Some people get a kick out of throwing things down geyser vents and watching them shoot up in the air on the next eruption. Some folks toss coins in the vents for good luck. Read the rest of this entry »
No study of geysers would be complete without covering those of Iceland. After all, the word geyser is Icelandic in origin and means “to gush or rush forth.” Incidently, it is the only Icelandic word that has carried over into the English language. It is spelled “geysir” in Icelandic and ultimately refers to a single geyser in Iceland called Geysir but also generally refers to all geysers.
A geyser is caused by water on the surface of the Earth seeping down toward the center of the Earth where it contacts magma-heated rock that causes it to boil and erupt back up to the Earth’s surface by the process of convection. A tremendous
column of a geyser eruption is often the result of the process which repeats itself over and over again through the geyser’s vent.
Did you know that 75% of the geysers on the face of the planet exist in Yellowstone National Park? That is an amazing geyser fact and it makes Yellowstone a treasure trove for geyser gazers Read the rest of this entry »
Although there are over 1,000 geysers in the world, they are extremely rare due to the unique factors required to support a geyser including the vent, water, and heat. The five main locations in the world for geyser gazing are:
A geyser is a hot spring that erupts periodically like a volcano of hot steam and water. The name geyser originates from
Icelandic and means “to gush.” Geysers are named after the “Geysir” at Haukadalur, Iceland. There are two kinds of geysers: cone geysers and fountain geysers. Cone geysers erupt from mounds of geyserite while fountain geysers are those that erupt from pools of water.
Geyser gazing is the observation and study of geysers with the naked eye or with devices like binoculars. Most geyser gazers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons unlike geologists who are engaged in the formal scientific study of geysers.
Equipment used by geyser gazers most commonly include a digital camera, digital camcorder, binoculars, trail map, compass and GPS device. Geyser gazing can be a lot of fun and it is very entertaining for the kids. Yellowstone National Park makes geysers very accessible for geyser gazing.