About El Tatio Geyser Field :
El Tatio Geyser Field (locally known as Los Géiseres del Tatio) is located within the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,200 meters above mean sea level, 150 kilometers east, southeast of Calama, Chile. The name Tatio would hold its origin from Aymara tata, grandfather. Tata-iu, the original name would mean the grandfather who cries. With over 80 active geysers, El Tatio is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the third largest field in the world, following Yellowstone, USA, and Dolina Giezerov, Russia. From March 19-21, 2002, the authors visited the geothermal field to inventory the geysers and their behavior. Of over 110 erupting springs documented, more than 80 were identified as true geysers and an additional 30 were perpetual spouters. Despite reports that geyser activity occurred only in the morning, no abatement in activity was observed at any time within any part of the field. Although the observed activity was vigorous, eruptions commonly reached less than one meter. Of the erupting springs cataloged, the mean spouting height was 69 centimeters. Of the true geysers cataloged, the eruptions averaged 76 centimeters. El Tatio Geyser Field contains approximately 8 percent of the world’s geysers.
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