[Geysers] Webcam reporting protocol

[Paul Strasser]

Karl Hoppe asked:

<<<< 
So what will be the new protocol for reporting
winter/out of season eruptions on Geyser Hill?

Something like:
Beehive 1127wc ???
>>>>>

If it matters, the first long-distance geyser report was in early May 1997
when the Jason project had a webcam on the lodge for a couple of weeks.  I
saw Castle i.e. and called the VC.  After some skepticism (ahem) on their
part they did indeed confirm that Castle was erupting.  At the time the
agreed shorthand was WR for Web Report, and it was dutifully noted in the
logbook with that notation.  WR has over nine years precedence over "wc."
And since it was mentioned on the listserv, all appropriate historical
requirements are thus met - age, number of people exposed to it, and
documented.  It shall be WR.  

So there.

The very first time I viewed the webcam, Old Faithful was in full eruption.
Very nice.  A few comments:

The image is tilted very slightly to the right, as if the caldera itself is
sinking.  The vertical column of Old Faithful had a distinct list to
starboard.  

The foreshortening is huge.  To the uninitiated I'd guess that Old Faithful
looks about 50 feet from the boardwalk.  (Ask people at work about their
guesstimate for the distance between the two.  Not one in 100 will say, "Oh,
about 110 yards."  And admit it - you look at the image at work...)

I suggest that the webmaster include a note regarding the distance.

I too would prefer the angle moved a little to the left and up a bit.  Still
keep some of the people in the picture, but the way it is now the steam
column of an eruption is not visible - those awesome images of roiling thick
steam in January won't be seen.  And if you nudge the camera left you will
definitely get more steam columns from down basin.  (Several naturalists I
talked to agreed about the changes suggested.)

Way, way cool. 

Geyser matters - 

Giant had a nice recovery hot period on Tuesday Aug 22 at 1006.  The Grotto
Marathon was estimated at 18-20 hours, and the delay was in the 8-10 hour
range.  The hot period began with a very slow rise in Mastiff (after 90
minutes of watching Mastiff rise and fall at depth) and over 3 hours of
watching Emerald vent on the platform merrily bubble and splash - indicating
very high water levels on the platform.  Within seconds of Feather its
Satellite was on and Mastiff was boiling.  The first 3.5 minutes of this hot
period were as good as just about any hot period I've ever seen, with
Mastiff in basically constant surge from 2-4 feet and wide, with periods of
5-6 feet and a notable surge to over 7.  But at the 4 minute mark Mastiff
basically gave up.  It boiled to a foot or so but sank rather quickly.
Total duration was 5 min 55 sec.  Nothing from Cave and little from the SW
vents, as has been the norm for the recovery hot periods we've seen in
July/Aug.

Paul Strasser