ICELAND // Geysir is part of Iceland's 'Golden Circle' of natural wonders. Gullfoss, another point on this popular route, gets all of the waterfall glory, while bingvellir, the third stop, is a marvelous rift valley. In this case, Geysir is the highlight for the explosion-lovers. That's right. If you want to see boiling hot water erupt dramatically from the ground, spurting as high as 70m into the air, this is the place for you. There's no danger, just the chance of getting misted, it's been happening for quite some time now, around 10,000 years. Always impressive, though.

Why is it called geyser?

The term is derived from the Icelandic word geysir meaning "to boil". Geysers are formed by the heating of underground water by shallow masses of magma. They are generally associated with areas that have seen volcanic activity in the past.

How hot is a geyser?

The temperature of the gushing water is usually close to the boiling point for pure water (212°F or 100°C at sea level). Some geysers erupt less than a foot, and a few erupt over 150 feet. Some small geysers erupt every minute or so, but others are inactive for months or even years between eruptions.

Which countries have geysers?

The most famous geyser in the United States, the old faithful of Yellowstone National Park erupts every 50 to 100 minutes. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has more than 300 geysers, which is almost two-thirds of the world's geysers. Other geyser hotspots are Siberia, Chile, Iceland and New Zealand.

Is a geyser a volcano?

no Geysers spew water and steam instead of rock and ash coming out of the volcano. Geysers are also physically much smaller than volcanoes and erupt more frequently. Still, many of the processes are similar, Manga says, and geyser measurements can help scientists understand some aspects of volcanoes.

Can you swim in a geyser?