Which countries have the largest geysers?

Beppu, Japan
In the northeast of the island of Kyushu is the hot spring capital of Japan - the city of Beppu. The sacred springs of the same name shelter on their territory about 2,800 springs, fumaroles and microgeysers. Particular attention of visitors is attracted by the so-called “Nine Circles of Hell” - nine unusual sources, each of which has a certain zest. For example, the Shaved Head Spring (Oniishibozu Jigoku) resembles a large boiling gray puddle.

After visiting the temple, a short walk takes you to two of the city's most distinctive museums: the Icelandic Aviation Museum, located in an airport hangar, and the Akureyri Museum, with historical monuments since colonization, the normal thing here is that visitors use this port as a starting point to explore the northern part of the country. There is only one small exception: in June there is an original golf tournament, open in the Arctic, which starts before midnight and plays at night.

Akureyri has lively cafes, modern restaurants and convenient fish and chips, always with very fresh fish. In this northern region, interior farmers and coastal fishermen have shared their lives for centuries. Farmers' lives were dependent on the use of horses for transport and farm work. Now these animals, living in very cold lands, are used for tourist excursions in the north. On the other hand, some fishing boats earn additional crowns by taking tourists on cetacean and seal watching excursions, mainly between the months of May and September.

The unusual name appeared due to the bubbles resembling the shaved heads of Buddhist monks. But perhaps the most famous source is considered Blood Pond(Chinoike Jigoku). The unusual name appeared due to the red color of the reservoir, “colored” by iron-containing minerals.

El Tatio, Chile
There are five large geothermal areas on Earth with active geysers - four of them are in Iceland, New Zealand, the USA and Kamchatka. The fifth valley of geysers is hidden far and high. On the border of Chile with Bolivia, at an altitude of 4,320 meters above sea level in the Andes, there is the highest geyser field in the world - El Tatio

After a short stop on the outskirts of Akureyri at Santa's Cottage, we headed to Lake Mývatn, a major tourist attraction in northern Iceland. The jump is considered one of the most impressive on the island. The waters of the Sklalfandaflu River cross from a height of twelve meters and a width of thirty meters. His most important achievement was the decision of the Icelandic parliament to make Christianity the official religion of the country, abandoning pagan worship. One of Iceland's most popular legends tells that after returning to his home in Alunga after his conversion, Thorgeir threw the monster of the Viking gods onto this waterfall.

About 80 geysers release boiling water from the depths of the earth, reaching a height of 75 cm to 6-7 m. The best time Sunrise is considered the best time to visit the valley. At a time when the air temperature reaches below zero, each of the sources is surrounded by a special halo of steam.

In addition, the springs begin to gush before dawn and cease their activity by nine o'clock in the morning.

Little does this story matter to visitors. Blessing on an island that carries exorbitantly high prices for almost everyone, but where bills and coins can barely hold on. In Iceland it is normal to pay by card, from a pack of chewing gum for food or gas, using public urinals. 40 kilometers away, Lake Mývatn and its surroundings display an austere but enveloping beauty with its rare lava formations, smoky fumaroles, mud pools and pseudodrates that appeared with their shocking mounds and dimples as liquid lava flowed down to this lagoon surrounded by grasslands.

Haukadalur, Iceland
The word "geyser" comes from the Icelandic "geysa", which means "to gush out". The very first documented known to the world geysers, Geysir was discovered in 1294. He gave the name to all the boiling and gushing springs of the world. Like most of Iceland's geysers, Geysir is located in the southeastern part of the island, in the Haukadalur valley, which literally means "hot spring garden." Unfortunately, the legendary Geysir lost its activity as a result of the 2000 earthquake. But he was replaced by Strokkur. It erupts every 5-10 minutes, throwing a stream of hot water to a height of up to 20 meters. Thanks to its restlessness, it is considered one of the most active geysers in the world.

Some of these small craters are located in the middle of Mývatn, as if they were emerging islands, forming a breathtaking landscape with a horizon in which snowy peaks were already guessing in the direction of Askja. Dimmuborgir stands out for its ghostly labyrinths of lava next to the extinct Hverfjall crater and the Grihotagja cave, which houses a mysterious spring and hot water pool. One of the most famous and suggestive scenes from Game of Thrones was filmed here. Another surprise awaits in the northern sector of the lake, east of the Namafiala ridge, when it joins Hverir.

Beginning of the eruption of the Strokkur geyser:

Like any geyser, the work of Strokkur consists of several stages: filling the basin with water, steaming, releasing a hot stream of water and the resting stage:

In this picture you can see in detail all the phases of the eruption.

The largest and most powerful geyser in the world was located in New Zealand - the height to which it raised boiling water sometimes reached 400-450 meters. Waimangu was active for only 4 years, starting in 1900. A photograph from the 1913 book Picturesque New Zealand shows its spectacular eruption:

We're talking about a lunar landscape with an almost unreal color palette, where teams of ocher. A gift for the eyes, with mud pots, impressive fumaroles, hot springs, geysers and chimneys, but not for the smell with the strong smell of sulfur littered throughout the area. It is advisable to follow the recommendations of our guide: In this place, where it seems that the earth is burning in the depths, one must carefully watch where one step is, and one should never abandon the paths limited by ropes. If you get lost, fear or accident is more than covered.

It is noteworthy that until recently the Icelandic Valley of Geysers was the property of director Sigurdur Jonasson, who donated it to the state. He purchased the area in 1935. Previous owner James Craig, whiskey distiller and later Prime Minister Northern Ireland, fenced off the springs and charged people an entrance fee. Today, everyone can see Icelandic geysers completely free of charge. By the way, there are about 30 active geysers in the country.

It's time to cool down a little and leave these hot lands to go to Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, in national park Jökulsárgljúfur. Its dimensions are 44 meters high by 100 wide, but it retains an amazing record of water flow: in summer more than 540 cubic meters per second flows, so that when the water falls on the edge of the waterfall a visible column of dew is produced over a kilometer away. It can be admired from both sides of the Jökulsä River, but its access is somewhat dangerous because the stones are not fixed and can move.

Yellowstone, USA
On the other side Pacific Ocean there is a geyser that erupts higher than all other active geysers in the world. This source is located in Yellowstone National Park (USA) and is named Steamboat. It throws a stream of water 91 meters up, which is almost equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 m from the ground to the tip of the torch). Its power is so great that old pine trees growing nearby were broken and washed away during one of the eruptions. By the way, it lasts from 3 to 40 minutes. This geyser is unpredictable: it can wake up once every four days, or it can fall asleep for 50 years, as it did in 1911. After a long lull, the Steamboat woke up in 1961 - two years after one of the strongest earthquakes (magnitude 7.5) that occurred in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bLake Hebgen. This year, on July 31, the geyser became active for the first time in the last eight years.

It is advisable to reach the waterfall by the paved road 862, from which you can photograph its most colorful side, or on 864, although this road is usually closed in winter period. Then came the herring boom, which brought prosperity to Iceland. Today, however, the main reason to visit Husavik is to see whales around the coquettish harbor, from which some schooners sail to Greenland. When photographing whales, it doesn't require much of a goal. These cetaceans, which are mesmerizing in their size, are very close to these boats because the experience almost never disappoints.

The park's other popular geyser, Old Faithful, erupts more frequently and is renowned for its punctuality. Almost every 90 minutes it throws jets of hot water to a height of more than 40 meters:

No less popular among visitors is the Grand Prismatic Spring, a boiling cauldron measuring 91 m long and 75 m wide. It is known for its acidic colors that change with the seasons thanks to pigmented bacteria living in the pond.

And don't worry too much about the prevailing cold because all boats offer warm clothing during the tour. Returning to Keflavik Airport, you should close your Iceland trip by taking the Golden Circle. The three main stops along the route are Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and Haukadalur Valley, which has a lot of geothermal activity and is home to the Grand Geysir and Strokkur geysers. The Great Geysir gives its name to the rest of the world's geysers, with its impressive column of water that boils every 5-10 minutes.

The place where this glacial river is exposed by the edge of the fault can be seen and photographed from several natural balconies that provide different perspectives of the falls and canyon. Keeping distances, he remembers some way to jump in Iguazu in Brazil. Finally, Thingvellir national park amazing because in it you can admire the great tectonic crack of the planet, a huge dorsal fault North Atlantic, which marks the meeting of submarines of the east and west.

By the way, Yellowstone National Park is home to a record number of geysers. On an area of ​​8,983 square kilometers, about 3 thousand hot springs pulsate, which is two-thirds of the total number of all geysers in the world.

Valley of Geysers, Russia
The Valley of Geysers was discovered 7 years after the founding of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. This happened in the summer of 1941 during the expedition of Tatyana Ustinova and Anisifor Krupenin. The inaccessibility of the Valley of Geysers did not allow us to discover this unique place earlier.

The site confirms the great activity of this volcanic zone located on the dorsal meso-Atlantic, an error of 000 kilometers of ocean floor caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This continental mass is growing at an average of 2.5 cm per year as it fragments and expands at points corresponding to these plates. On average, the island experiences a major eruption every five years. His lava emissions were extended for six months. A fact that impressed geologists.

Sixty years later, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage.

In Iceland, people large and small are drawn to the legends of elves, trolls and other occult creatures and mythical creatures. Many Icelanders believe these stories, perhaps pacified by the long nights of winter and the strange nature of the country, which has traditionally been little understood. In Iceland, the colors, the lights, the sound of the wind, the contrasts of the terrain and the stories of mysteries have a different dimension.

