The hottest river in the world and the reasons for its hot water

Arabia Weather - Deep in the Amazon forests, and among its intertwined trees, you will find a river running winding between Brazil and Peru. It is distinguished by its hot water, which is forbidden to stare at directly, as its temperature may reach 100 degrees Celsius in some areas, and the water can be seen boiling naturally.

This river, which was initially the subject of a legend circulated by residents of a Peruvian city, has become a reality confirmed by scientist and explorer Andres Rozo from National Geographic.

This river is characterized by its extremely hot water, which makes it uninhabited by living organisms. Anything that falls into it will die, due to the extreme temperatures and natural boiling. This unique and exciting nature reflects the beauty and complexities of life in the heart of the Amazon, where the power of nature is evident in all its manifestations.

The hottest river in the world and the reasons for its hot water

Many years ago, local Peruvians spoke of a river that was so hot that it would burn and even be fatal. Their legends told the story of a group of Spanish conquistadors who passed through the rainforest, where this river is located, in search of gold. Legends tell that the few who returned reported poisonous water, snakes attacking humans, and a boiling river.

According to National Geographic information, Rozo, a geologist and explorer, heard about this river from his grandfather, who was telling him the story of the lost city of gold in the Amazon region near a river with intense heat. While he was doing his research for his doctorate in geophysics, he began to explore the scientific details of this river.

The focus of his thesis was to create the first detailed heat flow map of Peru, with the aim of identifying potential geothermal areas. He researched the causes of hot springs on Earth and concluded that there is some hot water inside the Amazon forests. Through some maps, he found that one of those springs was reaching boiling point.

The Boiling River is located in the central Amazon region of Peru, a lowland forest area. Getting there requires about an hour's flight from Lima to Pucallpa, the largest city in the central Peruvian Amazon.

From Pucallpa, the itinerary includes a two-hour drive on red dirt roads to the Pachetia River, an Amazon tributary over 300 meters wide. A boat is then used to reach upriver, and the journey takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the mouth of the river known as the "Beck".

As he approaches the intersection of the two rivers, the visitor feels a slight increase in the water temperature, as it gradually turns into the hot bath temperature that a person can tolerate.

The three hypotheses for the temperature of river water

Ruzo notes that after arriving at the river, one of his biggest concerns was knowing whether the water was naturally hotter or if there were other factors contributing to the high temperature. Emphasizes that creating a large geothermal system requires three basic elements:

1. A tremendous source of heat.
2. A large amount of water.
3. An intake system takes this hot water from the depths and brings it to the surface.

While one of the hypotheses indicated that the river may be the result of volcanic activity, that is, the presence of an active volcanic area that contributes to a rise in the temperature of the land under the river. These volcanoes can be a source of significant heat, promoting the water below the river to rise at a higher rate than usual.

The water temperature in a boiling river gradually increases with the depth of the river, a phenomenon known as a geothermal temperature gradient. Water must be drawn from great depths at very rapid rates to achieve this temperature rise.

According to the latest theory, this place may be the result of an accident in an oil field. The river is located very close, only 2-3 kilometers, to the oldest active oil field in the Peruvian Amazon. If there is a flow of oil and gas but no hydrocarbons or gas, this may indicate chemical dumping. Another possibility is that the flow of oil and gas is inadvertently diverted to the geothermal system. However, the Boiling River is a unique natural feature, with hot water flowing at unusual rates, allowing the river to heat up.

Scientific reasons for the rise in river temperature

It has been discovered that the water of the Amazon's Boiling River is primarily rainwater from its upper source, perhaps coming from as far away as the Andes mountain range. During its journey up the river, this water seeps into the ground and is heated by the geothermal energy of the subterranean, eventually meeting in a boiling river in the Amazon.

This unique system shows that there is a large hydrothermal system, with hot water forming part of this system and flowing at extraordinary rates. The discovery enhances our understanding of unique phenomena in nature.

What adds to the excitement is the discovery of new types of microbes that live in this river despite the harsh thermal conditions. Continuing to study this river and its source reflects the unique environmental challenges and opportunities in this region.

In addition, scientists, including Andrés Rozo, seek to protect this river and its surrounding areas, and are working with the Peruvian government to develop effective protection measures to preserve this unique natural phenomenon.

Source: arabicpost