[Geysers] Geyser Report 5/28 (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

THIS POST IS FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE READERS OF THIS LISTSERV AND IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, INCLUDING PUBLICATION IN THE SPUT.  

 

Last night I decided that I could no longer put off typing in the office until bad weather arrived.  So, I spent 7 hours in the office, minus a 20-minute coffee break to go out for this morning's eruption of Beehive (thank you Pat Snyder for the radio calls).

 

But after 7 hours of sitting in an old chair at an old desk that no way would meet ergonomic standards, my shoulders, back, arms, wrists, and fingers were all complaining so much that I decided 7 hours was enough and went out to find some geysers to watch.

 

Yesterday afternoon at Great Fountain, Ralph Friz told me they had seen Artemisia at 1352ie as they were driving to the Lower Basin.  (At Gemini today, Pat Snyder told me today she was the one who spotted the steam cloud.)  I had seen Barbara Lasseter's report of an Atomizer major yesterday in Scott's post on the listserv yesterday evening, so I decided to go to Atomizer/Artemisia to get the next Atomizer major, and possibly get an Artemisia eruption as a bonus.

 

When I arrived, Atomizer was dry.  Artemisia was in overflow, and full--full even by Dean Lohrenz's standards.  (I may not be able to see all the little fluctuations Dean can, but I have learned not to announce Artemisia is full and overflowing until "Italy" is full.)  About 30 mintues or so after I arrived, set up my chair in a shady spot, and settled down to read my book, Jere B. and Sabrina arrived.  Jere stopped to chat with me and then found some shade to read his book; Sabrina kept walking.  Jere realized Sabrina had his book, but decided she'd be back before too long because he had the water.  Sure enough, a few minutes later she returned.  A few minutes after that, her luck kicked right in.  I heard two loud thumps that I was fairly certain were not just a large vehicle going over the bridges on the road.  Sabrina confirmed the noises from the thumps and we both watched the water start to flood out of Artemisia's crater.  Start time--1308, probably an interval of about 23 hours rather than a double with an 11-1/2 hour average since the duration was 22 minutes.

 

While Jere and Sabrina were concentrating on thumps, I was keeping an eye on Atomizer because I had seen a couple overflow episodes before Artemisia started.  Sure enough, Atomizer erupted at 1311--a 60 second minor.  Thankfully the steam was blowing Artemisia's steam cloud toward the south so I was able to position myself to keep an eye on atomizer.  It started infrequent, weak splashing at 1316.  The infrequent splashes (aoubt 1 a minute) continued until 1321.  I had mixed emotions.  I didn't want the splashing to stop, which would mean at least another 3-4 hours before the major.  On the other hand, I didn't want the major to start because, for me, the best part of the major is the sound and Artemisia's noisy eruption would totally drown out Atomizer's steam phase.

 

The splashing increased at 1322, and Atomizer started the major at 1323.  Artemisia finished 7 minutes into Atomizer's eruption, so we did get to listen to a little bit of Atomizer's steam phase.

 

I had told Sam Holbrook (who I knew had Fountain Paint Pot rove this afternoon) this morning that I wasn't going to the Lower Basins today.   Since the double interval on Atomizer was only 26h19m (so both majors were probably the "follow-up" splashing type major), I had some open hours, but didn't want to go back to the office yet.  So, I changed my mind and went to the Lower Basin after all.  When I turned onto Firehole Lake Drive, I could tell Great Fountain was ie.  When I got to Firehole Spring, I could tell that Pink Cone was not yet ie.  So, I continued past Great Fountain, but when I got to White Dome, Gemini's craters were not innudated by water, so I knew it was in a series and stopped to watch it.  (Scott et al gave me their times--1335, 1343, 1352, and 1401.)  Scott and most of the gazers from Great Fountain stopped at White Dome and we watched the 1410 eruptoin.  While most of them went on to Pink Cone, I stayed to get the remainder of the series which concluded with an eruption at 1452.  Sam Holbrook stopped to talk with me at Gemini and tease me about changing my mind.  He told me he had new "Danger" signs to put up at Pink Cone and continued on his way.  

 

While I was waiting at Gemini, I saw a large steam cloud go up from Fountain Paint Pots.  When I asked on the radio, nobody had any times from Fountain today.  The time was about right for Fountain based on the eruption I had recorded at 1251ns yesterday, so I walked back toward Great Fountain so I could position myself to confirm that the cloud was coming from Fountain.

 

After the Gemini series ended, I joined the group of gazers at Pink Cone.  Occasionally a visitor would drive by, roll down a window to ask what we were waiting for, but none of them decided to join us this time.  Pink erupted at 1539.  KC took a picture of 6 of us staring in the direction. I think several of us were standing there staring in that direction, not because we were intensely focused on Pink, but rather because we were afraid Pink Cone might start, someone would stop, and our view of Pink Cone would be blocked.  

 

Because Pink Cone was working on a long interval, I told people to be sure to watch for the "side vent" at the very beginning of the eruption.  Two eruptions ago, KC and Julie and I saw some sustained, vigorous splashing to 12-18 inches for a minute or so.  Yesterday, on a 20h48m interval, Mike Frazer and I saw only brief, 3-6 inch splashing.  Based on previous year's experiences, I expected some really good splashing on a 23 hour interval.  So, as soon as Pink Cone started, all 10 of us dashed back across the road to stare intently at the vent.  Nothing.  Nothing.  And more nothing.  Not one single drop of water.  Not even a wisp of steam.  One of these days I'll learn to keep my mouth shut instead of saying "Watch for this because this is what it's done in the past."

 

While we were waiting for Pink Cone, Scott had given me his time for Till this morning.  I debated whether I should leave Pink Cone to go get the start of this afternoon's Till eruption, but decided I'd rather watch the start of Pink Cone.  Till was ie at 1615, ended at 1617 as I was driving back.  I'm reasonably certain this was the first minor after the major, which means Till is still erupting on 9 hour intervals.

 

Grand waited until 1721 this afternoon to erupt so all the members of the Pink Cone crowd that wanted to see Grand were able to get back in time for Grand's eruption.

 

Lynn Stephens

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