Where is the burning geyser located? How geysers work and why they are hot

Geyser

a spring that periodically produces fountains hot water and a couple. Geysers are common in areas of intense modern volcanic activity: in Iceland, New Zealand, Kamchatka, North. America, etc. Characteristic signs: purity and alkaline reaction of water; composition of water salts: chlorides, bicarbonates, silica, sometimes boric acid; water mineralization is about 1–3 g/l, less often up to 9–10 g/l; deposition of siliceous scale – geyserite; deep griffins; presence of drainage basins in depressions; widespread connection with rhyolites, dacites, granites and other acidic rocks. The emission of geyser jets can reach 30–60 m; the intervals between them can vary from 1 minute. up to several months The activity of geysers is associated with the existence in depth. 100–150 m of interconnected reservoirs, which are filled with groundwater and water emitted by geysers. At the base of the tanks, the water is heated to 127 °C. Superheated water releases steam, which forms bubbles. As they rise, they create boiling and partial ejection of water upward. When the pressure drops, the superheated water turns into steam and is released - erupting to the surface, the reservoirs are filled with water again, etc. Geysers have large reserves thermal energy and potential energy resources, the use of which is associated with a number of technical difficulties. The picturesque landscapes of geysers attract tourists. The most famous are the Kamchatka Valley of Geysers (about 100 geysers with a water temperature of 94.5–99.25 °C), geysers in the USA ( Yellowstone National Park), Iceland and New Zealand; single weak geysers are found in Japan, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Azores and Tibet.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .

Geyser

a source that periodically releases hot water and steam. Geysers occur in areas of modern or recent volcanism. With one geyser eruption, more than 1000 liters of water can be thrown out to a height of up to 60 m.
Origin of geysers. Geysers occur in areas where, at a depth of several hundred meters, there is a rapid increase in water temperature to the boiling point. The geyser outlet channel has bends that prevent steam from escaping to the surface and cooling the water by convection. If, as a result of the formation of steam bubbles at depth, the liquid level in the channel rises so much that it spills onto the surface, then a drop in pressure can lead to the boiling of the remaining liquid, the formation of a large volume of superheated steam and the release of a jet of water to a great height. It is believed that most of the erupted water enters the geyser channel through cracks from the surface of the earth. However high temperatures rocks indicate the presence of recently solidified or solidifying magma at shallow depths; therefore, some of the water may be of magmatic origin. The alkaline waters of geysers contain dissolved silica. At the opening of the outlet channel, deposits of siliceous tuff (geyserite) form a cone several meters high.

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

Synonyms:

See what a “geyser” is in other dictionaries:

It is a very unique mineral spring, distinguished by the special periodic nature of its activity. By the name of a large geyser in Iceland, a conical-shaped hill is known, cut off at the top, where there is a funnel-shaped... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

- (ex. geysir from geysa to gush), a source that periodically throws out fountains of hot water and steam to a height of 20–40 m or more. The geyser is one of the manifestations of the late stages of volcanism. Known in Iceland, USA, New Zealand, Russian Federation(on the… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

A hot spring (spring) in areas of modern volcanic activity, periodically releasing water and steam... Geological terms

GEYSER, a hot spring that erupts intermittently, throwing up jets of very hot water and clouds of steam up to 60 meters high with a deafening roar. Known in Iceland, New Zealand, USA, Kamchatka... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

GEYSER, geyser, husband. (English geyser, from Icelandic) (geol.). A hot spring that periodically releases water to great heights. Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

GEYSER, ah, husband. A spring that spews out fountains of hot water and steam from time to time. | adj. geyser, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

geyser- geyser, plural geysers, kind. geysers (wrong geyser, geysers). The pronunciation [geyser] is becoming outdated... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian language

geyser- A mountain spring that periodically releases water and steam. [Dictionary of geological terms and concepts. Tomsk State University] Subjects geology, geophysics General terms geological activity underground water exogenous... ... Technical Translator's Guide

What a geyser is, ordinary people know mainly from school geography. Volcanologists, some tourists and residents of seismically active regions get to see this natural phenomenon live.

Terminology

By definition, a geyser is one of the manifestations of late volcanism, which is expressed in the periodic release of water in a liquid or vapor state into the air. Speaking in simple language, this is a kind of source, gushing out from under the ground at one time or another. Geysers can be mud, water or steam, depending on the temperature and the presence of impurities along the path of their eruption.

Despite the rather banal definition, in fact this natural phenomenon is considered one of the most spectacular and mysterious on the planet. This is eloquently evidenced by the popularity of the most famous geysers, the flow of tourists to them does not dry up, despite a certain danger.

Physics of the process

In order to understand on what principle such a source operates and where so much hot water comes from underground, one should turn to the study of volcanic activity. After all, geysers are mainly formed not on their own, but near a more formidable and dangerous fellow. However, the volcano does not have to be active. The most famous and spectacular geysers are located on the site of extinct or sleeping giants.

