[Geysers] Fan and Mortar 7/27/10 Details

[scott grisso]

This is my second post on the listserve.  As with the first, I am still
learning what to watch for on Fan and Mortar.  I think my notes were a
little better this time, but they are not perfect.  Tara and Cynthia Barwin
may both have details to add, but I'll share what I have.

I arrived at Fan and Mortar around 0400 to relieve Tara and Suzanne
Strasser.  Cynthia Barwin arrived before 0700, and Thomas Barger arrived
before 0800.  Karen Low also spent a large part of her day with us.  The
event that led to the eruption was somewhat screwy, and they all helped me
figure out what to say with the radio calls, especially at the start of the
event cycle.

I called three event cycles in the morning, none of them very intriguing.
The third event was called dead at 1044.  Angle Vent spitted and splashed
almost continuously for the next eight hours until Main Vent got sick of it
and took over.

1839  River and Gold Vents off, Angle continues to splash
1842  Angle Vent off
1844  first splash in Main Vent
1902  River Vent on
1911  River Pause
1918  Bottom Vent begins to erupt
1931  River Vent on
1939  Gold Vent on
1941  Angle Vent on
1948  Lock
1956  eruption, East Vent start

The start of the event cycle had us scratching our heads.  Because Angle
kept splashing after River and Gold turned off, we weren't sure what to call
it.  Tara later told me she would call it a full cycle followed by a River
Pause at 1911.  There was at least one splash in Main Vent every minute
between 1850 and 1939.  At times the splashing in Main was nearly
continuous, and I think everybody realized pretty early during the event
that an eruption was imminent.  I have seen five eruptions in the last two
years, and Bottom Vent was far less active during this event than it was in
the previous four.  Water levels looked great almost from the moment each
vent came on.

Once again the conditions were excellent.  The sun backlit the eruption, and
I found Fan to be especially beautiful.  A breeze removed the steam,
although the boardwalk got thoroughly soaked.  After waiting sixteen hours,
I didn't have the energy to move, so Mortar got me pretty wet.

Scott Grisso
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