[Geysers] Grotto discharge

[Paul Strasser]

Allan - 

 

In some years there is only a few hours between the end of a marathon - even
a long one - and the recovery hot period of Giant.  And this is not a good
thing.  There'd be a nice 18 hour marathon and then a measly 4 minute hot
period only 2 or 3 hours later.   We'd hope/pray that it would hold off, but
no.

 

This year, the long delays between marathon end and subsequent hot period is
a nice change.  I think most people recognize that the longer, the better,
and the very long marathons have provided the longest interval til the next
hot period.  If you go back through the listserv data (and perhaps on the
gosa website) the data is ther.

 

But over the past decade or so there really isn't a duration/interval
relationship.  Some years, it's short.  Some years, like this year, it's
longer.  And longer is better.

 

Paul Strasser

 

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From: geysers-bounces at wwc.edu [mailto:geysers-bounces at wwc.edu] On Behalf Of
Moose, Allan E.
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 9:44 AM
To: geyser observation reports
Subject: Re: [Geysers] Grotto discharge

 

I have some thoughts on Scott's back of the envelop calculation below. It
seems (to me)  plausible that a Grotto marathon removes water from the
interstices below Giant and its associated geysers. Because water is an
effective absorber of heat (that's why it's used in car radiators) and air
isn't, the result is that the rocks around the interstices will increase
significantly in temperature. (Think of what happens to your car when a
radiator hose breaks.) Thus, when water fills in the voids after Grotto
ends, there is more energy available for the recovery hot period and/or a
Giant eruption.

 

Now, I have a question: Is the data available to do a linear regression on
the length of Grotto marathons and the time from Grotto's shut down to the
recovery hot period?

 

 

Allan Moose

 

 

"Science is just organized curiosity"

(Donald Kroodsma)

  

 

  _____  

From: geysers-bounces at wwc.edu [mailto:geysers-bounces at wwc.edu] On Behalf Of
TSBryan at aol.com
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 4:04 PM
To: geysers at wwc.edu
Subject: [Geysers] Grotto discharge

An idle thought that likely is nothing more than that. But the other day
Ralph Taylor wondered about the discharge volume of Grotto Geyser. Looking
at Marler's Inventory, Marler cites a value of 670 gallons per minute --
that strikes me as being precise enough as to have been determined by actual
measurement.

 

OK, so... do some multiplication and you find that a 33-34 hour long Grotto
marathon -- about as long as they ever can be -- will discharge something
around 1,000,000 gallons. And of course, the commonly-cited value of
discharge during a Giant eruption is 1,000,000 gallons.

 

So, Grotto has a long marathon, discharging 1,000,000 gallons from the
entire Grotto-Giant system. That volume is regained during the hours leading
up to Giant's recovery hot period, which as we know frequently results in a
Giant eruption. So...

 

 

... now you carry the thought onward.

 

Scott Bryan

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