What is a geyser and why does it erupt?
Earth's Pressure Show
What is a geyser and why does it erupt?
Deep underground, something amazing is happening right now. Cold water is seeping down through cracks in the rock, traveling deeper and deeper until it meets something very hot — rock so scorching it could melt metal. And when cold water meets rock that hot, well, things are about to get explosive.
A geyser is basically Earth's pressure cooker. You know how a pot of water boils at 100°C and turns to steam? Underground, the water gets WAY hotter than that — sometimes 200°C or more — but it can't boil yet. Why not? Because there's a massive weight of water and rock sitting on top of it, pressing down like a giant thumb on a spray bottle.
