Wai-o-Tapu or the thermal wonderland

Wai-o-Tapu or the thermal wonderland

For those of you who might wonder how New Zealand appeared on the world map, it seems that it literally raised from the sea millions of years ago when it was part of the landmass of the southern hemisphere known as Godwana. NZ ground is full of energies that lead to spectacular geothermal activity, with active volcanoes, stem waters and different chemical reactions that paint the earth and the lakes in incredible colors.

The Taupo region is one of the most active volcanic areas in the world. We’ve seen there a small, quite newly formed geyser that erupts every 24 hours for few minutes. In addition, we walked through an immense reserve, full of multi-colored steaming lakes and smelling sulphur. The largest, “Champagne pool”, occupies a 700 years old explosion crater formed by a hydrothermal eruption. On its right, “Artist’s Palette”, with hot springs in 5 different colors: blue, green, orange, yellow and grey. Chemistry can sometimes be a real wonder!

Zeb

Zeb

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