[Geysers] Record of wild phase activity (Stephens)

[Bill Warnock]

Thanks, Lynn, for all those records.  I went back to my notes for 2003 on 
Great Fountain.  I had noted:

30 Oct. Great Fountain 1515 i.e.; watched until 1545 (it MIGHT have already 
been in wild phase by then...I was there just 30 min.)
31 Oct.  Gt. Ftn.:  Snow on edges of terraces, runoff channel dry
1 Nov.   Gt. Ftn.:  Terraces drying up (I took pics)
2 Nov.   Gt. Ftn. pool observations:
  Dropped              Overflow Restart        Edges Boiling
     1237                    1252                            1257
     1312                    1319                             1324
     1336                    1350                             1355
     1413                    1421                             1424.5
     1443                    1452                             1455
     1512                    1522.5                          1526
     1543                    1556                             1601
     1613                    1628                                nr
     1643                    1657

On 6 Nov. I was in to help with a download at Gt. Ftn. and noted that 
overflow began around 1500...it continued steady overflow BUT Gt. Ftn. had 
not erupted as of 1735 when we left.

Bill
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lynn Stephens" <lstephens2006 at hotmail.com>
To: <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 3:17 AM
Subject: [Geysers] Record of wild phase activity (Stephens)



Scott asked:  Question: is there a list (whether complete or not) of when 
wild phase has been observed?

Here's a list I developed by looking at the electronic records and the OFVC 
logbooks.  Potential wild phase activity was identified by looking for a 
short interval--less than 6 hours followed by a long interval--more than 100 
hours in the electronic record.  Some periods that met this criteria were 
determined not to be wild phase activity because of reports of "regular" 
eruptions in the OFVC logbook.  One period was reported in the OFVC logbook 
where the electronic record was not available.  Electronic monitoring 
records were available from 1999 through present on the GOSA website.  OFVC 
logbooks were available from 1995 through late 2007 on the GOSA website.  I 
also reviewed editions of The Sput from 1988 through 1994.

2007   none identified

2006  10/14 and 10/15 in wild phase; next reported eruption 10/19 per OFVC 
logbook; electronic record not available from 9/28/06 to 12/31/06

2005   none reported in either source; electronic record not availalbe 
11/02/05 to 7/12/05

2004  none reported in either source
            (Note:  there was a gap from 1/2 to 1/23 in the electronic 
record; visual "ie" observations were reported in the OFVC logbook were 
reported between 1/2 and 1/23, which indicated this was a lack of electronic 
record rather than wild phase.)

2003   10/29 5:03 interval followed by 134 hour interval with next eruption 
on 11/03; confirmed by logbook with comments such as "Great Fountain has not
              erupted for a few days"

2002    12/16 4:15 interval, followed by 12/17 6:05 interval then 12/23 
150:45 interval; The only report in the OFVC logbook during this time was an 
ievr on 12/18.

2001    11/22 2:25 interval followed by 2:40 interval; next eruption 11/28 
150:00 interval; no data in OFVC logbook during this period.
             (Note there were two periods in June where the electronic 
monitor recorded intervals exceeding 100 hours, but visual observations 
recorded in the
             OFVC logbook showed regular, normal eruptions for the days 
involved in the long intervals.)

2000    2/12 3:47 interval next eruption 2/18 136:32 interval; no reports in 
OFVC logbook during this period

           9/21 4:18 interval; next eruption 9/26 125:08 interval; logbook 
confirmation 9/21 start wild phase and 9/26 first eruption

1999     9/25 3:53 interval 9/29 102:37 interval; confirmed in logbook with 
wild phase start on 9/25; end 9/27 first eruption 9/29

End of electronic monitoring data posted on the GOSA website.

1998   no reports in OFVC logbook

1997   1/23/97 possible wild phase per Rick H., 1/24 13:20ie,  1/27 14:53ns

1996   10/19 11:47ie, ~18:30ie probable wild phase,   10/20 wild phase 
confirmed; 10/23 first since wild phase between 15:30 on 10/22 and
13:00 on 10/23

1995    no reports in OFVC logbook

End of electronic version of OFVC logbook

Review of "The Sput"

1994    6/13 entered wild phase; ended 6/16 next eruption 6/20

The article references "last observed" wild phase in late September 1986, 
beginning on 9/24 lasting ~26 hours; "The dry period before the first 
overflow was 1day8hours in 1986; first eruption started about 24 hours after 
oerflow began, but notes that records are not available for November through 
May for those years.

I did not find any other references to wild phase activity from Great 
Fountain in any prior editions of the Sput.

Tomas Vachuda's article in Volume I of The Transactions:

     "With extremely few exceptions, one can expect to obvserve the same 
elements repeated between each eruption.  Two of these anomalies, defined in 
[Marler, 1973], are periods of long overflow, and low ebb.  Another 
irregularity, [Bryan, 1986] is known as the wild phase.  A long overflow can 
last as long as two days, while during periods of low ebb the water remains 
well below the rim for several days.  During a wild phase Great Fountain 
erupts continuously, though with much diministed strength, for hours or 
days.  The normal eruptive pattern is reinstated within a day of the 
conclusion of one of these irregularities.  In most recent years, no 
occurrences of these irregularities have been recorded."

      Note that Marler identified "periods of long overflow," but I couldn't 
find anything where Marler described activity comparable to "wild phase" 
activity in the Inventory.

Other sources that might identify periods of "wild phase activity"--

     Sam Martinez had a monitor on Great Fountain for many years.  His 
notebooks might identify periods of wild phase activity.
     Volunteer reports prepared by Sam, Bob Hoffman, and/or Herb Warren
     Rick Hutchinson's annual reports
     OFVC logbooks prior to 1995

      The OFVC logbooks should be available in the archives.  (If I can make 
copies of the logbooks, I'll start transcribing the 1994 logbook this 
summer.)  It is possible that some of Rick's reports and some of the 
volunteer reports are also available in the archives.

Lynn



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