- Location: Alanavori, Madagascar
The main attraction of Madagascar is nature. It so happened that life here seems to develop according to some special scenario, and many species that have died out on the mainland have found here an ideal habitat for themselves. However, it's not just about animals, and not all the landmark places here are created exclusively by mother nature. In the vicinity of the city of Alanavori there is a real miracle - a man-made geyser, which astonishes all travelers.
What is the peculiarity of this place?
Getting to the territory of geysers (and there are only four of them here), at first it is hard to believe that all this beauty is man-made. And the background of the creation is quite simple. Next to the geysers of Analavory there are argonite mines. Such is their peculiarity that a lot of water is accumulated regularly here. Therefore, local engineers came to a brilliant solution: they built a network of pipes through which water comes out to the outside.
However, in the vicinity there are no volcanoes, no seismically active zones. Why geysers? It's simple - the usual chemical reaction. Underground waters have a sufficiently high temperature and are enriched with carbon dioxide. While the liquid passes through the mines, it dissolves the limestone rocks. When water flows through metal pipes, oxidation occurs, forming carbon dioxide in the composition. So it turns out that the output carbon dioxide creates the same effect of "bubbling", thanks to which this engineering creation became similar to natural geysers. To imagine this action more realistically, remember the bottle with sparkling mineral water. The effect is the same, only larger.
Complement the picture of the hills, painted in red colors thanks to all the same chemical reactions. The highest reaches 4 m and continues to grow.
As a rule, the jet of outgoing water does not exceed 30 cm. However, there were cases when the pipeline became clogged, and at a pressure drop an improvised geyser in Analavory beat up to two meters in height.
Pipes are brought to the river Mazi. Enriched with mineral water, draining, creates small lakes in which locals splash. It is believed that this has a beneficial effect on the overall health, in particular, helps to heal from infertility.
Tourists are few here, and the road is distant. In the vicinity, besides the geysers, there is nothing more to watch. However, for the Malagasy themselves this place has a certain sacred meaning.
How to get to the Geyser of Analavory?
The man-made "Valley of Geysers" is located 12 km from the city of Analavory. You can get here by rented car on the highway 1B. The journey takes no more than half an hour.