Geothermal Hotspot

Today was brilliant! We started the day from the town of Rotorua, which is known for its geothermal activity. The word geothermal comes from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth, and thermos, meaning heat. New Zealand is situated within the "ring of fire", a region of intense geologic activity including many earthquakes and volcanoes (you may have seen a report on the news about the large earthquake last week in the South Island of NZ). There are several active volcanoes around Rotorua and the activity beneath the surface of the earth has resulted in a variety of surface hot spots. Walking through town, you will see steam rising from the ground through vents. There are also various hot springs throughout the area. The geothermal activity is unpredictable and it is not uncommon for someone to wake up in the morning to find a plume of steam coming out of their front yard. We also saw the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa, and enjoyed a soak in the natural hot springs in the town center. The Maori who originally settled in the area used the hot springs for cooking, heating, and bathing. When the European settlers came, they quickly discovered the delights of bathing in the hot springs. They also believed that the mineral waters provided health benefits. The town built up as a tourist destination around the hot springs and today, tourism is the main industry of Rotorua. The heart of the geothermal activity near Rotorua is Waimangu Vocanic Valley. Here we saw beautiful geothermal waters, including inferno crater. Today, people harness the geothermal energy of the are with an extensive geothermal power plant that provides 4% of the power for New Zealand. Tapping into geothermal energy is great because it is a clean, renewable form of energy.
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