A farmer digging a well in Nevada to help irrigate his land ended up creating one of the most iconic landmarks in the Nevada desert.
Located on the farmer’s private land in the Black Rock Desert, the site was first drilled in the early 1900s for water for irrigation use.
However, the water that rose to the surface was over 93 degrees Celsius and would be too hot for irrigation use in the desert.
The geyser was then left alone and a calcium carbonate cone formed on the site now known as Fly Geyser.
A second drilling in 1964 by a geothermal energy company hit the water again.This time they found that the water wasn’t hot enough for their purposes for harnessing energy from the site.
The well wasn’t covered properly and the high water pressure brought minerals and gas to the surface which reacted with oxygen and the sun.
A second cone has now formed and although it is not as big as the first cone, there are multiple geyser vents spouting water giving Fly Geyser its odd shape.
Over time the continuing eruptions of minerals and gases have developed the size of Fly Geyser.
The colours on the geyser are formed from thermophilic algae, a tiny life form, that thrive in extreme temperatures.
The reaction of the minerals and gases with the sun resulted in the formation of the iconic landmark.
This piece of nature has its own water ponds below the geyser and an ecosystem of fish and birds has formed there.
The landmark is on private land and is not open to tourists however, visitors who make arrangements with the farmer ahead of time are often able to view the landmark.
This video of Fly Geyser was created by Justin Majeczky.
