Exploring the world’s most impressive geysers is a good idea, but first of all, let us define what the geyser is. Geysers are natural hot springs found in geyser fields – areas of land dotted with sink holes that intermittently eject fountains of water and steam into the air. They are among the manifestations of later stages of volcanism, which means that a geyser occurs if the activity of a volcano is at its late stage. In a word, geysers are valuable mysterious destinations in the world, offering fascinating landscapes where vibrant volcanoes and impressive lava formations come together.
Some of the world’s most striking geyser fields include:
Yellowstone National Park is the largest active geyser field on Earth, located in northwestern Wyoming that has nine basins containing 60 percent of the world’s geysers (approximately 500 geysers). Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Basin is currently the world’s tallest that can erupt up to 120 meters. In total, the park has 10,000 hot springs and geysers, of which two hundred daily bring to the surface 390 tons of rock.
Valley of Geysers is another large geyser field located in the Kronotsky State Natural Resereve of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia. Discovered in the mid-20th century by Kronotsky reserve geologist, it soon became a renowned tourist attraction. There are around 200 geysers within the steep valley with the biggest being Velikan (Giant), Zhemchuzhny (Pearly) and Sakharny (Suagery). Some geysers can gush forth every 10-12 minutes, while others erupt once in 4 or 5 hours, creating enchanting spectacle with fountains of boiling water and incredible colors of slopes.
Iceland is an active geothermal field situated at the northern edge of the southern lowlands with many geysers and hot springs. The Geysir Park (geyser meaning ‘gusher’) is located in Haukadalur. Here rare major eruptions may reach 200 feet.
Other famous geyser fields are Beowawe Geyser Field, Nevada; North Island in New Zealand; Umnak Island, Alaska (USA) and El Tatio in Chile. Below are the world’s top most striking geysers.
Old Faithful
Old Faithful is the world’s most remarkable geyser located in Yellowstone National Park in America. Old Faithful has erupted more than a million times since Yellowstone became the world’s first national park. Getting its water from the depth of the earth, Old Faithful erupts every 65-90 minutes shooting a column of 32,000 liters water (100-130 feet) into the air. The internal temperature of the water was measures at 244°F with a steam’s temperature reaching 350°F. The Geyser is mostly beautiful after dark, when the spotlight turns into a colored eruption in a majestic performance that brings millions of dollars profit to the park and to the state alike.
The Fly Geyser
Ideally situated in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, U.S.A., in the private property of the Fly Ranch that currently doesn’t allow visitors, the Fly geyser is an amazing and yet undiscovered natural phenomena. It is not a real geyser; rather it’s the accidental result of a well drill in the last century. The geyser has a complex mineral composition, including sulfur dioxide, which gives it its astonishing colors. This is something should be seen to be believed. If you give some effort this truly unique treasure can be spotted from the road.
Strokkur Geyser, Iceland
The name of this amazing geyser comes from the Icelandic verb ‘to churn.’ First activated in 1789, this is one of the most persistent geysers in the world that lies in Haukadular valley, erupting water every five to ten minutes up to 30 meters high. The temperature of the geyser reaches 97°C. Strokkur has long interested travelers and is frequently visited as part of Golden Circle your, which takes visitors to a number of sites in southern Iceland.
The most powerful geyser on Earth, Waimangu existed in New Zealand only 5 years from 1899 to 1904, with each eruption throwing 800 tons of water but, unfortunately, it does not work now because of the lower levels in the nearby lake.
Look at the pictures! Each of these beautiful geysers really deserves to be called one of the coolest natural wonders on Earth!