Mother Earth’s landscapes are not always observed with the naturalness to which we are accustomed. Other landscapes seem to come from distant worlds because of their exotic shapes and colors. Fly Ranch Geyser is one of these places where the magic of the unknown flourishes, although in a certain sense, it is not completely natural, since a human error caused the power of the natural elements to give life to its spectacular view.
Located in the north of the state of Nevada in the United States, Fly Ranch Geyser is located about 20 minutes from the town of Gerlach. It can be found inside Fly Ranch, which although it is private and belongs to the Burning Man Project, guided tours are offered through the natural complex for those who wish to learn more about this marvelous landscape.
How was Fly Ranch Geyser formed?
The origin of the strange Fly Geyser is not entirely natural, although everything that can be observed in it comes from nature, its emergence was the result of human action. It is a complex that comprises a total of 3 geysers located one very close to the other, in the middle of the Black Rock City desert. The first geyser was created by human action in 1916 when agricultural companies were looking for a source of irrigation water for crops. However, they soon realized that water at a temperature above 90ºC was not suitable for this purpose, and for this reason, it was abandoned. Over time, the site took on an exotic coloring of greenish and orange tones, along with the elevation of a cone of about 3.7 meters in height.
Later, in 1964 another company, this time geothermal, sought the site to use the pressure force of the waters of the place. They drilled a second borehole near the first geyser to harness the power of the groundwater; however, the water pressure and temperature were not high enough to harness it for electrical energy conversion. Supposedly after the failure of the second geyser, the company sealed the water outlet, although water can be one of the most impeccable forces in the long run. Over the years, the cap cracked and, with it, the second geyser resurfaced.
The third geyser is indeed the fruit of nature, with two water powers constantly emanating outwards, the pressure of the boiling water generated the creation of the last geyser, completing the natural complex that can be observed today at Fly Ranch.
Why does it have such exotic colors?
The water emanating from the three boreholes is not just any type of liquid, it carries dissolved in it many minerals found naturally in the subsoil, such as silica and calcium carbonate. It is precisely these elements that have gradually formed new cones with different heights that are agglutinated around the geysers.
The result of combination of all these factors resulted in a beautiful landscape that looks like something out of a distant world. Currently, the mound of minerals measures a total of 8 meters, although it is formed by other smaller cones. From the holes boiling water gushes out, which in turn, has led to the creation of a pond that surrounds the geyser complex.
But if this were not enough, Fly Geyser makes a sublime contrast with the flatness of the desert where it lives. From afar it can be seen as a mound of stones with greenish and orange colors, which, according to experts, are due to the thermophilic algae that agglutinate on its walls. This type of beings develops in humid and hot environments.
This is how a human error caused the emergence of one of the most impressive and different places that one can find in the middle of the desert. Fly Ranch is currently open to the public, although an appointment is required to visit the extraordinary geyser.
Story originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera