Geysers got their name in Iceland sometime in the 12th century. Iceland has abundant geothermally heated water, many homes not even having a hot water heater, just naturally hot water pumped in. While it's no longer very active, the original Geysir at one time displayed a spectacular eruption gushing hot water over 80 meters into the air in a fairly predictable fashion. Unfortunately today it is essentially dormant.
But immediately beside Geysir is its baby brother, the very reliable Strokkur (the churn). This geyser erupts every 5-10 minutes; it’s worth watching a few eruptions and at different angles as they can vary in intensity. You'll see the hot water bubbling away in its mouth, like a vigorous boil, then the water level starts elevating when it suddenly explodes into the air, creating the dramatic plume you see above.
I was surprised at how close people could get to the geyser's orifice. In the USA the tort lawyers have succeeded in limiting access to such sites.
(Strokkur Geysir, just starting its eruption)
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