Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
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Figure 13.20
Bath, England One of the many bathhouses in
Bath, England, that were built around hot springs shortly after the
Roman conquest in
A
.
D
. 43.
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Figure 13.21
Old Faithful Geyser Old Faithful Geyser in
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, is one of the world's most
famous geysers, erupting faithfully every 30 to 90 minutes and
spewing water 32 to 56 m high.
Water table
Water table
Geyser
eruption
Steam
Hot igneous
rock
Hot igneous
rock
a
The eruption of a geyser starts when groundwater percolates down
into a network of interconnected openings and is heated by the hot
igneous rocks. The water near the bottom of the fracture system is
under higher pressure than the water near the top and consequently
must be heated to a higher temperature before it will boil.
b
Any rise in the temperature of the water above its boiling point
or a drop in pressure will cause the water to change to steam,
which quickly pushes the water above it up and out of the ground,
producing a geyser eruption.
◗
Figure 13.22
Anatomy of a Geyser
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