Even if a geyser didn’t shoot great streams of water into the air, it would be one of the most interesting marvels of nature. A geyser is really a hot spring, and a hot spring itself is quite amazing. Here is a hole in the ground filled with hot water. Where does the water come from? Why is it hot? And what makes it shoot up into the air if it’s a geyser?

In all geysers, a hole called a tube leads from the surface to underground reservoirs which serve as storage basins for the water. Most of the water comes from rain and snow.