Mud pools like this ones in New Zealand are more or less hot springs with high amounts of clay and other minerals in the water.

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Orakei Korako or the Hidden Valley is a highly active geothermal area with fantastic fault-stepped sinter terraces. It is located in a valley north of Taupo on the banks of the Waikato River in the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. Cream-white sinter is formed from silica, orange colored sinter from antimony compounds. High above these sinter terraces there are also some mud pools. Orakei Korako oder das Verborgene Tal ist eine sehr aktive geothermale Zone mit den wohl schönsten Sinterterrassen Neuseelands. Das Gebiet liegt in einem Tal nördlich des Taupo-Sees am Ufer eines Stausees am Waikato-Fluss. Creme-weiße Sinterterrassen entstehen beim Ausfallen von Siliziumverbindungen, Antimon-Verbindungen sind dagegen knallig orange. Am oberen Ende dieses Vulkanfeldes blubbern noch ein paar Schlammvulkane.

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Size: 4800px × 3200px
Location: Orakei Korako, Rotorua District, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Photo credit: © Roland Knauer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: activity, geothermal, heiß, hidden, hot, korako, mud, mudpot, neuseeland, orakei, pool, quelle, schlammtopf, schlammvulkan, spring, taupo, valley, volcanic, volcanism, volcano, vulkanismus, zealand, zone