[Geysers] Miscellany

[Jeff Cross]

Some miscellany from the last week, per data loggers:

Glade Geyser's (Heart Lake) intervals have ranged from 25 to 31 hours over
4 intervals from 31 August to 05 September.  Each eruption possibly
consists of several individual eruptions like the ones people noted last
summer.

Frill Spring at Shoshone has reactivated, and is having series lasting 5-8
hours every 5.7 days on average (7 intervals).

The Hydra, also at Shoshone, is erupting in series of 1-4 eruptions at
completely irregular intervals of 1-5 days.  The average of 19 intervals
between series starts is 2.1 days.

Information obtained via trips:

At Heart Lake, Rustic and "Composite" appear to be exchanging function.
Upon arrival on 31 August 2004, though there was water in the splash basins
around the crater, Rustic's water level was very low, below the billowy
part of the sinter formation.  Composite was splashing from low water and
its runoff channels were wet.  Rustic erupted at 13:40, 14:19, 14:55,
15:24, and 15:57 (this last eruption inferred via steam cloud).  During
Rustic's activity, Composite became less active, and with each eruption
cycle the water rose higher in Rustic.  There was a clear drop in
Composite's water level following Rustic's eruptions, far more obvious than
anything I have seen before.

It should be noted that Prometheus Spring is currently a very dormant hole
on the slope between Rustic and Paperiello #12 (the prominent 3-foot high
perpetual spouter to the south of Rustic).

In the Lower Group, "Ivory Geyser" was active as usual, and Paperiello #19
was probably active but failed to erupt during 56 minutes of close
observation.  Activity in the Fissure Group was typical, with the addition
that the craters at the south end of the fissure are full and overflowing.
Also there is a small geyser erupting to 1 foot from a hole in the middle
of the group of small cones right next to the fissure.

In the Upper Group, Deluge Geyser is overflowing less frequently than at
any time I have noted 1993-2003 (every 10 minutes now, instead of 6), and
its overflows are lethargic and are failing to wet the front of the
formation because the water never rises to the top of the crater rim.  The
two vents on the platform in front of it are both active as frequent,
small, inches-high geysers.

At Shoshone, on 29 August, we noted Trailside, Double, Soap Kettle, Minute
Man, Iron Conch, Knobby, "Hydra" (see above), Bead, UNNG south of Snail and
Fissure, Small, Brown Sponge, Glen Spring, and "Not Pectin" as active.
Lion Geyser is flooded, full of algae and undoubtedly dormant, and Meander
is probably dormant and likely has been dormant the whole summer.
"Outbreak Geyser" is acting as a drain for runoff from Coral and Three
Crater Springs.  "Slosh Geyser" is quite possibly active, as there is fresh
wash about the crater.  Frill Spring has reactivated, as noted above,
although the only obvious sign is moderately torn algae in the splash basin
and a slight incision of the banks of the runoff channel.  The entire
southeast 2/3rds of the Orion Group remains pathetically dormant, with
water levels in Sea Green Pool at -4 feet with boiling.  There is no
obvious wash around Taurus Spring.

Noteworthy is the obtention of intervals for Glen Spring of around 70
minutes.  Only the back vent erupted, height of 2 feet, while the front
vent sent small waves over the pool.  Also an interval for Brown Sponge of
around 4 2/3 hours was obtained, and one duration of 40 minutes.  The
height is only a rolling boil.  And one final note, something in the
vicinity of the "1994 Blowout" in the South Group above Flake Spring was
erupting to a few feet at intervals all afternoon, the most striking
feature of the small 1-2 foot eruption being a loud intermittent steam
phase that was clearly audible a few hundred feet away.

Jeff Cross
jacross at lamar.colostate.edu
07 September 2004