However, even today not everyone can see Kamchatka geysers. Firstly, the only way to get to them is by helicopter, and secondly, visiting is only possible with the permission of the administration. The Valley of Geysers is a gorge up to 4 km wide and 8 km long, along the bottom of which the Geysernaya River flows. Over a distance of 6 km from the mouth of the river, the slopes of the canyon are covered with about 40 geysers, thermal springs, mud pots and volcanoes.

Swimming pools, thermal springs and geothermal lagoons. Icelanders are well aware of the health benefits of thermal baths. Four of the thirteen oldest baths on the island continue to function. Every city has at least one, always with a glass or pool of hot water. Icelanders visit them every day to meet their neighbors and talk about current affairs. A local version of what pubs in other countries would be. When the snow falls and the wind blows, there's no better time to head to the nearest pool and soak in a warm geothermal bath.

The pride of the valley is the Giant Geyser. It does not erupt frequently - its cycle is 5-7 hours. But when he wakes up, a stream of boiling water under pressure rises 20-30 meters high, and clouds of steam can reach 300 meters!

Five years ago, 14 km from the Valley of Geysers, the youngest geyser in Russia erupted. It became an unexpected discovery for the employees of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve when, on September 28, 2008, a stream of boiling water rose up from under the Kamchatka soil in the middle of one of the most active hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka in the Uzon Valley. It is believed that the “Pulsating” spring previously erupted at this location. Tourists who were nearby at that moment were allowed to call the newly formed “fountain”. If the staff of the reserve had not come to their senses in time, the geyser would have received the name “Cool”. As a result, they called it “Mudty”. At first it erupted every 15-20 minutes, a year later - approximately every 12 minutes, in 2010 - an hour and forty minutes. Today the steam jet rises 5-6 meters every 2-3 hours, but its cycle depends on the weather. The geyser reacts to strong winds and temperature changes, which affects its activity.

The capital city of Reykjavik has its own geothermal beach with white sand and warm sea water, so its residents bathe in the cold Atlantic Ocean. Hot springs and geysers are natural features that occur when groundwater is heated by geometric forces and brought to the surface. They provide spectacular eruptions of boiling water, vibrant colors and downright strange formations.

Famous locations for their hot springs and geysers

In this article, we analyze 10 sites known for their hot springs and geysers. There are 9 hot springs in Beppu, often called the nine allas of Beppu, and there is more to see than to bathe in. The most photogenic of the nine hells is called the "Pond of Blood", which is dark red.


On November 1, 1934, the Kronotsky State Natural Reserve was established in Kamchatka biosphere reserve, which houses one of the wonders of Russia - the Valley of Geysers.
In honor of this event, we present to your attention a selection of famous geyser fields around the world.

Beppu, Japan
In the northeast of the island of Kyushu is the hot spring capital of Japan - the city of Beppu.
The sacred springs of the same name shelter on their territory about 2,800 springs, fumaroles and microgeysers.
Particular attention of visitors is attracted by the so-called “Nine Circles of Hell” - 9 unusual sources, each of which has a certain zest.
For example, the Shaved Head Spring (Oniishibozu Jigoku) resembles a large boiling gray puddle.



The unusual name appeared due to the bubbles resembling the shaved heads of Buddhist monks.
But perhaps the most famous source is the Bloody Pond
(Chinoike Jigoku).
The unusual name appeared due to the red color of the reservoir, “colored” by iron-containing minerals.





Climatic conditions and their high height make this region of geysers one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Despite El Tatio's cold temperatures, many visitors take the opportunity to bathe in its hot springs.


Rotorua is located next to Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. The city has numerous geysers and hot springs. Its eruptions of hot steam, hot water and even mud are very popular, which usually occurs in new geysers.

El Tatio, Chile
There are 5 large geothermal areas on Earth with active geysers - 4 of them are located in Iceland, New Zealand, the USA and Kamchatka.
The 5th Valley of Geysers is hidden far and high.
On the border of Chile with Bolivia, at an altitude of 4,320 m above sea level in the Andes, there is the highest geyser field in the world - El Tatio



About 80 geysers release boiling water from the depths of the earth, reaching a height of 75 cm to 6-7 m.
The best time to visit the valley is considered to be dawn.
At a time when the air temperature reaches below zero, each of the sources is surrounded by a special halo of steam.
In addition, the springs begin to gush before dawn and stop
your activity by 9 am.





The best time of year to visit the natural pools is September and October, when you can enjoy its colors: blue, yellow, white and green.


Geysir is the first geyser that Europeans encountered and the reason why they are called geysers. Geysir's boiling water eruptions can reach up to 70 meters in height.

During this time, Geyser Geyser usually erupts about 3 times a day.


