Valley of Geysers

Geiserow Dolina (Russian Долина гейзеров, the Valley of Geysers ) is the only geyser field in Asia and the second largest concentration of geysers in the world. It is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. The 6 km long valley has about 90 geysers and many hot springs, especially on the left bank of the river Geiser Well, in the hot water from the relatively young stratovolcano Kichpinytsch (Russian Кихпиныч ) flows. The valley is part of the National Kronozki Biosphere Reserve Kamchatka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site "Volcanoes of Kamchatka ". The valley is accessible only by helicopter.

History of Research

The geysers were discovered in 1941 by the scientist Tatyana Ustinowa. They published their discovery 14 years later, however, the area remained relatively unexplored until 1972. A systematic review was started in the middle of the seventies, in 1990 an automatic monitoring system has been installed. The Great Geysir Welikan (Russian Великан, giant), which reaches a height up to 40 meters, is one of over 30 geysers, which a name was given. In the eighties, we applied the area as a tourist destination within Russia. Foreign tourists were allowed in the valley since 1991. About 3,000 tourists visited the valley annually.

Damaged by a mudslide

On 3 June 2007, a large mudslide buried two-thirds of the valley. The World Heritage Centre expressed his sadness over the event. " It is a tragedy for humanity, that we have lost one of the greatest natural wonders of the world ," said the spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund. On June 5, it was observed that a thermal lake formed in the valley.

The extent of the devastation is still unclear but it is possible that it is far less than initially claimed. The particularly large geyser Welikan, one of the largest in the field, is still active.