[Geysers] Giant activity following July 3 eruption

[Tara Cross]

A message from Tara Cross <fanandmortar at hotmail.com>


This report summarizes the activity in the Giant/Grotto area following the July 3 Giant eruption, July 4-10.  I did not start spending large amounts of time at Giant until July 7, so I did not personally see all of the hot periods listed here, nor do I have a full record of events.  I'm just including what I have.


July 4

There was a short hot period in the morning that I didn't write down in my logbook.  Scott Bryan reported that when he went down basin in the morning, he saw water in Bijou, Catfish, and Mastiff.

1326 Oblong
1329ie Giant hot period, d>3m.  Mastiff 2 feet.

So yes, the recovery from the July 3 eruption was rapid and strong.

July 5

0742 Grotto Fountain
0744 Grotto
0919 Giant hot period, d=3m.  Mastiff 1.5 feet
0933 Oblong
1423ie Grotto
1423ie Oblong
1619 Giant hot period, d~2m15s.  Mastiff did not overflow.
1734 Giant hot period, d~3m.
1855 Giant hot period, d=1m25s.
1959 Oblong

July 6

Grotto in marathon all day

July 7

Grotto off at some unknown time in the morning

1046 Oblong
1537 Emerald Vent bubbled for a few minutes
1555 Giant hot period, d=9m23s.  Mastiff 5 feet, India 100%.  Post-marathon hot period.
1608 Oblong
~1845 Giant hot period, inferred by water on platform.
1946ie Grotto Fountain, d>18m.  No Grotto.
2006ie Oblong
2016 Bathtub
2303ie Oblong
2305ns Grotto

July 8

0700ie Grotto - marathon
0937ns Oblong
1120ie Giant hot period, d>1m.
1337 Oblong
1809 Oblong

July 9

0803 Giant hot period, d=9m50s.  Mastiff 6 feet, India 100%.  Restart ~2m, good surging in Giant.  Post-marathon hot period.
0849 Oblong
1127 Giant hot period, d=3m10s.  Mastiff 1 foot.
1316 Giant hot period, d~7m.  Mastiff 3 feet.
1341 Oblong
1352ns Grotto Fountain
1406 Grotto, d=13m.
1415 Giant hot period, d~2m15s.
1621 Giant hot period, d=8m16s.  Mastiff 3 feet, India 100%, Cave to 4 inches, vent between Bijou and Catfish active.  Restart ~3m15s, excellent surging in Giant.
1750ie Oblong
1816 Grotto Fountain, d=9m.
1820 Grotto
1943 Giant hot period, d=4m37s.  Mastiff boiled to only an inch or two, Feather Satellite active.

July 10

0609 Giant hot period, d~6m.  Mastiff boiled to only an inch or two, Feather Satellite active.
0738 Oblong
0741 Giant hot period, d~1m50s.  Mastiff did not boil, no Feather Satellite.
0900 Giant hot period, d=1m40s.  Southwest Vents started 34 seconds before Feather.
0916 Startling
0948 Grotto Fountain, d=9m.
0952 Grotto - marathon
1006 Bathtub
1055 Giant hot period, d=8m29s.  Mastiff 6 feet, India 100%, Cave to 3 feet.  Restart ~4m, excellent surging in Giant.
1208 Giant hot period, d~1m.
1235 Oblong

I left the Upper Basin at 1300.

----

The most important thing that I noted in observing the hot periods on July 9 and 10 was that the restarts were extremely strong--some of the strongest I have ever personally seen.  Probably the most remarkable thing about the restarts was the strength of the vertical surging in Giant, which was voluminous and usually reached about one third of the way up the cone, and at times poured water out of the cone.  This was a major departure from hot periods seen during the previous interval, which included very weak restarts, if any.

Giant is most certainly ready to erupt again.  The question is when....

--Tara Cross
fanandmortar at hotmail.com


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