[Geysers] Photograph of Black Diamond eruption (Stephens)

[Tara Cross]

I don't know if this would make any difference, but if anyone plans to write to the various news outlets that have printed erroneous information about Black Diamond, there was a short feature about its activity (and the other changes at Biscuit Basin) in T10:

"New Activity at Biscuit Basin 2006-2007" Compiled by Tara Cross with photos by Kendall Madsen and Pat Snyder and descriptions by Kendall Madsen, Mike Keller, and Grover Schrayer.  GOSA Transactions v. 10, p. 102-103.

The Keller and Schrayer accounts were of the same eruption that Paul Strasser describes below, which took place on July 29, 2006.  There was also a write-up in the Sput (v. 20 no. 4, Oct 2006) with more extensive descriptions by Kendall Madsen and Mike Keller, as well as information obtained by Hank Heasler when he examined the area at that time.  There were repeated attempts to put an electronic monitor on Black Diamond, but it kept tossing the device out of the pool.

Based on visual reports and physical evidence, Black Diamond has been having explosive eruptions of this nature at infrequent and highly erratic intervals since July 13, 2006.

--Tara Cross
fanandmortar at hotmail.com


From: upperbasin at comcast.net
To: geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
Subject: RE: [Geysers] Photograph of Black Diamond eruption (Stephens)
Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 08:22:38 -0600
























We need to be clear.  This was an eruption
from the pool containing Black Diamond Geyser.  I saw an eruption of it in 2007
that was a bit smaller than this eruption.  Other gazers had seen larger eruptions
(and photographed it from across the highway), and the evidence of even larger
eruptions was present on the boardwalk and nearby trees – splashes of
muddy water leaving bits of elongated mud a considerable distance from the
pool.

 

The eruption I saw (along with several other
gazers, including Mike Keller) looked like the photo.  It was amazingly black
and filled with debris and glop, albeit shorter.

 

As Scott noted, the article was filled
with inaccuracies (no geysers at Biscuit
 Basin?  And even if they
meant “no geysers in this area of Biscuit Basin” it’s still
wrong), but the most inaccurate part of it is the primary point:  that this was
a rare hydrothermal explosion.  

 

No, it was an eruption of an infrequent
geyser.  Now, was this particular eruption so large that it shattered the vent
structure?  We have no idea, because the pool is so muddy and dark.  I suppose
Black Diamond could have done a Porkchop on us, but the only way we will know
is to see if there are additional eruptions in the next month/year.

 

I have no problem with Scott writing a
little comment to the editors about this.

 

Paul Strasser

 









From:
geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu
[mailto:geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu] On
Behalf Of Jack Ashe

Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 8:14 AM

To: Geyser Observation Reports

Subject: Re: [Geysers] Photograph
of Black Diamond eruption (Stephens)



 





Hydrothermal or not, that is the quesiton!





 





Isn't the assertion in the article that this was not a
geyser eruption but rather a hydrothermal explosion resulting in geologic
effect similar to the Pocket Basin explosion crater, Indian Pond or the Duck
Lake events?





Was this NOT a true hydrothermal explosion but just a
"messy" geyser eruption? 





 





 If it is a hydrothermal explosion, I have been
informed that these probably result  from a sudden drop in water
pressure over the thermal source. Did that occur at Black Diamond??





 





Jack

 





 









From: "TSBryan at aol.com"
<TSBryan at aol.com>

To: geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu

Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 4:35:27
PM

Subject: Re: [Geysers] Photograph
of Black Diamond eruption (Stephens)





Need I point out the errors in this article. I hope the source wasn't
in-park... but as we all know, Black Diamond has had quite a few eruptions...
and above all, the statement that there are no geysers at Biscuit Basin.........
Well ?





 





Scott Bryan





 





In a message dated 5/24/2009 12:56:37 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
david.schwarz at gmail.com writes:







There's another
photo of the explosion in the Jackson Hole News, along with a write-up:



http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4624







 







An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps!









 


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