Valley of geysers in Kamchatka. Valley of geysers in Kamchatka - photo. Volcanoes and geysers of Kamchatka

The fantastic, incredible, magical land of the Kamchatka Valley of Geysers is an amazing land, as if materialized from the most interesting and unusual works of science fiction writers. It is all the more incredible that this magnificent, striking edge was discovered not so long ago, in 1941.

Opening of the Valley

April 1941 was marked by the world's largest discovery - the Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka lifted the veil over the mystery of its existence. It was discovered by geologist Tatyana Ustinova together with the conductor, native of these places Anisifor Krupenin. This discovery was of an accidental nature and occurred when studying life issues and the water regime of the Shumnaya River with its tributary flowing from the Uzon volcano caldera in one of the most inaccessible gorges.

Prior to that, no one had found geysers on the Asian continent, nor even scientific assumptions were made that in these regions, despite the abundance of volcanoes, there may exist such special and extremely rare thermodynamic conditions that are required for their origin and functioning. There are no such unique places on the continent.

Pearl of Kamchatka

The Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka is located in the canyon of the Geysernaya River, occupying about 6 square kilometers. Km of area, on which there are numerous outlets of hot springs, geysers, mud boilers. Unique thermal areas, lakes and waterfalls - it seems that all the natural curiosities are collected on this small-sized territory. The incredibly high contrast of the microclimate and natural conditions gave birth to such a huge biological diversity of living organisms and their species in the ecosystem that it is hard to believe.

Sources of thermal waters amounting to several hundred are located in the river bed and at the bottom of the Lake of Geysers. In the Valley, there are more than 20 large geysers, from which periodically spouting almost boiling water and rushing to the sky hot streams couple. In 1996, the Valley was added to the list of natural sites under the protection of UNESCO.

The Seventh Wonder of the World

The entire ecological system of the valley is a unique symbiosis of the rarest thermodynamic conditions with underground volcanic activity, which strikes the imagination and is by no chance the seventh miracle of Russia. This loud status The Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka received in 2008.

The uniqueness of its ecosystem is very vulnerable, therefore it is necessary and constantly carried out ecological monitoring, and the excursion load on the territory of the reserve is strictly limited. Since 1992, tourist companies have established a clear organization of helicopter excursions under the agreement, observing a whole set of strict rules and requirements for maintaining the balance of the system. Essential restrictions will extend to independent access to the canyon. The valley of the geysers in Kamchatka, photo of which has long circled the whole world, is a unique object for ecological tourism.

Geysers

In the same 1941, a description was made of all open geyser sources. Tatiana Ustinova recalls that at the same time they were given names based on the design features, the power output of steam and water, the color of geyserite or any other signs of each. For example, the geyser "Giant" in Kamchatka is a name that speaks for itself. This is the largest hot spring. The "first-born" is a geyser, first seen by the researchers. "Slit" lets out jets of steam and water from a slit, and "Triple" - from three apertures at once. Geysers in Kamchatka have both romantic and practical names: Malachite Grotto, Pearl, Pink, Hell's Gate, Insidious, Frying Pan, Double, Small, Large, etc. The "Avery" geyser has immortalized the name of the famous hydrogeologist Valery Averyev.

The eruption of the Geyser Giant is a magnificent sight. It starts with a powerful splash, the discharge of a column of water up to 30 m, and the bursting clubs of steam - up to several hundred meters. The fountain hits for two minutes, then the geyser "releases steam". And again begins preparations for the next eruption - the gradual filling of the griffin with water. The whole cycle of the source takes almost 5 hours. Each geyser lives in its definite mode and operates with the accuracy of Swiss watches. The temperature of the emitted water and steam reaches the maximum boiling point.

Cataclysms of the Valley

Unfortunately, the wonders of nature are not eternal. They themselves suffer from the elements, which can not be curbed. Thus, the typhoon of Elsa, which flew in 1981, caused showers that significantly increased the water level in the river. And the result of the flood was the partial destruction of many sources and the complete - geyser Big Stove.

June 2007 became catastrophic for the geyser valley. A giant landslide, which formed a mudflow volume of 20 million cubic meters ^of rock, blocked the bed of the Geysernaya River. Sel not only dammed the channel, but also rushed down it, stopping the destructive movement only at the Triumphal Gates. At the same time, the continuing collapse of the landslide in the upper reaches of the Geyserny Stream formed avalanches that descended and completed the formation of the dam. Only a miracle saved from the destruction of the helicopter pad and the visit-center of the reserve. Mudflow covered more than half the area of this amazing natural object. In the formed dam, 13 most interesting sources disappeared.

Like a phoenix bird

Despite the fact that the Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka undoubtedly suffered from a landslide and its consequences, after the breakthrough of the dam, the water level decreased by 9 meters, and most of the geysers recovered. The new mudflow that occurred in 2013 finally stabilized the valley ecosystem, resumed the operation of previously existing hot springs and promoted the formation of new ones.

The Valley of Geysers, as a living being, is constantly changing. It can not be perceived separately from the peculiar unusual ecological system that has developed around it. Unique places, interesting discoveries, the name of geysers in Kamchatka - the unpredictable land is full of mysteries and magic, to which it is impossible to get used.