Pamukkale, which means Turkish, is a surreal landscape known for its white terraces. The terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water that can be easily found in hot springs. People have been swimming in the pools for thousands of years, and today it is one of Turkey's main attractions. Ancient city Hierapolis was built on its thermal waters by order of the kings of Pergamo. You can still see the ruins of baths, temples and others in the surrounding area.

Haukadalur, Iceland
The word "geyser" comes from the Icelandic "geysa", which means "to gush out".
The earliest documented and known the world of geysers,
Geysir was opened in 1294.
He gave the name to all the boiling and gushing springs of the world.
Like most geysers in Iceland, Geysir is located in the southeastern part of the island, in a valley
Haukadalur literally means "hot spring garden".
Unfortunately, the legendary Geysir lost its activity as a result of the 2000 earthquake.
But he was replaced by Strokkur.
It erupts every 5-10 minutes, throwing a stream of hot water to a height of up to 20 m.
Thanks to its restlessness, it is considered one of the most active geysers in the world.
Like any geyser, Strokkur’s work consists of several stages:
filling the basin with water, steaming, releasing a hot stream of water and the resting stage:
In this picture you can see in detail all the phases of the eruption.




It is noteworthy that until recently the Icelandic Valley of Geysers was the property of director Sigurdur Jonasson, who donated it to the state.
He purchased the area in 1935.
The previous owner, James Craig, a whiskey distiller and later prime minister of Northern Ireland, fenced the springs and charged people an entrance fee.
Today, everyone can see Icelandic geysers completely free of charge.
By the way, there are about 30 active geysers in the country.


Waimangu. New Zealand.
The largest and most powerful geyser in the world was located in New Zealand - the height to which it raised boiling water at times reached 400-450 m.
Waimangu was active for only 4 years, starting in 1900.
A photograph from the 1913 book Picturesque New Zealand shows its spectacular eruption:


Yellowstone, USA
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean lies a geyser that erupts higher than all other active geysers in the world.
This source is located in Yellowstone National Park (USA) and bears the name
Steamboat.
It throws a stream of water 91 m up, which is almost equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty (93 m from the ground to the tip of the torch).
Its power is so great that old pine trees growing nearby were broken and washed away during one of the eruptions; by the way, it lasts from 3 to 40 minutes.
This geyser is unpredictable: it can wake up once every 4 days, or it can fall asleep for 50 years, as it did in 1911.
After a long lull, the Steamboat woke up in 1961 - 2 years after one of the strongest earthquakes (magnitude 7.5) that occurred in the area of ​​​​Lake Hebgen.
This year, on July 31, the geyser became active for the first time in the last 8 years.



The park's other popular geyser, Old Faithful, erupts more frequently and is renowned for its punctuality.
Almost every 90 minutes it throws jets of hot water to a height of more than 40 m:



No less popular among visitors is the Grand Prismatic Spring, a boiling cauldron measuring 91 m long and 75 m wide.
It is known for its acidic colors that change with the seasons thanks to pigmented bacteria living in the pond.




By the way, Yellowstone National Park is home to a record
number of geysers.
On an area of ​​8,983 square kilometers, about 3 thousand hot springs pulsate, which is 2/3 of the total number of all geysers in the world.


Valley of Geysers, Russia
The Valley of Geysers was discovered 7 years after the founding of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve.
This happened in the summer of 1941 during the expedition of Tatyana Ustinova and Anisifor Krupenin.
The inaccessibility of the Valley of Geysers did not allow us to discover this unique place earlier.



However, even today not everyone can see Kamchatka geysers.
Firstly, the only way to get to them is by helicopter, and secondly, visiting is only possible with the permission of the administration.
The Valley of Geysers is a gorge up to 4 km wide and 8 km long, along the bottom of which the Geysernaya River flows.
Over a distance of 6 km from the mouth of the river, the slopes of the canyon are covered with about 40 geysers, thermal springs, mud pots and volcanoes.



The pride of the valley is the Giant Geyser.
It does not erupt frequently - its cycle is 5-7 hours.
But when he wakes up, a stream of boiling water under pressure rises 20-30 m high, and clouds of steam can reach 300 m!

5 years ago, 14 km from the Valley of Geysers, the youngest geyser in Russia erupted.
It became an unexpected discovery for the employees of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve when, on September 28, 2008, a stream of boiling water rose up from under the Kamchatka soil in the middle of one of the most active hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka in the Uzon Valley.
It is believed that the “Pulsating” spring previously erupted at this location.
Tourists who were nearby at that moment were allowed to call the newly formed “fountain”.
If the staff of the reserve had not come to their senses in time, the geyser would have received the name “Cool”.
As a result, they called it “Mudty”.
At first it erupted every 15-20 minutes, a year later - approximately every 12 minutes, in 2010 - an hour and 40 minutes.
Today the steam jet rises 5-6 m every 2-3 hours, but its cycle depends on the weather.
The geyser reacts to strong winds and temperature changes, which affects its activity.