The gases come from chemical reactions in crustal rocks when heated by magma or when minerals in rocks come into contact with hot air and steam underground.
They are of two types:
1.Mofette:
fumarole which emits carbon dioxide.
2.Solfatara:
fumarole which emits gases with sulphurous compounds.
Hot Springs and Geysers
Hot spring is a place where hot water is emitted from the ground quietly e.g. at the shores of Lakes Magadi and Bogoria.
A geyser is a jet of water and steam which are violently ejected from the ground e.g. at Olkaria and western shores of L. Bogoria.
How They Are Formed
- Percolating water is heated by hot rocks or magma.
- Some collect into chambers called sumps where it develops pressure causing it to be superheated super heated.
- The pressure forces the steam outwards towards the earths surface through holes and cracks in rocks.
- The steam comes out of the ground which reduces pressure in sumps causing the water to expand/boil and come to the surface
The steam comes out with a whistling sound accompanied by water forming a geyser.
- The escaping steam heats ground water in surrounding rock.
- The heated water may find its way to the surface where it quietly comes out of the ground forming a hot spring.
marto answered the question on
March 25, 2019 at 07:12