71-709: Old Faithful is a cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States . It was named in 1870 during the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to be named. It is a highly predictable geothermal feature and has erupted every 44 minutes to two hours since 2000. The geyser and the nearby Old Faithful Inn are part of the Old Faithful Historic District . In
142-441: A volumetric flow rate of nearly zero to more than 14,000 litres per second (490 cu ft/s) for the biggest springs. Springs are formed when groundwater flows onto the surface. This typically happens when the water table reaches above the surface level, or if the terrain depresses sharply. Springs may also be formed as a result of karst topography , aquifers or volcanic activity . Springs have also been observed on
213-476: A combination of water , heat , and fortuitous plumbing . The combination exists in few places on Earth. Yellowstone is the largest geyser locale, containing thousands of hot springs, and approximately 300 to 500 geysers. It is home to half of the world's total number of geysers in its nine geyser basins. It is located mostly in Wyoming , USA, with small portions in Montana and Idaho . Yellowstone includes
284-477: A cryovolcanic eruption. It is thought that Europa's lineae might be venting this water vapour into space in a similar manner to the "tiger stripes" of Enceladus. Spring (hydrosphere) A spring is a natural exit point at which groundwater emerges from the aquifer and flows onto the top of the Earth's crust ( pedosphere ) to become surface water . It is a component of the hydrosphere , as well as
355-500: A few places on Earth. Generally, geyser field sites are located near active volcanic areas, and the geyser effect is due to the proximity of magma . Surface water works its way down to an average depth of around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) where it contacts hot rocks. The pressurized water boils, and this causes the geyser effect of hot water and steam spraying out of the geyser's surface vent. A geyser's eruptive activity may change or cease due to ongoing mineral deposition within
426-504: A heat source for thousands of years. In the 20th century, they became a renewable resource of geothermal energy for heating homes and buildings. The city of Beppu, Japan contains 2,217 hot spring well heads that provide the city with hot water. Hot springs have also been used as a source of sustainable energy for greenhouse cultivation and the growing of crops and flowers. Springs have been represented in culture through art, mythology, and folklore throughout history. The Fountain of Youth
497-532: A height of 106 to 185 feet (32 to 56 m) lasting from 1½ to 5 minutes. The average height of an eruption is 145 feet (44 m). Intervals between eruptions can range from 60 to 110 minutes, averaging 66½ minutes in 1939, slowly increasing to an average of 90 minutes apart since 2000, which may be the result of earthquakes affecting subterranean water levels. The disruptions have made earlier mathematical relationships inaccurate, but have actually made Old Faithful more predictable in terms of its next eruption. After
568-535: A higher elevation through the earth to a lower elevation and exit in the form of a spring, using the ground like a drainage pipe. Still other springs are the result of pressure from an underground source in the earth, in the form of volcanic or magma activity. The result can be water at elevated temperature and pressure, i.e. hot springs and geysers . The action of the groundwater continually dissolves permeable bedrock such as limestone and dolomite , creating vast cave systems. Spring discharge, or resurgence ,
639-559: A hydroelectric reservoir: only one geyser basin at Whakarewarewa remains. In the beginning of the 20th century, the largest geyser ever known, the Waimangu Geyser , existed in this zone. It began erupting in 1900 and erupted periodically for four years until a landslide changed the local water table . Eruptions of Waimangu would typically reach 160 metres (520 ft) and some superbursts are known to have reached 500 metres (1,600 ft). Recent scientific work indicates that
710-474: A kind of mythic quality in that some people falsely believe that springs are always healthy sources of drinking water. They may or may not be. One must take a comprehensive water quality test to know how to use a spring appropriately, whether for a mineral bath or drinking water. Springs that are managed as spas will already have such a test. Springs are often used as sources for bottled water. When purchasing bottled water labeled as spring water one can often find
781-528: A mathematical relationship between the duration and intervals of the eruptions in 1938. Old Faithful is not the tallest or largest geyser in the park; those titles belong to the less predictable Steamboat Geyser . The reliability of Old Faithful can be attributed to the fact that it is not connected to any other thermal features of the Upper Geyser Basin . Eruptions can shoot 3,700 to 8,400 US gallons (14,000 to 32,000 L) of boiling water to
