[Geysers] Forgotten Fumarole, May 3

[Karen Low]

I spent about five hours at Norris today, and am planning on being back out there most of the day on Sunday.  In the Back Basin, Orbicular was active, Sagebrush Lizard Springs were very active, Pearl was quiet, Vixen was splashing in its crater, but not above the rim.  Veteran was active.  
   
  I stopped at Forgotten Fumarole, and noticed that there appeared to be a fresh coating of thin grey mud around the crater.  Shortly after I arrived, a female interp ranger came down the path, with about 40 sixth graders.  She had the children listen and try to guess which of the four types of thermal features this one was.  As she was explaining that it had been known to erupt for a couple of days several years ago, but was currently behaving as a fumarole, it started to erupt!  (1058)
   
  Norris Interp Ranger Curtis (I didn't catch his last name, but it is his third summer at Norris) said that today was the first day he'd ever seen it, and it saw an eruption at ~1030.  My geyser notebook is not immediately accessible (I didn't carry it with me to do laundry at the dorm), so I'm not going to post all the times right now.  Intervals generally ranged from 14 to 16 minutes, except on a couple of eruptions where they occured only two minutes after the previous eruption.  Height, duration and character of the eruptions seemed very similar to what I remember from the September 2004 period of activity, which I did seen on both days (I can't remember if it was Sept. 24 & 25th, or 25 & 26th).
   
  I do have both pictures, and video, but due to poor wireless connection, will not try to post them at the present time.  
   
  Karen Low

Tara Cross <fanandmortar at hotmail.com> wrote:
  
I received a phone message from Karen Low at about 1200 MDT relaying the news that Forgotten Fumarole at Norris G.B. is active, erupting about every 15 minutes like it did in September of 2004. If this active phase is like the one in 2004, it will be short lived; that one lasted only 2 days.

For those who don't remember, Forgotten Fumarole (also called "Geyser Noir" by some) is located on the west side of the old road trail about halfway between Minute and Porcelain, fairly close to "Rediscovered Geyser" (#72 on the map in Bryan, page 270). There's a small spur of the trail that goes straight to it.

--Tara Cross
fanandmortar at hotmail.com
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