[Geysers] Geyser Report 5/30 (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

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

 

A pass through Ralph Taylor's electronic data for Beehive for 1/1 - 4/22, 2009 shows 4 intervals for Beehive less than 10 hours, 6 intervals between 10h0m and 10h59m, and 5 intervals between 11h0m and 11h59m.  Add one more in the 11 hour category today--11h16m.  If Beehive's intervals get any shorter, it will be erupting more frequently than Great Fountain (which has been averaging about 11 1/2 hours, ignoring the 22+ hour interval).

 

While we were waiting through the Indicator, the sky started rumbling and the black clouds that had been to the west of us started moving closer and closer.  Those of us at the Beehive overlook watched a white column of water that stood out strikingly against the purple-blue sky, even though there wasn't sunlight on the column.  The wind took Beehive's water column first to the people down hear Plume, then across the river to get the people at Blue Star Spring.  Thankfully instead of continuing clockwise to get those of us at the overlook, the wind turned back counterclockwise to get the people who had returned to Plume.  The storm held off just long enough for me to get to the office.  Unfortunately, the storm is playing havoc with our power supply.  After the first attempt to post this message, I moved to my laptop, typed a message, stored it on the thumbdrive, then transferred it back to the NPS computer, which has internet access.  We've had five outages so far, so I'm hoping I can get this sent before the next one.

 

This morning I went up to Atomizer, saw a long minor eruption, with a rainbow in the column.  I made a radio announcement predicting a major between 9:45 and 10:15.  Dee Dykes arrived a few minutes later to wait for Artemisia, unaware that I had made the radio announcement.  Four people took me up on my prediction--KC and Julie Thomson, and John and Heather from Michigan (sorry, but I don't yet know their last names.)  John and Heather had been here for 3 days in 2003 as part of a longer trip, decided 3 days wasn't enough, so came back for 6 days in 2006, decided 6 days wasn't enough, and, although their trip isn't finished yet, they've decided 10 days still isn't going to be enough.

 

Atomizer major started at 9:53 (closed interval of 15h14m, not a "quick comeback major.)  Artemisia started thumping at 9:56 (interval of 21h10m).  At first I was excited, then I realized that once again Artemisia was going to interfere with my ability to enjoy Atomizer's steam phase.  Dee was not happy when I applied some less than complimentary adjectives to her geyser!  Yes, I think it is pure coincidence that of the first three Atomizer majors I've seen this summer, Artemisia's eruption has overlapped two of them.  I've had concurrent eruptions before, but I've also gone entire seasons without seeing a concurrent eruption.

 

Atomizer minor intervals--Someone commented the other day that they had seen the first minor in an Atomizer series.  When I asked the duration of the minor, I was told it lasted about a minute.  I indicated that probably wasn't the first minor because the first minor lasts about 15-20 seconds.  The person then said they had been at Artemisia for about 2-1/2 hours and hadn't seen anything else out of Atomizer, so assumed it was the first minor because of the long interval.  Long intervals (2-3+ hours) can, and often do, occur between minors in the series.   When Atomizer splashes up for several minutes following a long minor (third or fourth in the series) and the splashing fails to build to a major eruption, the next interval is 2-3+ hours and, every time I have watched it, the next eruption is another long minor, followed by the major 60-90 minutes later.  

 

The marmot was out again today.  KC and Julie and Dee said they had not seen it earlier in the week.  We haven't decided whether it is nice and fat because it had a good winter, or whether it is a female about to add some baby marmots to the wildlife population at Artemisia.  I haven't seen rabbits at Artemisia yet this season but KC and Julie saw 4 the other day.  And Julie saw what she thinks was a ferret in the rock wall yesterday--a sleek body, head with tiny ears, brown, etc.

 

After Artemisia finished (d=26m) I headed for Great Fountain, which was already in overflow when I arrived.  I moved out to the far end of the bench.  Yesterday Great Fountain, Pink Cone, and Atomizer cooperated so I could watch them all.  Today Pink Cone decided to start (1126ns, I=21h24m) while Great Fountain was still in overflow.  Great Fountain started at 1137 (double interval 22h56m, average 1128m.)

 

After Great Fountain ended, I waited for a Till major (27h27m for a triple interval or 9h09m average).  Then it was on to a really obscure/"unimportant" feature--Mercury.  I saw through one interval (1h24m) watching the water levels in the main crater and the smaller hole to the northwest rise and fall, in an inverse relationship.

 

The only other thing I have to my report for the listserv--"Salt and Pepper" (or "Salt and Sugar" as somone suggested) is surrounded by masses of yellow flowers.

 

Lynn Stephens

 

 

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