Siva Brada ("Grey Beard") Geyser and Travertine Mould (East Slovakia)
N 49° 00.434 E 020° 43.394
34U E 479759 N 5428296
Not so far of the famous Spiš Castle you can find a small hill with a chapel on the top. The place is called Sivá Brada and you can see here manifestation of several karst phenomenons...
Waymark Code: WM6MJ5
Location: Prešovský kraj, Slovakia
Date Posted: 06/21/2009
Views: 58
The Sivá Brada geyser is in the original borehole on the top of travertine mould. Its casing was removed in the 1990’s and the area around the borehole today gives the impression of a natural spring. The principle of Sivá Brada geyser’s function is not the same as in the case of typical geysers of Iceland, New Zealand or Yellowstone. The reason for sudden release of accumulated volume is not hot water vapour but rather the carbon dioxide massively present in the deep, circulating groundwater of the Carpathians.
Sivá brada travertine mould is located in altitude 506 m, its height is 25 m and it is 500 wide. Sivá brada is rare geological phenomenon in Slovakia, because mould is still active and it is relative young - ca 10 000 years. The spring-geyser in small lake on the top of the mould produces water which is saturated by minerals. The minerals(travertine) precipitate and this phenomenon is responsible for recent growth of the travertine mould.