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#1732772364000852-443: A part of the water cycle . Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fresh water , especially in arid regions which have relatively little annual rainfall . Springs are driven out onto the surface by various natural forces, such as gravity and hydrostatic pressure . A spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater is known as a hot spring . The yield of spring water varies widely from
923-675: A rate of at least 2800 liters or 100 cubic feet (2.8 m ) of water per second. Some locations contain many first-magnitude springs, such as Florida where there are at least 27 known to be that size; the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks , which contain 10 known of first-magnitude; and 11 more in the Thousand Springs area along the Snake River in Idaho . The scale for spring flow is as follows: Minerals become dissolved in
994-438: A source of thermostable tools , which are important in medicine and biotechnology , for example in manufacturing antibiotics , plastics , detergents (by the use of heat-stable enzymes lipases , pullulanases and proteases ), and fermentation products (for example ethanol is produced). Among these, the first discovered and the most important for biotechnology is Thermus aquaticus . Geysers are quite rare, requiring
1065-518: Is a mythical spring which was said to restore youth to anyone who drank from it. It has been claimed that the fountain is located in St. Augustine, Florida , and was discovered by Juan Ponce de León in 1513. However, it has not demonstrated the power to restore youth, and most historians dispute the veracity of Ponce de León's discovery. Pythia, also known as the Oracle at Delphi was the high priestess of
1136-552: Is about 750 millimetres (30 in). The Taupō Volcanic Zone is located on New Zealand's North Island . It is 350 kilometres (217 mi) long by 50 km wide (31 mi) and lies over a subduction zone in the Earth's crust. Mount Ruapehu marks its southwestern end, while the submarine Whakatāne seamount (85 km or 53 mi beyond Whakaari / White Island ) is considered its northeastern limit. Many geysers in this zone were destroyed due to geothermal developments and
1207-843: Is an example. The geyser erupts from the casing of a well drilled in the late 19th century, which opened up a dead geyser. In the case of the Big Mine Run Geyser in Ashland, Pennsylvania , the heat powering the geyser (which erupts from an abandoned mine vent) comes not from geothermal power, but from the long-simmering Centralia mine fire . This is a natural hot spring that spouts water constantly without stopping for recharge. Some of these are incorrectly called geysers, but because they are not periodic in nature they are not considered true geysers. Geysers are used for various activities such as electricity generation, heating and geotourism . Many geothermal reserves are found all around
1278-539: Is caused by surface water gradually seeping down through the ground until it meets geothermally heated rock. In non-eruptive hot springs, the heated water then rises back toward the surface by convection through porous and fractured rocks, while in geysers, the water instead is explosively forced upwards by the high steam pressure created when water boils below. Geysers also differ from non-eruptive hot springs in their subterranean structure: geysers have constrictions in their plumbing that creates pressure build-up. As
1349-407: Is determined by the spring's recharge basin. Factors that affect the recharge include the size of the area in which groundwater is captured, the amount of precipitation, the size of capture points, and the size of the spring outlet. Water may leak into the underground system from many sources including permeable earth, sinkholes, and losing streams . In some cases entire creeks seemingly disappear as
1420-576: Is greater than human body temperature, usually in the range of 45–50 °C (113–122 °F), but they can be hotter. Those springs with water cooler than body temperature but warmer than air temperature are sometimes referred to as warm springs. Hot springs or geothermal springs have been used for balneotherapy , bathing, and relaxation for thousands of years. Because of the folklore surrounding hot springs and their claimed medical value, some have become tourist destinations and locations of physical rehabilitation centers. Hot springs have been used as
1491-607: Is home to approximately 80 geysers at present. It became the largest geyser field in the Southern Hemisphere after the destruction of many of the New Zealand geysers, and is the third largest geyser field in the world. The salient feature of these geysers is that the height of their eruptions is very low, the tallest being only six metres (20 ft) high, but with steam columns that can be over 20 metres (66 ft) high. The average geyser eruption height at El Tatio
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#17327723640001562-411: Is said to result in the absorption of the minerals from the water. Some springs contain arsenic levels that exceed the 10 ppb World Health Organization (WHO) standard for drinking water . Where such springs feed rivers they can also raise the arsenic levels in the rivers above WHO limits. Water from springs is usually clear. However, some springs may be colored by the minerals that are dissolved in
1633-496: Is that multiple intense transient forces must occur simultaneously for a geyser to exist. For example, even when other necessary conditions exist, if the rock structure is loose, eruptions will erode the channels and rapidly destroy any nascent geysers. Geysers are fragile, and if conditions change, they may go dormant or extinct. Many have been destroyed simply by people throwing debris into them, while others have ceased to erupt due to dewatering by geothermal power plants. However,
1704-833: The Borah Peak earthquake in central Idaho in October 1983, the eruption intervals of Old Faithful were noticeably lengthened. The time between eruptions has a bimodal distribution , with the mean interval being either 65 or 91 minutes, and is dependent on the length of the prior eruption. Within a margin of error of ±10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt either 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2½ minutes, or 91 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2½ minutes. Between 1983 and 1994, four probes containing temperature and pressure measurement devices and video equipment were lowered into Old Faithful. The probes were lowered as deep as 72 feet (22 m). Temperature measurements of
1775-762: The Solar System where eruptions which superficially resemble terrestrial geysers have been observed or are believed to occur. Despite being commonly referred to as geysers, they are driven by fundamentally different processes, consist of a wide range of volatiles , and can occur on vastly disparate scales; from the modestly sized Martian carbon dioxide jets to the immense plumes of Enceladus . Generally, there are two broad categories of feature commonly referred to as geysers: sublimation plumes, and cryovolcanic plumes (also referred to as cryogeysers). Sublimation plumes are jets of sublimated volatiles and dust from shallow sources under icy surfaces. Known examples include
1846-586: The Temple of Apollo . She delivered prophesies in a frenzied state of divine possession that were "induced by vapours rising from a chasm in the rock". It is believed that the vapors were emitted from the Kerna spring at Delphi. The Greek myth of Narcissus describes a young man who fell in love with his reflection in the still pool of a spring. Narcissus gazed into "an unmuddied spring, silvery from its glittering waters, which neither shepherds nor she-goats grazing on
1917-412: The ocean floor , spewing warmer, low- salinity water directly into the ocean. Springs formed as a result of karst topography create karst springs , in which ground water travels through a network of cracks and fissures—openings ranging from intergranular spaces to large caves , later emerging in a spring. The forcing of the spring to the surface can be the result of a confined aquifer in which
1988-624: The " tiger stripes " in the south polar region of Enceladus by the Cassini orbiter. These plumes are the source of the material in Saturn's E ring . The mechanism which causes these eruptions are generated remains uncertain, as well as to what extent they are physically linked to Enceladus' subsurface ocean , but they are believed to be powered at least in part by tidal heating . Cassini flew through these plumes several times, allowing direct analysis of water from inside another solar system body for
2059-537: The 14th century, gave rise to the word geyser . By 1896, Geysir was almost dormant before an earthquake that year caused eruptions to begin again, occurring several times a day; but in 1916, eruptions all but ceased. Throughout much of the 20th century, eruptions did happen from time to time, usually following earthquakes. Some man-made improvements were made to the spring and eruptions were forced with soap on special occasions. Earthquakes in June 2000 subsequently reawakened
2130-454: The 1960s, when the research of the biology of geysers first appeared, scientists were generally convinced that no life can survive above around 73 °C maximum (163 °F)—the upper limit for the survival of cyanobacteria , as the structure of key cellular proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) would be destroyed. The optimal temperature for thermophilic bacteria was placed even lower, around 55 °C average (131 °F). However,
