In the early twentieth century, a farmer decided that he needed to
improve the agriculture on his ranch in Nevada. He figured that a well
needed to be dug to bring water and nutrients to the soil above. He
lived in a barren desert and the water stored deep beneath the Earth’s
surface would have provided a more sustainable crop for this harsh and
dry area. He knew that a well with ample water was needed to supply
bountiful crops. What he didn’t know was
what was waiting for him deep below the soil.
He began to dig a deep well when problems soon arose. After digging
deep into the Earth searching for water, he found what he was looking
for. The problem was that the water was incredibly hot, over 200 degrees
in fact. Making it impossible to create a well at the time. He capped
off his ventures and was forced to forget about supplying the area with a
sustainable water source.
A team came to the area with better drilling technology in 1964, in
order to create a successful well. Their plans didn’t go as expected as
the water was still too hot for them to deal with. The drilling
operation was immediately suspended and abandoned. The team that came in
1964 didn’t cap their drilling ventures properly and they created a
small geyser. Under extreme pressure and at extreme temperatures,
gasses, water, minerals, and nutrients flooded to the surface. This
small geyser has grown at an incredible rate creating something that
nobody expected. It is not a typical geyser at all. This type of geyser
is actually called a fly geyser and it pumps the nutrient rich water
above ground where these nutrients and minerals have collected, creating
a colorful mountain that continues to grow to this day.
The fly geyser in Nevada started out as an attempt to create a well but
the drillers got much more than they bargained for when they were faced
with scalding hot water. After the operations were abandoned,
a beautiful monument created by nature
was formed and it has taken on a life of its own, continuously growing
and changing. The mineral rich water has created a mountain of colorful
formations that have stunned the world.
In Mou We Trust
If you get close enough you’re able to see small fish swimming in the
hot spring waters and many birds flying around feeding on the organisms
that have come to call this magical fantasy land, home.
PhotosbyFlick
The different nutrients, gasses, and minerals that are expelled from
this fly geyser in Nevada react differently to the sun, as well as the
oxygen in the air. This reaction creates some magnificent colors that
are constantly changing. The longer this geyser flows, the more
beautiful it becomes. Look out Yellowstone. It looks like you have some
serious competition in Nevada.
Lisa Stull
This beautiful fly geyser looks like it belongs in a Dr. Seuss book
located in some magical fantasy land. It is quite real however, and it
is located in the middle of a desert in Nevada. The last place someone
would think something this astounding would exist. Because of the dry
air and the hot sun, this fly geyser actually thrives and slowly but
continuously grows larger each day.
Pixshark
While the desert does contain some of the most rural and natural beauty of the American landscape,
I never would have thought of something this beautiful protruding from
such a dry and dusty region. I have been to Yellowstone National Park
and seen the geysers, including “Old Faithful”. I have swum in many hot
springs and even some naturally formed craters. While all of these
experiences have been memorable and breathtaking, I have never seen
anything like this. I can’t imagine what it looks like in person and I
think it just made my bucket list.
If you get close enough you’re able to see small fish swimming in the
hot spring waters and many birds flying around feeding on the organisms
that have come to call this magical fantasy land, home.
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