- Waimangu Geyser
The Waimangu Geyser, located near
Rotorua inNew Zealand , was the most powerfulgeyser in the world when it was active between 1900 and 1904. The geyser became extinct after alandslide changed thewater table in November 1904. It is believed to have reached up to 1000 ft in height during an eruption.The water expelled by the geyser was black with rocks and mud from the surrounding terrain, so the
Māori people, indigenous to New Zealand appropriately named the geyser Waimangu, meaning 'Black Waters'. The geyser gave its name to the surrounding geothermal region, theWaimangu Volcanic Rift Valley .On August 31 1903, four tourists (sisters Ruby and Catherine Nicholls, David McNaughton, and Joseph Warbrick) were killed after ignoring repeated instructions from the guide to return to a safe distance, after venturing dangerously close to the edge of the geyser. All four were swept away in a sudden violent eruption. [cite web | last = United Press Association | date =
August 31 1903 | url = http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sooty/waimangu1903.html | title = WAIMANGU GEYSER - 1903 | work = New Zealand Disasters and Tragedies | accessdate = January 21 | accessyear = 2007]References
To see a picture of the Geyser click here: http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/a/1/0/doc/a10741.shtmlAlso http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/HotSpringsAndGeothermalEnergy/HotSpringsMudPoolsAndGeysers/3/ENZ-Resources/Standard/5/en
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