2201-456: The CO 2 jets on Mars , and the nitrogen eruptions on Neptune 's moon Triton . On Mars carbon dioxide jets are believed to occur in the southern polar region of Mars during spring, as a layer of dry ice accumulated over winter is warmed by the sun. Although these jets have not yet been directly observed, they leave evidence visible from orbit in the form of dark spots and lighter fans atop
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2272-503: The Earth's crust below the zone may be as little as five kilometres (3 mi) thick. Beneath this lies a film of magma 50 kilometres (30 mi) wide and 160 kilometres (100 mi) long. Due to the high rate of volcanic activity in Iceland, it is home to some of the most famous geysers in the world. There are around 20–29 active geysers in the country, as well as numerous formerly active geysers. Icelandic geysers are distributed in
2343-533: The Geysir in Iceland has had periods of activity and dormancy. During its long dormant periods, eruptions were sometimes artificially induced—often on special occasions—by the addition of surfactant soaps to the water. Some geysers have specific colours, because despite the harsh conditions, life is often found in them (and also in other hot habitats ) in the form of thermophilic prokaryotes . No known eukaryote can survive over 60 °C (140 °F ). In
2414-488: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) actively promoted development of geothermal energy in the "Geysers-Calistoga Known Geothermal Resource Area" (KGRA) near Calistoga, California through a variety of research programs and the Geothermal Loan Guarantee Program. The department is obligated by law to assess the potential environmental impacts of geothermal development. There are many bodies in
2485-483: The United States erupts for up to 10 minutes every 8–12 hours. There are two types of geysers: fountain geysers which erupt from pools of water, typically in a series of intense, even violent, bursts; and cone geysers which erupt from cones or mounds of siliceous sinter (including geyserite ), usually in steady jets that last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Old Faithful , perhaps
2556-642: The activity may be a result of solar heating via a solid-state greenhouse effect . In all three cases, there is no evidence of the subsurface hydrological system which differentiates terrestrial geysers from other sorts of venting, such as fumaroles . The term 'geyser' in English dates back to the late 18th century and comes from Geysir , which is a geyser in Iceland . Its name means "one who gushes". Geysers are nonpermanent geological features. Geysers are generally associated with areas of recent magmatism . As
2627-764: The afternoon of September 18, 1870, the members of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition traveled down the Firehole River from the Kepler Cascades and entered the Upper Geyser Basin . The first geyser that they saw was Old Faithful. Nathaniel P. Langford wrote in his 1871 Scribner's account of the expedition: It spouted at regular intervals nine times during our stay, the columns of boiling water being thrown from ninety to one hundred and twenty-five feet at each discharge, which lasted from fifteen to twenty minutes. We gave it
2698-443: The best-known geyser at Yellowstone National Park, is an example of a cone geyser. Grand Geyser , the tallest predictable geyser on Earth (although Geysir in Iceland is taller, it is not predictable), also at Yellowstone National Park, is an example of a fountain geyser. There are many volcanic areas in the world that have hot springs , mud pots and fumaroles , but very few have erupting geysers. The main reason for their rarity
2769-445: The conduit and expanding from below, and entry of superheated steam measuring as high as 265 °F (129 °C) into the conduit. Geyser A geyser ( / ˈ ɡ aɪ z ər / , UK : / ˈ ɡ iː z ər / ) is a spring with an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. The formation of geysers is fairly rare, and is caused by particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in
2840-435: The dry ice. These features consist primarily of sand and dust blown out by the outbursts, as well as spider-like patterns of channels created below the ice by the rapid flow of CO 2 gas. There are a plethora of theories to explain the eruptions, including heating from sunlight, chemical reactions, or even biological activity. Triton was found to have active eruptions of nitrogen and dust by Voyager 2 when it flew past
2911-671: The eight thermal areas in the valley were covered by the landslide or by the lake. Velikan Geyser , one of the field's largest, was not buried in the slide: the slide shortened its period of eruption from 379 minutes before the slide to 339 minutes after (through 2010). The name "El Tatio" comes from the Quechua word for oven . El Tatio is located in the high valleys of the Andes in Chile , surrounded by many active volcanoes, at around 4,200 metres (13,800 ft) above mean sea level. The valley
