[Geysers] Geyser report August 21

[lynn stephens]

From:  Lynn Stephens 8/22/04


>I wasn't there for the Thursday eruption, but those who were say that today's 
>sequence of events was essentially a carbon copy of that. 

I don't know which of the three (possibly four) of us who were there for the start of both eruptions said that this start was essentially a carbon copy of that, but I believe there were some, at least subtle, differences between the two starts.

Angle did not return to water phase on Saturday's start.  I saw the last 10 minutes of Saturday's start, but Angle was in steam phase when I arrived and stayed in steam phase until Fan started.  Thursday evening Angle was in steam phase for most of the time I was there, but did return to water phase before Fan & Mortar started.

Main Vent required more surges Thursday evening to get the eruption started.  Barry Leedy and I both agreed that the Main Vent surges on Saturday morning's start did not appear to be as massive as they had on Thursday evening, and there were more Main Vent surges Thursday evening before Fan & Mortar finally erupted than there were on Saturday morning.

Frying Pan started before Fan & Mortar erupted Saturday morning.  None of us noticed that it had started on Thursday evening.  I was trying to watch for it, but may have missed it in the storm.

The other difference, which is quantifiable, is that the Main Vent surges initiated the eruption Thursday evening 26 minutes after the start of River Vent, whereas it took 33 minutes on Saturday morning's start.  This 7 minute difference is about 25% longer on Saturday than on Thursday.  This 7 minute difference may also account for Frying Pan's start before the eruption on Saturday morning.

Lynn Stephens
  
 
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