A geyser is a rare kind of hot spring that is under pressure and erupts, sending jets of water and steam into the air.

Geysers are made from a tube-like hole in the Earth's surface that runs deep into the crust. The tube is filled with water. Near the bottom of the tube is molten rock called magma, which heats the water in the tube.

Water in the lower part of the tube, close to the magma, becomes superhot. Gradually, it begins to boil. Some of the water is forced upward. The boiling water begins to steam, or turn to gas. The steam jets toward the surface. Its powerful jet of steam ejects the column of water above it. The water rushes through the tube and into the air.

The eruption will continue until all the water is forced out of the tube, or until the temperature inside the geyser drops below boiling (100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit, at sea level).

After the eruption, water slowly seeps back into the tube. The process begins again. In some small geysers, the eruption process can take just a few minutes. In larger geysers, it can take days. The most famous geyser in the United States, Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful, erupts about every 50-100 minutes.
geyser
In the 19th century, Old Faithful was used to wash clothes.

Geyser Central
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has more than 300 geysersabout two-thirds of the number of geysers in the entire world. Other geyser hot spots are Siberia, Chile, Iceland and New Zealand.

crust
Noun

rocky outermost layer of Earth or other planet.
eject
Verb

to get rid of or throw out.
erupt
Verb

to explode or suddenly eject material.
eruption
Noun

release of material from an opening in the Earth's crust.
geyser
Noun

natural hot spring that sometimes erupts with water or steam.
hot spring
Noun

small flow of water flowing naturally from an underground water source heated by hot or molten rock.
magma
Noun

molten, or partially melted, rock beneath the Earth's surface.
molten
Adjective

solid material turned to liquid by heat.
Old Faithful
Noun

geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming.
seep
Verb

to slowly flow through a border.
steam
Noun

water vapor.
temperature
Noun

degree of hotness or coldness measured by a thermometer with a numerical scale.

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    Writers

    Kim Rutledge
    Tara Ramroop
    Diane Boudreau
    Melissa McDaniel
    Santani Teng
    Erin Sprout
    Hilary Costa
    Hilary Hall
    Jeff Hunt

    Illustrators

    Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
    Tim Gunther

    Editors

    Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing
    Kara West

    Educator Reviewer

    Nancy Wynne

    Producer

    Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

    Sources

    Dunn, Margery G. (Editor). (1989, 1993). "Exploring Your World: The Adventure of Geography." Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.

    Last Updated

    Jan. 21, 2011

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