World Geyser Counts

World Geyser Counts

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last update 21 February 2001

The following counts of geysers are based primarily on the T. Scott Bryan's The Geysers of Yellowstone, third edition. (Any errors are my own.) They use his definition of geyser which excludes perpetual spouters. Geysers are classified as either "active", "dormant", or "extinct". Classification as dormant is somewhat arbitrary and includes those inactive for two years or more and those which may currently behave as spouters instead of geysers. Geysers which do not display uninduced activity are included under "extinct". Be aware that geyser populations are more uncertain than these figures may imply.

It may be noted that nearly all geyser extinctions have resulted from geothermal energy extraction. Several listed geyser locations are currently under threat from planned geothermal projects.

Table 1: Geyser counts by location

locationactivedormantextincttotal
Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, USA)513164 7684
Beowawe (Nevada, USA) 0 0 3030
Steamboat Hot Springs (Nevada, USA) 0 0 2626
Great Boiling Springs (Nevada, USA) 3 0 03
Brady's Hot Springs (Nevada, USA) 0 0 11
Salton Sea (California, USA) 0 0 22
Morgan Springs (California, USA) 3 3 06
Long Valley (California, USA) 3 2 27
Mickey Hot Springs (Oregon, USA) 1 0 01
Umnak Island (Alaska, USA) 8 4 012
Kanaga Island (Alaska, USA) 2 0 02
Comanjilla, Guanajuato (Mexico) 7 0 07
Ixtlan de los Hervores, Michoacan (Mexico) 2 0 1214
Quetzaltenango District (Guatemala) 0 0 22
Carumas, Moquegua (Peru) 8 0 08
Calientes, Candarave, Tacna (Peru) 1 0 01
Puentebello, Puno (Peru) 1 5 06
Suriri, Tarapaca (Chile) 0 1 01
Puchuldiza and Tuja, Tarapaca (Chile) 8 0 08
El Tatio, Antofagasta (Chile) 38 29 067
El Tatio, Laguna Colorada (Boliva) 2 0 02
Iceland 25 6 3162
Volcan Furnas, Azores Islands (Portugal) 0 2 02
Ayvacik (Turkey) 1 0 01
Allallobeda, Danakil (Ethiopia) 1 1 02
Abaya and Langano, Lakes District (Ethiopia) 1 1 35
Logkippi (Kenya) 1 0 01
Lake Bogoria (Kenya) 3 0 03
Yerike Volcano (Chad) 0 2 02
Dolina Geizerov, Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia)200 0 0200
Pauzhetsk, Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) 2 0 02
Shiashkotan Island, Kuril Islands (Russia) 3 0 03
Onikobe, Miyagi Prefecture, Honshu (Japan) 2 5 29
Beppu, Kyushu (Japan) 2 0 02
Lahu Chu River (PRChina) 0 14 014
Chaluo, Sichuan (PRChina) 4 0 04
Balazhang, Yunnan (PRChina) 1 0 01
Chapu, Xizang (PRChina) 2 0 02
Tagajia, Xizang (PRChina) 1 3 04
Guhu, Xizang (PRChina) 2 0 02
Chiang Mai (Thailand) 5 3 08
Pai, Tavoy District (Myanmar) 1 0 01
Lampung-Semangko, Sumatra (Indonesia) 3 0 912
Tapanuli, Sumatra (Indonesia) 3 2 05
Kerinci, Sumatra (Indonesia) 1 0 01
Pasaman, Sumatra (Indonesia) 1 0 01
Cisolok, Java (Indonesia) 2 0 02
Gunung Papandayan, Java (Indonesia) 2 0 02
Minahasa District, Celebes (Indonesia) 3 2 05
Bacan Island, Maluku Group (Indonesia) 1 1 02
Garua Harbour, New Britain Island (Papua New Guinea) 2 0 24
Kasiloli, New Britain Island (Papua New Guinea) 14 0 014
Narage Island (Papua New Guinea) 1 0 01
Lihir and Ambitle Islands (Papua New Guinea) 9 0 09
Deidei and Iamelele Islands (Papua New Guinea) 12 2 014
Nakama Springs, Savusavu, Vanua Levu (Fiji) 5 0 05
North Island (New Zealand) 51 0249300
Total excluding Yellowstone National Park454 88371 913
Total including Yellowstone National Park9672523781597
Cumulative percentage in Yellowstone 53.1 55.5 42.8

Table 2: Geyser counts by country

countryactivedormantextincttotal
Boliva 2 0 02
Chad 0 2 02
Chile 46 30 076
Ethiopia 2 2 37
Fiji 5 0 05
Guatemala 0 0 22
Iceland 25 6 3162
Indonesia 17 5 931
Japan 4 5 211
Kenya 4 0 04
Mexico 9 0 1221
Myanmar 1 0 01
New Zealand 51 0249300
Papua New Guinea 38 2 242
People's Republic of China 10 17 027
Peru 10 5 015
Portugal 0 2 02
Russia205 0 0205
Thailand 5 3 08
Turkey 1 0 01
United States533173 68774

Table 3: Top geyser locations (by total active or dormant geysers)

total
Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, United States)677
Dolina Geizerov, Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia)200
El Tatio, Antofagasta (Chile)67
North Island (New Zealand)51
Iceland31
Kasiloli, New Britain Island (Papua New Guinea)14
Deidei and Iamelele Islands (Papua New Guinea)14
Lahu Chu River (People‘s Republic of China)14
Umnak Island (Alaska, United States)12
Lihir and Ambitle Islands (Papua New Guinea)9

Sources:

Bryan, T. Scott, The Geysers of Yellowstone, third ed., 1995, University Press of Colorado (Niwot, CO).

GOSA, GOSA, [24 June 2000], online [http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/1407].

Paperiello, Rocco, "Black Sand Basin History," 1998, GOSA, online [http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/1407].


© 2001 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 21 February 2001.
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