From school curriculum Everyone knows that in the depths of our planet there is hot magma. It is also known about her constant attempts to get out, sometimes this succeeds, which is accompanied by earthquakes. This process is very destructive and sometimes ends with a change in the landscape.

A dormant volcano, like an active one, contains hot magma inside itself, but it does not come out, waiting in the wings and accumulating energy. But, as you know, the bowels of the earth are no less rich in water, which, making its way to the surface, becomes springs, streams and even rivers. In order to understand what a volcanic geyser is, you need to imagine the following. Let's say that at a certain distance from the dormant magma one of the water flows. The water in it heats up, expands and tries to find a way out. Ultimately, she gets it in the form of a fountain or cloud of steam. It all depends on the exact temperature to which the heating occurred. It turns out that the volcano itself is sleeping, its energy is not enough to erupt magma, but it is quite enough to push out or even boil water.

Mud geyser

Residents know very well what it is. settlements, located near healing plants (and not only) Making its way to the exit, water passes through layers of a variety of rocks, dissolving them. In the case when a fountain shoots directly near a place passing through layers of frozen magma, it often remains more or less transparent. Encountering softer and more pliable rocks along the way, the water mixes with them, and a gurgling mud mass comes to the surface.

Quite often it contains microelements that are beneficial to humans, which, thanks to the comfortable temperature, form a thermal spring, ideal for treatment. Europe (in particular, Bulgaria), North America, Australia and New Zealand are rich in resorts built on the site of such geysers. Eastern Siberia has great potential, where this industry is not yet very developed, but there are all the necessary prerequisites for this.

Is a geyser dangerous?

Despite all its beauty and mystery, this natural phenomenon is shining example unsurpassed power and energy hidden in the bowels of the earth. Sometimes a geyser is just a warm lake with water periodically splashing onto the surface and looking quite peaceful and safe. Sometimes it is a multi-meter fountain, bursting out with all the force and suddenness. And it happens that a cloud of steam whistles out from under the ground, creating the impression that the planet is “breathing.”

Therefore, in order to know how safe it is to be near such a source, you need to understand what a geyser is in a particular case. And, being in the valley of an extinct volcano on an excursion, be sure to listen to the guide’s recommendations. After all, the main danger of most geysers lies in their suddenness. As a rule, tourists are not allowed close to powerful and too hot fountains.

The most famous geysers on the planet

They are located mainly in zones of volcanic activity. If we consider the most remarkable in terms of entertainment and scale, then first of all we should pay attention to Yellowstone national park in USA. It is a huge area on which about 500 geysers are concentrated, which makes up 60% of all thermal springs on the planet. The largest of them is called Steamboat and reaches 120 meters.

Slightly smaller in size, but no less spectacular, the Valley of Geysers is located in Kamchatka. There are about 200 different sources here. Looking at such greatness of nature, you can fully understand what a geyser is. The definition cannot convey this in words. The beautiful and at the same time majestic play of water, steam and minerals is sometimes breathtaking.

Geyser Park in Iceland ranks third both in size and number of sources. The maximum height of the fountains here reaches 60 meters. This is undoubtedly stunning, but the height of the geysers is half that of Yellowstone Steamboat.

You can see what a geyser is by visiting the states of Nevada and Alaska, where there are also quite a few of them. The North Island of New Zealand and Chile are famous for them.

The most mysterious geyser

This status was deservedly received by the American Fly, located in. Thanks to the rich mineral composition, its surroundings received a unique color. The fly is a collection of several fountains erupting from hills formed by minerals, reaching 1.5 meters and continuing to grow.

It is noteworthy that the geyser was created by man (albeit by accident). Drillers stumbled upon an underground thermal spring at the beginning of the last century while trying to build a conventional well. Currently, Fly is closed to tourists, but due to its height, the geyser is clearly visible from the road.

To understand what a geyser is, theoretical knowledge not enough. To represent all the beauty and power of this natural phenomenon you need to travel to see it with your own eyes.

This.

A geyser is a stream of water from underground. But you need to take into account that they are different, and a geyser is not equal to artesian water, because they have different reasons occurrence. The geyser is caused by volcanic activity. And with artesian water there is a pressure drop and squeezing out water.

It is also necessary to distinguish a geyser from mud volcanoes, since mud volcanoes are also a flow 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 look at the geyser in more detail.

Few people know that “Geyser” (Il. 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 the photocopier in the CIS: the name of one element (company or volcanic source) was transferred to a whole group of similar elements. And now a geyser is a source that periodically releases fountains of hot water and steam. Geysers are one of the manifestations of the later stages of volcanism and are common in areas of modern volcanic activity.

Geysers can look like small truncated cones with fairly steep slopes, low, very gentle domes, small bowl-shaped depressions, basins, irregular shape pits and so on; in their bottom or walls there are exits of pipe-like or slot-like channels associated with lava.

