Geysers are hot springs that
spurt water and steam into the air. They are formed when water
is trapped underground near a volcano. The water is heated by the magma, or molten rock, which turns it into steam that shoots into the air. The temperature of the water inside a geyser can be as much as three times as hot as water boiled in a kettle.

 

The word ‘geyser’ comes from the Icelandic language, and means ‘to rush forth’. Geysers often make a spectacular display and can shoot a roaring column of steam and boiling water as high as 150 metres.

 

The most famous geyser in North America is called Old Faithful. It is in the Yellowstone National Park. Every 70 minutes or so, it faithfully shoots between 14,000 and 32,000 litres of water 30 to 50 metres into
the air.

 

Millions of years ago, the Canary Islands were formed by a series of volcanic eruptions. Lanzarote is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island is very mountainous, although the highest point
is only 670 metres above sea level.

 

There are many small craters on the island. Lava flows often occur when the magma bubbles up to the surface in places where the tectonic plates have moved apart from each other. These weak spots are called fissures. The heat that escapes from the crevices in the Montañas del Fuego (Fire Mountains) on the island is hot enough to fry an egg!

 

Many farmers grow cereals, vegetables
and other crops in the rich volcanic soil on the island. They build a series of levelled gardens called terraces on the steep sides of the volcanoes.