Geysers
A geyser is a hot spring which ejects hot water a vapors through a crack in the rock. The formation of a geyser takes a very specific geology which is only found in a few places on Earth. Geysers are found in areas which have volcanic activity. Water from the land surface seeps into the groundwater and collects in pockets. These pockets of undergroundwater are heated a by volcanic rocks over one mile below the land surface. When the water begins to boil, the water and vapors are ejected from the geyser because of the great pressure caused by the heating. The water and vapors escape through cracks in the rocks. When the water begins to cool to a temperature below boiling, the eruption of the geyser ends. Geysers can erupt from just a few seconds to several minutes. Each geyser has a different length of eruption and a different amount of time between each eruption. About half of the world’s geysers are located in Yellowstone National Part in the United States. Geysers will erupt periodically over their lifespan of about several thousand years. One of the most famous geysers is “Old Faithful” in Yellowstone National Park (shown in this photo).