Geyser activity is characterized by periodic repetition

peace,
filling the basin with water,
gushing of steam-water mixture and intense steam emissions,
gradually giving way to their calm release,
the cessation of steam production and the onset of the resting stage.

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

There are regular and irregular geysers. In the former, the duration of the cycle as a whole and its individual stages is almost constant, in the latter it is variable, in different geysers the duration of individual stages is measured in minutes and tens of minutes, the resting stage lasts from several minutes to several hours or days.

It is also possible to artificially trigger a geyser into activity by throwing stones inside its funnel. Such throwing of stones can cause the geyser to disrupt its normal periods, and an explosion will follow, during which, in addition to the above-mentioned eruption products, stones will also be thrown out.

The reason for the periodic activity of geysers has long attracted the attention of scientists. Scientists first tried to determine the temperature of the water in the geyser before the eruption. This determination showed that while 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, and when the upper layers boil, the established equilibrium is immediately disturbed, and the water under pressure instantly turns into steam, throwing out the overlying water, beyond which the steam itself escapes .

It takes different times for different geysers to transfer higher temperatures from the lower layers to the upper ones, which is why different geysers erupt at different intervals. This explanation is also confirmed by throwing stones into the geyser to stimulate its activity. Such throwing is equivalent to stirring water and makes it possible upper layers rather boil.

By the way, if you have 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 (Isl. geysir, the name of one of the sources of the “Golden Ring”, from Isl. geysa - to gush) are periodically gushing hot springs, common in areas of modern or recently ceased volcanic activity. With an explosion and roar, a huge column of boiling water, shrouded in thick clouds of steam, flies up, sometimes reaching 80 m. During one geyser eruption, more than 1000 liters of water can be released. The fountain flows for a while, then disappears, the clouds of steam dissipate, and peace sets in.

Geysers can take the form of small truncated cones with fairly steep slopes, low, very flat domes, small bowl-shaped depressions, basins, irregularly shaped pits, etc.; in their bottom or walls there are exits of pipe-like or slot-like channels.

Emergence

Some geysers emit water very low or only spray it. There are hot springs that look like puddles in which the water boils with bubbles. In gushing springs, before the eruption begins, the water rises, slowly, fills the pool, boils, splashes out, then a fountain of boiling water flies up high with an explosion, which beats for some time, then disappears, the clouds of steam dissipate, and peace sets in. Immediately after the geyser erupts, the pool is cleared of water, and at the bottom you can see a channel filled with water - a vent that goes deep into the ground.

Water release

Geysers occur in areas where, at a depth of several hundred meters, there is a rapid increase in water temperature to the boiling point. The geyser outlet channel has bends that prevent steam from escaping to the surface and cooling the water by convection. If, as a result of the formation of steam bubbles at depth, the liquid level in the channel rises so much that it spills onto the surface, then a drop in pressure can lead to the boiling of the remaining liquid, the formation of a large volume of superheated steam and the release of a jet of water to a great height. It is believed that most of the erupted water enters the geyser channel through cracks from the surface of the earth. However, high rock temperatures indicate the presence of recently solidified or solidifying magma at shallow depths; therefore, some of the water may be of magmatic origin. The water emitted by the geyser is relatively clean, slightly mineralized (1-2 grams per liter), according to chemical composition- sodium chloride or sodium chloride-hydrocarbonate, containing relatively a lot of silica, from which a rock close to opal is formed at the exit of the channel and on the slopes - geyserite. At the opening of the outlet channel, deposits of siliceous tuff (geyserite) form a cone several meters high.

Regular and irregular geysers

Where do they meet?

Geysers are a very rare and beautiful natural phenomenon. They are found in Kamchatka, in one of the regions of Tibet at an altitude of 4700 m, in Iceland, New Zealand and North America (Yellowstone national park). Small single geysers occur in some other volcanic areas globe. In the eastern part of Kamchatka, south of Kronotsky Lake, the Geysernaya River flows. This river begins on the lifeless slopes of the extinct Kikhpinych volcano and in its lower reaches forms a valley up to 3 km wide. In this valley there are many hot springs, hot and warm lakes, etc.

About 20 large geysers are known here, not counting small ones that splash water up just a few centimeters. The soil around them is warm and sometimes hot.

Iceland has long been famous for its hot springs, boiling rivers and geysers.

On the North Island in the New Zealand archipelago, the Waimangu geyser operated until 1904. It was the largest geyser in the world. During a strong eruption, its stream was thrown to a height of 450 m. But now this geyser has completely disappeared, which is associated with an 11 m drop in the water level in the nearby Lake Tarawera. The eruption of another New Zealand geyser, Crow's Nest (Crow's Nest) on the shores of Lake Waikato, also depends on the water level in the lake. If the water is high, the geyser erupts every 40 minutes; if the water level is low, the eruption occurs after 2 hours.