Extinct Geysers
June 9th, 2009 Posted in Geyser Conservation
Just like volcanoes, geysers can also become extinct. Extinct geysers are geysers that no longer erupt without some kind of interference or action from man. Many geysers have become extinct throughout the years, which is a concern to many conservationists, scientists, and nature lovers because of the rarity of geysers—there are only about 1000 all over the world.
Geysers can become extinct because of either natural occurrences or through human interference. Geysers have become extinct as a result of natural occurrences and sometimes natural disasters. Shifting geothermal plates caused the famous Waimangu Geyser—at up to 460 meters (1491 feet) the highest geyser ever recorded—to die out like countless other geysers. Ironically, the rare conditions that allow geysers to exist are the same ones that cause instability and the destruction of these natural wonders. Some geysers are wiped out by natural disasters though.
The Kamchatka Valley of Geysers was hit by both a tornado, which destroyed one geyser, and then devastated by a flood that obliterated more geysers. In the 1970’s protests began to protect the geysers in New Zealand from further damage. Eventually, a court ruling decided that companies had to obtain water rights in order to carry out geothermal exploration, a decision that saved many geysers.
Although some geysers do die of natural causes so to speak, many are destroyed by man. Two geyser fields in Nevada—Steamboat Springs and Beowawe — were destroyed when geothermal power plants were installed. Geothermal drilling lowered the temperature and water level to the point that there was not enough of either for geysers to exist. Some geyser fields in New Zealand were also destroyed with the creation of geothermal power plants. The fragility of geysers and the special conditions they require to survive means that they are very easy to destroy.
In the 1800’s there were over two hundred geysers in New Zealand, but that number had dwindled to 56 by 2004. So many geysers were destroyed in New Zealand that El Tatio geyser field in Chile took its place as the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere.
Geysers can also go dormant with long periods of time between eruptions. Several geysers in Yellowstone National Park—the Giant, the Giantess, and the Steamboat Geyser—have not erupted in over four years. Most geyser fields have dormant geysers among them. Geysers can also become less active when their water supply decreases or become restricted for some reason. Old Faithful has slowed down, and some scientists believe that this change is the result of long-term drought conditions in the area that have caused a decrease in Old Faithful’s reservoir.
Because geysers are so rare, there have been efforts to protect the few left in existence. The geysers in Yellowstone are protected because they are part of a U.S. National Park. Other steps have been taken by different countries like the law passed by New Zealand to restrict geothermal drilling. Hopefully, these efforts will preserve geyser fields for future generations to study and admire.