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2982-546: The first time. In December 2013, the Hubble Space Telescope detected water vapour plumes potentially 200 km high above the south polar region of Europa . Re-examination of Galileo data also suggested that it may have flown through a plume during a flyby in 1997. Water was also detected by the Keck Observatory in 2016, announced in a 2019 Nature article speculating the cause to be
3053-476: The form of a particular name, an associated legend , the attribution of healing qualities to the water through the numinous presence of its guardian spirit or of a Christian saint , or a ceremony or ritual centered on the well site. Christian legends often recount how the action of a saint caused a spring's water to flow - a familiar theme, especially in the hagiography of Celtic saints. The geothermally heated groundwater that flows from thermal springs
3124-400: The gas. Water vapour jets have been observed near the south pole of Saturn 's moon Enceladus , while nitrogen eruptions have been observed on Neptune 's moon Triton . There are also signs of carbon dioxide eruptions from the southern polar ice cap of Mars . In the case of Enceladus, the plumes are believed to be driven by internal energy. In the cases of the venting on Mars and Triton,
3195-445: The geyser fills, the water at the top of the column cools off, but because of the narrowness of the channel, convective cooling of the water in the reservoir is impossible. The cooler water above presses down on the hotter water beneath, not unlike the lid of a pressure cooker , allowing the water in the reservoir to become superheated , i.e. to remain liquid at temperatures well above the standard-pressure boiling point. Ultimately,
3266-479: The geyser plumbing, exchange of functions with nearby hot springs , earthquake influences, and human intervention. Like many other natural phenomena, geysers are not unique to Earth. Jet-like eruptions, often referred to as cryogeysers , have been observed on several of the moons of the outer Solar System. Due to the low ambient pressures, these eruptions consist of vapour without liquid; they are made more easily visible by particles of dust and ice carried aloft by
3337-414: The geyser vent. Eventually the water remaining in the geyser cools back to below the boiling point and the eruption ends; heated groundwater begins seeping back into the reservoir, and the whole cycle begins again. The duration of eruptions and the time between successive eruptions vary greatly from geyser to geyser; Strokkur in Iceland erupts for a few seconds every few minutes, while Grand Geyser in
3408-459: The giant for a time, but it is not currently erupting regularly. The nearby Strokkur geyser erupts every 5–8 minutes to a height of some 30 metres (100 ft). There used to be two large geyser fields in Nevada — Beowawe and Steamboat Springs —but they were destroyed by the installation of nearby geothermal power plants. At the plants, geothermal drilling reduced the available heat and lowered
3479-456: The local water table to the point that geyser activity could no longer be sustained. Many of New Zealand's geysers have been destroyed by humans in the last century. Several New Zealand geysers have also become dormant or extinct by natural means. The main remaining field is Whakarewarewa at Rotorua . Two-thirds of the geysers at Orakei Korako were flooded by the construction of the hydroelectric Ohakuri dam in 1961. The Wairakei field
3550-855: The moon in 1989. These plumes were up to 8 km high, where winds would blow them up to 150 km downwind, creating long, dark streaks across the otherwise bright south polar ice cap. There are various theories as to what drives the activity on Triton, such as solar heating through transparent ice, cryovolcanism, or basal heating of nitrogen ice sheets. Cryovolcanic plumes or cryogeysers generally refer to large-scale eruptions of predominantly water vapour from active cryovolcanic features on certain icy moons . Such plumes occur on Saturn 's moon Enceladus and Jupiter 's moon Europa . Plumes of water vapour, together with ice particles and smaller amounts of other components (such as carbon dioxide , nitrogen , ammonia , hydrocarbons and silicates ), have been observed erupting from vents associated with
3621-728: The mountain nor any other cattle had touched, which neither bird nor beast nor branch fallen from a tree had disturbed." (Ovid) The early 20th century American photographer, James Reuel Smith created a comprehensive series of photographs documenting the historical springs of New York City before they were capped by the city after the advent of the municipal water system. Smith later photographed springs in Europe leading to his book, Springs and Wells in Greek and Roman Literature, Their Legends and Locations (1922). The 19th century Japanese artists Utagawa Hiroshige and Utagawa Toyokuni III created
