A Geyser in the Garden, Modeling Pressure and Temperature

摘要

Intrigued by videos of erupting geysers, we wished to find out how these wonders of nature work. The questions we asked were: how does a geyser operate? What causes its periodicity? What are its different eruptive phases? To answer these questions, we built a model of a geyser of variable height, while respecting the main characteristics of natural geysers. Using the model, we collected pressure and temperature data with sensors and a data acquisition card. In particular, we discovered how the duration of an eruptive cycle varies, why there is overpressure at the beginning of an eruption, and why some eruptions begin normally but then shift to a continuous boiling regime without replenishment. We also provide models for depressurization and for replenishment.