[Geysers] Photograph of Black Diamond eruption (Stephens)

[Ralph Taylor]

According to Hank, the eruption was smaller than one photographed a couple
of years ago, but he noted that they felt heat from the event standing at
the first wide spot at Wall/Black Diamond pool.  Hank also noted that there
were "head sized chunks" in the ejecta.
 
Although there is a continuum of activity from "geyser eruption" to
"hydrothermal explosion", it appears that Black Diamond is a violent
eruption rather than a Porkchop-type hydrothermal explosion, especially as
there have been well over a dozen known events (I don't have the number that
have been noted handy as I write this) and the character of the pool has not
changed very much and the events continue to occur indicating that the force
has not damaged the vent structure.
 
Ralph Taylor

  _____  

From: geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu
[mailto:geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu] On Behalf Of David Schwarz
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 9:33 PM
To: Geyser Observation Reports
Subject: Re: [Geysers] Photograph of Black Diamond eruption (Stephens)



   The story seems to have been picked up by the AP.  The same story with
minor differences has appeared on several sites  in the last couple of days.
One example:
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/technology/index.ssf?/base/national-18/124318
388065780.xml
<http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/technology/index.ssf?/base/national-18/12431
8388065780.xml&storylist=technology> &storylist=technology

   At least those interviewed seemed to be under the impression that what
they saw was a bona fide hydrothermal explosion, but it doesn't look like
they bothered to interview Hank.  I've been kind of wondering myself whether
this was just more of what Black Diamond has been doing occasionally since
2006.

David Schwarz


On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 9:22 AM, Paul Strasser <upperbasin at comcast.net>
wrote:


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

 


  _____  


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