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#17327723640003692-507: The name of "Old Faithful." In the early days of the park, Old Faithful was often used as a laundry: Old Faithful is sometimes degraded by being made a laundry. Garments placed in the crater during quiescence are ejected thoroughly washed when the eruption takes place. Gen. Sheridan 's men, in 1882, found that linen and cotton fabrics were uninjured by the action of the water, but woolen clothes were torn to shreds. More than 1,000,000 eruptions have been recorded. Harry Woodward first described
3763-477: The observations proved that can exist at high temperatures and that some bacteria even prefer temperatures higher than the boiling point of water. Dozens of such bacteria are known. Thermophiles prefer temperatures from 50 to 70 °C (122 to 158 °F), while hyperthermophiles grow better at temperatures as high as 80 to 110 °C (176 to 230 °F). As they have heat-stable enzymes that retain their activity even at high temperatures, they have been used as
3834-444: The recharge area of the spring water table rests at a higher elevation than that of the outlet. Spring water forced to the surface by elevated sources are artesian wells . This is possible even if the outlet is in the form of a 300-foot-deep (91 m) cave. In this case the cave is used like a hose by the higher elevated recharge area of groundwater to exit through the lower elevation opening. Non-artesian springs may simply flow from
3905-422: The silica. As it gets closer to the surface, the water cools and the silica drops out of solution, leaving a deposit of amorphous opal . Gradually the opal anneals into quartz , forming geyserite. Geyserite often covers the microbial mats that grow in geysers. As the mats grow and the silica is deposited, the mats can form up to 50% of the volume of the geyserite. Geyser activity, like all hot spring activity,
3976-430: The surface of the Earth. For the heated water to form a geyser, a plumbing system (made of fractures , fissures , porous spaces, and sometimes cavities) is required. This includes a reservoir to hold the water while it is being heated. Geysers tend to be coated with geyserite , or siliceous sinter . The water in geysers comes in contact with hot silica -containing rocks, such as rhyolite . The heated water dissolves
4047-481: The temperatures near the bottom of the geyser rise to a point where boiling begins, forcing steam bubbles to rise to the top of the column. As they burst through the geyser's vent, some water overflows or splashes out, reducing the weight of the column and thus the pressure on the water below. With this release of pressure, the superheated water flashes into steam, boiling violently throughout the column. The resulting froth of expanding steam and hot water then sprays out of
4118-482: The volume of flow. Springs fall into three general classifications: perennial (springs that flow constantly during the year); intermittent (temporary springs that are active after rainfall, or during certain seasonal changes); and periodic (as in geysers that vent and erupt at regular or irregular intervals). Springs are often classified by the volume of the water they discharge. The largest springs are called "first-magnitude", defined as springs that discharge water at
4189-933: The water as it moves through the underground rocks . This mineral content is measured as total dissolved solids (TDS). This may give the water flavor and even carbon dioxide bubbles, depending on the nature of the geology through which it passes. This is why spring water is often bottled and sold as mineral water , although the term is often the subject of deceptive advertising . Mineral water contains no less than 250 parts per million (ppm) of tds. Springs that contain significant amounts of minerals are sometimes called ' mineral springs '. (Springs without such mineral content, meanwhile, are sometimes distinguished as 'sweet springs'.) Springs that contain large amounts of dissolved sodium salts , mostly sodium carbonate , are called 'soda springs'. Many resorts have developed around mineral springs and are known as spa towns . Mineral springs are alleged to have healing properties. Soaking in them
4260-423: The water at this depth were 244 °F (118 °C), the same as was measured in 1942. The video probes were lowered to a maximum depth of 42 feet (13 m) to observe the conduit formation and the processes that took place in the conduit. Some of the processes observed include fog formation from the interaction of cool air from above mixing with heated air from below, the recharge processes of water entering into
4331-435: The water boils, the resulting pressure forces a superheated column of steam and water to the surface through the geyser's internal plumbing. The formation of geysers specifically requires the combination of three geologic conditions that are usually found in volcanic terrain: heat, water, and a subsurface hydraulic system with the right geometry. The heat needed for geyser formation comes from magma that needs to be close to
