[Geysers] Monarch history

[Lynn Stephens]

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Tom and Genean:  This post is also not available for publication in The Sput.  If you do want something for the June Sput, let me know.


I saw some of the Monarch activity in 1994.  Eruptive activity (1 to 4.5 meters in height) continued through Fall 1995.  Eruptions to a maximum of 6 feet continued through Fall 1996, as reported by Smokey Sturdevant.

Because Rick called in late March saying he'd been at Norris and seen some of the best activity from Steamboat he'd ever seen there, I made a trip to Norris on March 31 and April 1.  I didn't see anything from Steamboat, but I did witness a roaring steam eruption from Dark Cavern, so I made another trip to Norris April 16-18. I filed a report in the May 1994 issue of The Sput.  I included observations in the Back Basin for Steamboat, Echinus, Veteran, Minute, and Cistern Spring, but didn't mention anything about Monarch.

I was back at Norris for a couple trips in May.  Here is the report on "Recent Geyser Activity in the Norris Geyser Basin" I filed in the June 1994 issue of The Sput.

Monarch Geyser is definitely erupting.  Several heavy boiling eruptions have been seen to reach a height of 3 to 5 meters (10-15 feet).  Righ now it appears that it is having series of three to five eruptions.  The intervals within the series start at about two to 2-1/2 hours, stretching out to about five hours or so.  It is then quiet for an extended period (best guess, 16 to 18 hours.)
    Note that Monarch has a number of vents.  The activity starts with the north vent boiling lightly and with the crater water level rising.  This takes about 45 to 60 minutes to reach overflow, with the amount of boiling increasing.  This can be followed by one of two actions.  Either the water will recede and the boiling will end, or the boiling will increase to about .6 meters (2 feet), with heavy overflow.  This stage lasts for about six minutes.  The entire crater is full, with a dark rim of pine needles around the rim submerged.  During this time a small vent to the rear of the South vent will begin boiling lightly.  It appears as if the water is running back into the vent!  It seems that there must be some kind of convection current from the North vent into the South vent.  The heavy boil in the North vent will subside and the water will be quiet for a few moments.  Then a vent to the front of the South will begin to boil heavily and burst to 32 to 5 meters.  This lasts for about five to seven minutes.  The duration seems to depend on where the eruption is in the series.

Reports of 1 to 4.5 meter high eruptions, preceded by overflow periods and boiling continued to appear sporadically in The Sput through the remainder of 1994 and in 1995.

In 1996 boiling episodes were reported.  Smokey Sturdevant reported that the maximum height observed in 1996 was around 6 feet.

Smokey's report for 1997 indicated Monarch was full and overflowing but "there has been very little activity here since last Fall."  In the February 1998 issue, he reported "Monarch is staying very quiet.  Temperature here has dropped into the 80 degree C range."

Lynn Stephens
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