[Geysers] Giant and Norris September 9

[TSBryan at aol.com]

I see that the news about yesterday's Giant has not yet been posted. I  
wasn't there -- I was at this computer working on my book manuscript. However, I  
am told:
 
It was marathon recovery, with Giant at 1532, following about 2 minutes of  
Mastiff. This makes the interval 9d 05h 15m. A new chart is attached.
 
Today I made a long-overdue visit to Norris, overdue especially since there  
WAS a disturbance of some sort last Wednesday-Thursday, 9/5-6. I noted  
previously that Ledge had erupted. Now I understand that there certainly was a  
water phase before the steam phase set in so loudly that it awoke campers at the  
Norris Campground. Today, Ledge was one of the deadest things at Norris -- not 
 that there was a whole lot of activity. I'll be brief.
 
BACK BASIN
 
Minors by Steamboat were not impressive. I saw nothing higher than about  
halfway up the background trees, and nothing I'd call concerted.

 
Echinus was bubbling and overflowing, as it has been since the last known  
eruption on June 6, 2007.
 
Probably the most impressive thing about Back Basin was North Gray Lake,  
which was erupting with violent surges to maybe 8 feet high.
 
The new spouter near Porkchop was vigorous, spouting opalescent water up to  
6 feet or so.
 
I saw one eruption by Vixen. After an interval of at least 25 minutes,  at 
1037 it had a duration of perhaps 20 seconds and squirted thin jets up  to about 
10 feet.
 
If this continues, the vent into Veteran's side pool will be sealed off  
within another year or so. It will be interesting to see if that causes any  
change in the activity (I doubt it). While there today, I saw nothing but  frequent 
minor splashes from the main vent.
 
Minute was producing some of the tallest jets I've seen in recent years.  
Some probably high 4 or 5 feet high.
 
Forgotten Fumarole was gently steaming, with a deep rumbling sound coming  
from way down in.
 
PORCELAIN BASIN
 
Aside from the above note about Ledge, there was little to see. Constant  and 
Arsenic are clearly active, but I didn't see either erupt.
 
Guardian was steaming powerfully and noisily, as was the modern incarnation  
of Black Growler.
 
One of the larger of many small spouts was what I think is Fan Geyser,  
reaching perhaps 3 feet.
 
Incline was splashing within its crater as the nearby superheated steam  vent 
spouted with a whistling sort of sound.
 
Interestingly, the sintered-over rock pile at Carnegie Drill Hole was  
intermittently spouting (!) as high as 2 feet. Would this be Yellowstone's  only 
geysering well?
 
Congress Pool, low and quiet and greenish, was emitting a horrible smell.  
Didn't seem to be sulphurous, but it sure was positively terrible.
 
That's all for that. As those still in the park know, I now have too many  
things on my plate -- when it rains, it pours -- and some of this stuff really  
_requires_ that I be in Arizona. So, sad but true, tomorrow (9/10) will be my  
last day in the park for this year. (Well, shoot, I've only been through the  
gate on 108 days this year.)
 
Scott Bryan



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