Geyser eruption intervals and interactions: Examples from El Tatio, Atacama, Chile

Journal Article · Sun Oct 11 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JB012364· OSTI ID:1480695

Munoz-Saez, Carolina ^[1]; Namiki, Atsuko ^[2]; Manga, Michael ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science
2. Hiroshima Univ. (Japan)

Here, we compare and contrast data collected in 2012 and 2014 from the El Tatio geyser field, Chile. We identify geyser systems that evolve over time, including changes in the interval between eruptions, development of new thermal features, and interactions between geysers. We study three different cases: (a) an isolated geyser, which is periodic and has nearly identical eruptions every cycle; (b) a geyser and coupled noneruptive pool, where the geyser has nonregular cycles and several preplay eruptions before the main eruption; and (c) two geysers and a mud volcano, which have nonregular cycles and are all interacting. Though geysers erupt with different styles, we recognize some common features: the conduit recharges with liquid during the quiescent period, bubbles enter the conduit before eruptions, and eruptions occur when water boils in the upper part of the conduit. The episodic addition of heat may govern the periodicity, while the depth where heat is added dictates the eruption style: conduits with deeper heat input are more likely to show preplay or minor eruptions. The interactions between thermal features can be explained by pressure transmission in subsurface permeable layers between geyser conduits.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231; EAR1114184
• OSTI ID: 1480695
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Vol. 120, Issue 11; ISSN 2169-9313
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
geyser
conduit
eruption
bubble trap
hydrothermal system
geothermal