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#17327723640004402-457: The water sinks into the ground via the stream bed. Grand Gulf State Park in Missouri is an example of an entire creek vanishing into the groundwater system. The water emerges 9 miles (14 km) away, forming some of the discharge of Mammoth Spring in Arkansas . Human activity may also affect a spring's discharge—withdrawal of groundwater reduces the water pressure in an aquifer, decreasing
4473-602: The water test for that spring on the website of the company selling it. Springs have been used as sources of water for gravity-fed irrigation of crops. Indigenous people of the American Southwest built spring-fed acequias that directed water to fields through canals. The Spanish missionaries later used this method. A sacred spring, or holy well, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered in some religious context: Christian and/or pagan and/or other. The lore and mythology of ancient Greece
4544-431: The water. For instance, water heavy with iron or tannins will have an orange color. In parts of the United States a stream carrying the outflow of a spring to a nearby primary stream may be called a spring branch , spring creek , or run. Groundwater tends to maintain a relatively long-term average temperature of its aquifer; so flow from a spring may be cooler than other sources on a summer day, but remain unfrozen in
4615-543: The winter. The cool water of a spring and its branch may harbor species such as certain trout that are otherwise ill-suited to a warmer local climate . Springs have been used for a variety of human needs - including drinking water, domestic water supply, irrigation, mills , navigation, and electricity generation . Modern uses include recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and floating; therapy ; water for livestock; fish hatcheries; and supply for bottled mineral water or bottled spring water. Springs have taken on
4686-564: The world's tallest active geyser ( Steamboat Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin ). The Valley of Geysers ( Russian : Долина гейзеров ), located in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia , is the second-largest concentration of geysers in the world. The area was discovered and explored by Tatyana Ustinova in 1941. There are about 200 geysers in the area, along with many hot-water springs and perpetual spouters. The area
4757-400: The world. The geyser fields in Iceland are some of the most commercially viable geyser locations in the world. Since the 1920s hot water directed from the geysers has been used to heat greenhouses and to grow food that otherwise could not have been cultivated in Iceland's inhospitable climate. Steam and hot water from the geysers has also been used for heating homes since 1943 in Iceland. In 1979
4828-718: The zone stretching from south-west to north-east, along the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate . Most of the Icelandic geysers are comparatively short-lived. It is also characteristic that many geysers here are reactivated or newly created after earthquakes, becoming dormant or extinct after some years or some decades. Two most prominent geysers of Iceland are located in Haukadalur . The Great Geysir , which first erupted in
4899-402: Was formed by vigorous volcanic activity. The peculiar way of eruptions is an important feature of these geysers. Most of the geysers erupt at angles, and only very few have the geyser cones that exist at many other of the world's geyser fields. On 3 June 2007, a massive mudflow influenced two-thirds of the valley. It was then reported that a thermal lake was forming above the valley. Four of
4970-826: Was lost to a geothermal power plant in 1958. The Rotomahana field was destroyed by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera . There are various other types of geysers which are different in nature compared to the normal steam-driven geysers. These geysers differ not only in their style of eruption but also in the cause that makes them erupt. In a number of places where there is geothermal activity , wells have been drilled and fitted with impermeable casements that allow them to erupt like geysers. The vents of such geysers are artificial, but are tapped into natural hydrothermal systems. These so-called artificial geysers , technically known as erupting geothermal wells , are not true geysers. Little Old Faithful Geyser, in Calistoga, California ,
5041-476: Was replete with sacred and storied springs—notably, the Corycian , Pierian and Castalian springs. In medieval Europe, pagan sacred sites frequently became Christianized as holy wells. The term "holy well" is commonly employed to refer to any water source of limited size (i.e., not a lake or river, but including pools and natural springs and seeps), which has some significance in local folklore . This can take
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