Oh What a Geyser! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iceland

Geysir, also known as the Great Geysir, can be found in the Hauakadalur Valley in Iceland. It was the first geyser to be known by Europeans and the first ever mentioned in a printed source. When the Great Geysir erupts, it can shoot boiling water 230 ft.(70m) in the air.

It has also been known to quit erupting for years at a time. It was first mentioned in 1294 and its eruptions are greatly affected by earthquakes in the area, which are not uncommon.

Answer: Yellowstone National Park Wyoming, USA

Yellowstone National Park, found in the eastern part of Wyoming, is home to approximately half of the world's naturally occurring geysers. Yellowstone is a country teeming with an estimated 10,000 thermal features. Of these only three percent are geysers.

The rest are steaming pools, hissing fumaroles, bubbling mud pots or warm seeps. Most of Yellowstone's geysers are small and do not reach over ten feet in height. There are six large geysers which erupt on a predictable daily basis. Arguably the most famous geyser in the world, Old Faithful is located there and erupts every 45-90 minutes.

Answer: Fountain geyser

Fountain geysers usually are less predictable than cone geysers and frequently erupt with more violence. Fountain geysers are found under bodies of water that have formed over craters. This plenitude of water keeps mineral deposits from building up and making a cone geyser. One of the largest fountain geysers in the world is the Great Fountain Geyser found in Yellowstone National Park.

It erupts, on average, between every 9-15 hours. The height of the plume varies between 75 ft. (23m) to as high as 220 ft. (67m); maximum height ranges from about 75 feet (23 m) to over 220 feet (67 m). Eruption usually lasts between 1-2 hours.

Answer: Steamboat Geyser

This unpredictable geyser can erupt at any time, with calm periods between four days to fifty years. When active it spews super-heated water and steam more than 300 ft. (90m) into the air. During a major eruption Steamboat Geyser will completely drain the Cistern Spring which is located nearby.

It takes five to seven days for the spring to refill. An eruption can last between three minutes to as long as forty minutes.

Answer: Landslide

The Waimangu Geyser was created in 1886 with the eruption of Mount Tarawera. This volcanic activity caused a fissure almost nine miles (14km) long down the side of the mountain and into Lake Rotomahana. The geyser was born at this time and spewed vast amounts of water and steam to spew into the air as high as 1,500 ft (460 metres).

In 1904, a landslide in the area changed the water table and the geyser became extinct. The water spewed from this geyser was black in color and full of mud and rocks. Because of this feature the local Maori named it Waimangu which meant, simply, black waters.

Answer: Kamchatka Peninsula

The Valley of Geysers is a magnificent area found on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia. Kikhpinych is a stratovolcano which heats the local Geysernayari river. This unique area is accessible only by helicopter. The area was not discovered until 1941 and was partially destroyed by a massive mudflow in 2007.

A geothermal lake has formed and some of the geysers are still active. Like the rest of the globe it is an ever-evolving area caught in the cycle of death and rebirth.

Answer: Australia

Australia, even with its proximity to the "Ring of Fire", does not have geysers. New Zealand to its southeast has both geysers and mud pots. The other five populated continents all contain multiple geysers, most of them in close proximity to each other.

Answer: Chile

El Tatio, located in northern Chile is home to the third largest geyser field on the planet. While its geysers are numerous, they are not very powerful, with their plumes reaching an average height of about six meters. This site, like many other geyser fields is in danger of extinction.

The culprit in this case is not Mother Nature, but man. Attempts are being made to harness the geothermic power of the area and make it into a power plant. This has occurred all over the world. The building of dams and the redirection of rivers have spelled the end for many geysers. What the long-term repercussions will be has yet to be seen.

Answer: True

This is true. While Yellowstone National Park may not seem to be a center of volcanic or seismic activity, it actually is. Underneath the park lies a super-volcano that is capable, if it erupts, of destroying humanity as we know it now. All hot water geysers are heated by magma found underground and their pressure for eruptions comes from the geothermic activity below ground.

Answer: True

There are many cold water geysers throughout the world. They are not as numerous as hot water geysers and their eruptions are driven by the CO2 that is naturally found in the water. It works somewhat like a soda-pop bottle when you shake it up. Germany is home to two very nice cold water geysers known as the Brubble and Andernach Geysir. Cold water geysers tend to appear foamy, and more white in color than their hot water brethren.