This alien looking geyser on the edge of Black Rock Desert is actually man made. Man made by accident, that is.

There are actually two geysers on the property. The first was created nearly 100 years ago as part of an effort to make a part of the desert usable for farming. A well was drilled and geothermal boiling water (200 degrees) was hit. Obviously not suitable for irrigation water, this geyser was left alone and a 10 to 12 foot calcium carbonate cone formed.

In 1964 a geothermic energy company drilled a test well at the same site. The water they struck was that same 200 degrees - hot, but not hot enough for their purposes. The well was supposedly re-sealed, but apparently it did not hold. The new geyser, a few hundred feet north of the original, robbed the first of its water pressure and the cone now lays dry.

This second geyser, known as Fly Geyser, has grown substantially in the last 40 years as minerals from the geothermal water pocket deposit on the desert surface. Because there are multiple geyser spouts, this geyser has not created a cone as large as the first, but an ever growing alien looking mound. The geyser is covered with thermophilic algae, which flourishes in moist, hot environments, resulting in the multiple hues of green and red that add to its out-of-this-world appearance.

The geyser is on Fly Ranch, is private property and trespassing is illegal, but it can be seen from the road. The Burning Man organization, whose desert festival is held annually on the Black Rock Desert, is currently in the process of attempting to buy the property with the promise that if they do purchase it, access will be granted and efforts will be made to study and preserve the geyser.