Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful. View of the world's most famous geyser erupting. Geysers (Icelandic "geysir" = gusher) consist of deep wells in geothermal rock fissures. Somewhere near the base of the well is a large chamber. The water in the chamber is heated by the surrounding rocks until it is well over normal boiling point, but is prevented from boiling by hydrostatic pressure. The heating also causes the water to expand, spilling from the lip of the well. At a critical point, the decreasing hydrostatic pressure allows the superheated water to boil spontaneously and erupt. Old Faithful is in Yellowstone National Park, USA.

Album / Science Source / DAVID HALPERN

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29.6 x 43.2 cm | 11.7 x 17.0 in (300 dpi)