Fly Geyser was accidentally created in 1964 by well drilling for geothermal energy. In the ensuing half century, the continuously-spouting geyser has accumulated quite a mound of travertine terraces from dissolved minerals.
If you're thinking that's going to take a lot of CLR to clean up, think again. This year, the geyser reopened to the public for the first time in 20 years, and researchers have found it contains unusual levels of silica, not limestone:
Since purchasing the ranch in 2016, Burning Man has been researching the land so they can guide visitors in an environmentally sound way. There's also an added level of danger as some of the pools of water top 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carolina Muñoz Saez -- formerly at UC Berkeley --- was one of the researchers who studied the geyser. I spoke to her via Skype from her native Chile. "I took some water samples to analyze the origin of the water," Muñoz Saez said.
Muñoz Saez said the inside of Fly Geyser is lined with quartz. And quite a bit of it. Quartz takes a very long time to develop, so it’s more common in much older geysers, like in the 10,000 year old range.
• 4K Drone Footage FLY GEYSER (YouTube / Backwoods Beast TV)
Anthony Gulino writes, "Los Anarchists Junior Derby is a nonprofit that takes a DIY approach to teaching roller derby to kids. It runs programs for all levels from the youngest, newest skaters to the highest level of competitive junior derby at its dedicated facility, Anarchy Hall, in Sun Valley, CA. Los Anarchists' travel team is […]
Every year around this time, our friends at Sparrow Lockpicks (previously) come out with a incredibly clever, giftable addition to your locksport arsenal; I always buy a few of these for Christmas gifts (often for younger people on my list) and they're universally well received.
20 years ago, Illinois was rocked by a scandal after the widespread practice of locking schoolchildren, especially those with disabilities or special needs, in small, confining boxes was revealed. The teachers who imprisoned these children argued that they did so out of the interests of safety -- that of the imprisoned students, of the other […]
Got a real music junkie on your list this year? It’s a good bet that they already have a solid pair of earbuds, but probably nothing quite like these Seeds Earphones. Here’s the thing: Wireless earbuds are all the rage right now, and there are a lot of good reasons for that. But for true […]
When it comes to the qualities of a good project manager, you hear a lot of talk about “soft skills” like leadership ability and confidence. And where does confidence come from? It comes from people who are dead certain they know the right steps to take. In other words, you’ve got to master the hard […]
You might know someone who can make a pipe out of any conceivable household object. But if they’re doing it every time they smoke, it might be time to get them a little Christmas present. And we’ve got just the thing: The Twisty™️ Glass Original Combo Pack, priced way, way down for December. If you’ve […]
