., 1980; Bryan T. S. The geysers of Yellowstone. 3rd ed. Niwot, 1995.

This .

A geyser is a stream of water from underground. But you need to take into account that they are different, and the geyser is not equal to artesian water, because they have different causes. The geyser is caused by volcanic activity. And artesian water has a pressure drop and water extrusion.

You also need to distinguish a geyser from mud volcanoes, since mud volcanoes are also a stream of water from underground (albeit dirty). But the cause of mud volcanoes is the rotting of organic matter deep underground. Whereas a geyser is water raised by volcanic activity. Let's take a closer look at the geyser.

Few people know that "Geyser" (Isl. geysir) is the name of one of the sources of the ring of geysers in Iceland; the word comes from the Icelandic geysa - to gush. That is, the same thing happened with geysers as with a copier in the CIS: the name of one element (company or volcanic source) was transferred to a whole group of similar elements. And now the geyser is a source that periodically ejects fountains of hot water and steam. Geysers are one of the manifestations of the late stages of volcanism and are common in areas of modern volcanic activity.

Geysers can take the form of small truncated cones with rather steep slopes, low, very gentle domes, small bowl-shaped depressions, hollows, irregular shape yam and so on; in their bottom or walls there are exits of tubular or slit-like channels connected with lava.

The activity of the geyser is characterized by periodic recurrence

• rest,
• filling the pot with water,
• spouting steam-water mixture and intense steam emissions,
• gradually replaced by their calm release,
• the cessation of vapor production and the onset of the dormant stage.

Under the name "Geyser" in Iceland is known a conical hill, cut off at the top, where there is a funnel-shaped depression. Periodically, from 24 to 30 hours, an eruption is detected from this recess, during which an explosion is observed - the water in the geyser funnel is ejected, followed by water vapor.

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.

You can also artificially call a geyser to activity by throwing stones into its funnel. Such throwing of stones can cause the geyser to break its normal periods, and an explosion will follow, in which, in addition to the above-mentioned eruption products, stones will be thrown out.

The reason for the periodic activity of geysers has long attracted the attention of scientists. Scientists first of all tried to determine the temperature of the water in the geyser before the eruption. This definition showed that at a time when about 80 ° C is observed on the surface of the water in the geyser, at a depth of 22 meters the water is at 126 ° C, that is, in a superheated state, but it does not boil, because the pressure of the water column is 22 meters is enough to delay the boil.

However, the situation is unstable, and from the lower layers of water there is a transfer of high temperature to the upper ones, when the upper layers boil, the established equilibrium is immediately disturbed, and the water under pressure instantly turns into steam, throws out the overlying water, beyond which the steam itself exits. .

To transfer a higher temperature from the lower layers to the upper layers in various geysers, it is necessary different times, which is why different geysers erupt at different intervals. This explanation is also confirmed by throwing stones at the geyser to excite its activity. Such throwing is tantamount to mixing water and allows the upper layers to boil faster.

By the way, if you get the opportunity to throw stones into the geyser, be prepared to dodge not only hot water, but also stones 🙂

So, a geyser is a flow of water from underground due to volcanic activity.

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 very rare and beautiful phenomenon nature. 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 begins on the lifeless slopes of the extinct volcano Kikhpinych and in the lower reaches 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 dozen 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, wrapped 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 a strong eruption, its jet was thrown into the air at 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) has 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 picturesque place, surrounded by 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 not far from earth's surface uncooled magma is deposited. The gases and vapors released from it, rising, go a long way along the cracks. At the same time, they mix with groundwater, heat them up and themselves turn into hot water with dissolved in it various substances. 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, while colder water from the surface descends, where, warming up, it rises in turn, etc. Thus, vapors and gases continuously seeping through cracks from the depth warm water, bringing 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.



On November 1, 1934, the Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve was established in Kamchatka, in which one of the wonders of Russia, the Valley of Geysers, is located. 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. 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 came from 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, "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. best time dawn is considered 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.

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, a whiskey maker and later Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, fenced off the springs and charged people to enter. Today, everyone can see the Icelandic geysers for 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 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 has a record number of geysers. On an area of ​​8,983 square kilometers, about 3,000 hot springs pulsate, which is two-thirds of total number all the 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 “clung around” to 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.

There are places on our planet that cannot be called quiet. There, tremors from time to time shake the earth, the rocks are red-hot, and columns of smoke and tongues of fire break out of the earth - 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 porous rocks and the water seeping through them. If water flows freely from there, a hot spring forms on the surface. But if the water is closed 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 earth, which soon disappears, only to appear again after some time. This natural fountain is called a geyser (from the Icelandic word geysa - gush).

Where do geysers meet?

In Europe, Iceland is considered the country of geysers - a large island in Atlantic Ocean, covered with glaciers, over which rise volcanoes. 140 km north of the capital of Iceland - Reykjavik - in the Haukadalur valley, a huge jet of hot water with steam soared up to 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. He has been “sleeping” for many years, but on the National Day of Iceland, geologists artificially “launch” him by loading tons of soap into him.

Not far away, in the same valley, there is another famous geyser - Strokkur. 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 incoming surge is a swell on the surface of the water.

The Valley of Geysers is also found in Russia in Kamchatka, in the USA, New Zealand, and Japan.

The highest geyser fountain - 500 m - was observed from 1901 to 1904 in New Zealand. Fountains 30 to 60 m high are common. Faithful Old Man in Yellowstone National Park in the US 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 is located in a deep canyon. It extends for a distance of 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 jet rises to a height of 40 m, and the duration of the eruption reaches 4.5 hours.

In areas of volcanic activity in the bowels of 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 - as in a pressure cooker, where water is brought to a boil under high pressure. Only in the geyser instead of the lid of the pan - a layer of more cold 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 break out 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 water with it in the form of a boiling fountain, soaring up to the sky.

Where is the real Hogwarts Castle located?