Geysers that have been destroyed or heavily damaged

Geysers are fragile, temporary, geologic features. Nature itself can destroy geysers. Some geysers die because their water or heat source change, move or disappear. Some breech their seal due to the force of their eruptions and "blow-up" while others are destroyed by volcanic action or natural processes like landslides. This all is part of the natural processes that governs geothermal features. Man, however, sometimes hastens the demise of geysers. Debris thrown into their vents can block the throat of a geyser and block the eruptions. Over the years thoughtless visitors have damaged the world's geysers by throwing debris or foreign substances into thermal features. Some geyser areas are not well protected and vandalism, though sometimes present, is not the main threat to the hydrothermal features. Some have been destroyed by development such as hydroelectric projects whose dams have flooded hydrothermal areas. The biggest threat to the world's geysers is from geothermal drilling and power plant development. Whole geyser basins have disappeared when Geothermal plants have started operation in Iceland, New Zealand, Nevada, and elsewhere. Many more including Yellowstone have been threatened or are currently being threatened by Geothermal development.. The list below contains the names of some of the geysers and geyser areas that have met their demise or have been significantly altered due to the action of man.

NAME	Location	When Damaged	STATUS	HOW DAMAGED	WHO DAMAGED	NOTES
Morning Glory Pool	Yellowstone: Upper Geyser Basin	over many years until 1980's	Damaged	Coins and other objects which partially plugged up spring and decreased water temp .	Hundreds of Tourists	The change in water temperature allowed algae that prefer cooler water to grow which changed the pool's color'
Handkerchief Pool	Yellowstone:	1926	Damaged	Logs forced in to one of the vents	Unknown Vandals
Abuse Spring	Upper Geyser Basin	early days of the park	Damaged	Trash and junk thrown into pool	Hotel Employees
Thud Geyser	Lower Geyser Basin	early days up to 1927	Damaged	Trash and Junk thrown into geyser	Hotel Employees/ visitors
Ebony Geyser	Norris Geyser Basin	1950's	Destroyed	Apparently, Rocks, logs, debris thrown into geyser.	Visitors/Vandals
Minute Geyser	Norris Geyser Basin		Damaged	Rock stuck in vent	Visitor/Vandalsl	Geyser activity moved to nearby opening but eruptions changed from 60 feet in height to 4 feet in height.
Beowawe Geyser	Beowawe Geyser Field, Nevada	1950's	Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
Spitfire Geyser	Beowawe, Nevada	1950's	Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
Teakettle Geyser	Beowawe, Nevada	1950's	Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
Pincushion Geyser	Beowawe, Nevada	1950's	Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
Numerous on main Terrace (about 26)	Beowawe, Nevada	1950's	Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
3 geysers on Valley Floor	Beowawe, Nevada	1980's-all gone by 1987	Destroyed	Geothermal Power Plant Operation
Numerous	Steamboat Springs, Nevada	1989	Destroyed	Geothermal power plant Operation
Gryla (Geyser)	Reykir, Iceland		Destroyed	Geothermal drilling
Littli (Geyser)	Reykir, Iceland		Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
At least 12 geysers	Reykir, Iceland		Destroyed	Geothermal Drilling
Orakeikorako Geyser	Orakei Korako, New Zealand		Destroyed	Flooded by manmade reservoir
Minguini Geyser	Orakei Korako, New Zealand		Destroyed	Flooded by man-made reservoir
Rameka	Orakei Korako, New Zealand		Destroyed	Flooded by manmade reservoir
Terata	Orakei Korako, New Zealand		Destroyed	Flooded by man -made reservoir
Porangi	Orakei Korako, New Zealand		Destroyed	Flooded by man-made reservoir
Et Mime-a- homani-te- rangi	Orakei Korako, New Zealand		Destroyed	Flooded by Man-made reservoir
Around 100 Geysers	Wairakei, New Zealand		Destroyed	Geothermal Power Plant
Numerous Geysers	The Spa Near Taupo, New Zealand		Destroyed	Geothermal Power plant

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GEYSERS / Hot Springs DAMAGED OR DESTROYED BY MAN

Photo: Minute Geyser in Norris Geyser Basin before it was damaged. Photo by Haynes from the Gregory Jones Collection.

NAME

Location

When Damaged

STATUS

HOW DAMAGED

WHO DAMAGED

Morning Glory Pool

Yellowstone: Upper Geyser Basin

over many years until 1980's

Damaged

Coins and other objects which partially plugged up spring and decreased water temp .

Hundreds of Tourists

The change in water temperature allowed algae that prefer cooler water to grow which changed the pool's color'

Handkerchief Pool

Yellowstone:

1926

Damaged

Logs forced in to one of the vents

Unknown Vandals

Abuse Spring

Upper Geyser Basin

early days of the park

Damaged

Trash and junk thrown into pool

Hotel Employees

Thud Geyser

Lower Geyser Basin

early days up to 1927

Damaged

Trash and Junk thrown into geyser

Hotel Employees/ visitors

Ebony Geyser

Norris Geyser Basin

1950's

Destroyed

Apparently, Rocks, logs, debris thrown into geyser.

Visitors/Vandals

Minute Geyser

Norris Geyser Basin

Damaged

Rock stuck in vent

Visitor/Vandalsl

Geyser activity moved to nearby opening but eruptions changed from 60 feet in height to 4 feet in height.

Beowawe Geyser

Beowawe Geyser Field, Nevada

1950's

Destroyed

Geothermal Drilling

Spitfire Geyser

Beowawe, Nevada

1950's

Destroyed

Geothermal Drilling

Teakettle Geyser

Beowawe, Nevada

1950's

Destroyed

Geothermal Drilling

Pincushion Geyser

Beowawe, Nevada

1950's

Destroyed

Geothermal Drilling

Numerous on main Terrace (about 26)

Beowawe, Nevada

1950's

Destroyed

Geothermal Drilling

3 geysers on Valley Floor

Beowawe, Nevada

1980's-all gone by 1987

Destroyed

Geothermal Power Plant Operation

Numerous

Steamboat Springs, Nevada

1989

Destroyed

Geothermal