[Geysers] Crack Geyser

[Lynn Stephens]

Thank you to Kendall and Kory for the reports on Crack Geyser.

THIS REPORT IS INTENDED FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE READERS OF THIS LISTSERV 
AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.

I am guessing that Crack reactivated about July 7 or 8, when Scott and I 
first saw Pebble in overflow.  I had been noting whether Pebble was full or 
below overflow whenever I drove past it, but I was already mentally in 
vacation mode, so hadn't spent a day at White Dome watching water levels.  I 
got back to Old Faithful the afternoon of July 20.  The next few days were 
spent in the office while listening for Giant hot periods (yes, I was at the 
July 23 Giant eruption for the start, but I'm still in the technological 
dark ages using film in my camera.)  So I hadn't gotten around to the 
project on my "To Do List" of spending a day at White Dome watching water 
levels in Gemini and Pebble.

As Scott reported, I spent much of July 26 waiting for an eruption, which 
finally happened at 14:55.  An eruption of Gemini occurred 5 minutes before 
Crack, the eruption of Crack lasted about 7 minutes, and another eruption of 
Gemini occurred about an hour after Crack.  Several gazers were present for 
the two eruptions. I stayed until 2000 so I had 12 hours of White Dome 
eruptions, and no other eruptions occurred in the complex.

On July 27 I started observing the complex at 5:20 am.  No eruptions 
happened until Crack erupted at 13:45, with a duration of 6 1/2 minutes.  
Gemini started a series at 1640 and finished at 17:24.  I watched most of 
the first burst of Great Fountain, then returned to the complex, saw Crack 
splashing and gave a radio call "No guarantees, but Crack is splashing."  
Several gazers came running or driving down and were rewarded with an 
eruptoin of Crack at 2004 (I = 6h19m) and a concurrent eruption of Gemini at 
2005.

Today Pebble was not in overflow at any point during the day.  I watched for 
a few hours in the early morning, then took a break, so missed the Gemini 
eruption that Scott saw.  I checked Pebble's water level frequently today; 
it was always below overflow and the overflow channel was never wet.  I 
never saw any indication that Crack had erupted, and the conditions that 
existed in the other features prior to the 3 Crack eruptions that I did see 
never happened today.  Hopefully this is just a brief hiatus rather than a 
return to dormancy.

On another note--Jim Holstein reported Lemon Pool below overflow today and 
the road was damp.  I had seen it below overflow and murky, but had never 
seen any evidence of an eruption--no wash, and no water on the road.  But, 
given the high temperatures we've had, any water on the road would dry 
quickly.

Lynn Stephens

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