Geothermals
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sun 10 Feb 2013 14:27
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NZ is one of the most geothermically active areas
in the world, and the area around Rotorua in North Island has some wonderful
sights.
Here is a famous set of silica terraces, raised by
an earthquake in the eighteenth century, and now covered by silicate rocks
which have precipitated out from hot water welling up from underneath. The whole
area is littered with geysers which erupt unpredictably - sometimes after heavy
rain, sometimes several times a day and sometimes after a gap of years or even
decades - shooting boiling water metres up into the air.
 The whole place smells wonderfully of sulphur, and
the air is hot.
 Here are Tom the temporary geologist and girlfriend
Hannah
 This is a (very) hot water pool. Thedifferent
colours are caused by matt-forming thermophilic bacteria some of which can
tolerate water above 100 degrees Celsius. Interestingly their DNA is proving to
be of extreme interest for human medicine at present.
 This pool is actually boiling:
 And my personal favourite, boiling mud. I just love
that 'gloop gloop gloop' sound that it makes.
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