GEYSERS AND HOT SPRINGS
Mechanism:
- Intense heating: Water that percolated into the porous rock is subjected to intense heat by the underlying hard rock, which is in contact with hot magma in the mantle or the lower part of the crust.
- High Pressure: Under the influence of intense heat, the water in the capillaries and narrow roots in the porous rock undergoes intense expansion and gets converted to steam, resulting in high pressure.
- Venting: When this steam or water at high pressure finds a path to the surface through narrow vents and weak zones, it appears at the surface as geysers and hot water springs.
Difference and similarities between Geysers and Hot Springs
| Geyser | Hot Spring |
|---|---|
| Steam or water at high pressure, along its path, gets accumulated in small reservoirs, fissures, and fractures. | Steam or water at high pressure smoothly flows to the top through the vent and condenses at the surface, giving rise to a spring. |
| Once the pressure exceeds the threshold limit, the steam bursts out to the surface, disrupting the water at the mouth. | Usually, a crater-like structure is created at the mouth of the spring. |
| Usually, a crater-like structure is created at the mouth. | Some springs are very colorful because of the presence of cyanobacteria of different colors. |
| Silicate deposits at the mouth give them their distinct colors. | Found all across the world. |
| Found in very few regions. | Example: Manikaran in India |
| Example: Beehive Geyser (Wyoming, United States) |