From many centuries Peruvian
inhabitants are talking about mysterious boiling river in the Amazon that burns
so hot. Even some one can kill in this boiling water. The river flowing deep in
the Amazon rainforest, in Mayantuyacu, Peru call it “Shanay-timpishka”
translates to “boiled with the heat of the sun.” The locals folks have strong
belief that boiling water is releasing by a giant serpent (Yacumama) “Mother of
waters” a large serpent head shaped boulder at the river’s headwaters. The
boiling river is 6 meter deep and 25 meters wide but only 6.4km long. The water
temperature varies from 50 to 90 degree centigrade, and a little portion is
touching 100 degree, which is hot enough to cause third degree burns within a
seconds.
Therefore, ill-fated animals have fallen into the river and got
killed. Every year, a lot of tourists visit Mayantuyacu to experience the
traditional medicinal practices of the Ashaninka people. Many believe, this
natural wonder has managed to elude widespread notice for more than 75 years.
However, Geologists dismissed the point, and argued that it’d have been take a
massive amount of geothermal heat to boil even a small section of river, as the
Amazon basin lies only 400 miles from the nearest active volcano. According to
Spanish conquistadors were mistakenly ventured into the rainforest in search of
gold. They say, man eating snakes and a river that boiled from below.
Andres Ruzo, a geological
scientist is so curious since his childhood. The Peruvian legend has the myth
and had fascinated, whether the river could actually be real or not? His
unanimous opinion gives the answer “NO”, the boiling river actually associated
with hot volcanoes of country. Therefore, in 2011 Ruzo has decided to start his
journey to see the boiling river, and he took the chance and hiked into the
Amazon rainforest with his aunt, and finally saw the notorious river with his
own eyes. Hence, much to his disbelief, the river was steam hot. He took the
thermometer to measure the temperature, which was 86 degrees Celsius. The water
was not quite boiling but really close enough to boiling. Furthermore, the
river was 700km from the closest volcanic system, and temperature didn’t make
any sense.
In fact the river was only such type anywhere in the world. Ruzo,
spent 5 years in investigation the river, their surrounding ecosystem, its
water in the lab, in order to figure out what’s actually make him boil?
Therefore, his dedication, passion and curiosity finally revealing some of its
secrets, when it turns out, it are not the Sun that boils the water, but fault
fed hot springs. He say, imagine earth like a human body, with fault lines and
cracks running through it like arteries. These 'Earth arteries' are filled with
hot water, and when they come to the surface, we see geothermal manifestations
- like the boiling river.
Moreover, chemical analysis has disclosed
that the water in the river originally fell as rain. Therefore, Ruzo now assumes
that this happens far upstream - maybe as far away as in the Andes - and along
its journey seeps down into the ground, where it's heated up by Earth's
geothermal energy. It eventually emerges in the Amazon, at the boiling river. The
system is part of a massive hydrothermal system, the likes of which haven't
been seen anywhere else on the planet. He has also discovered some new species
that are able to survive in the boiling water.
The animals can no longer swim,
and water fills their mouths and lungs, causing them to be cooked from the
inside out. However, people do actually swim in the river, but only after heavy
rainfalls when it's diluted with cold water. More often, the water is used to
make tea and for cooking. So, he strongly believes the river is a natural
wonder, and he released a book name “The Boiling River on his Adventure”.