[Geysers] Is "Hot Dog" A Geyser?

[JEFFREY CROSS]

Is the small vent across the boardwalk from Penta a geyser?

If so, should it be considered a geyser separately from Spasmodic?

This summer, I found out that some people call this vent "Hot Dog."  It is right next to the boardwalk, on the same side as Spasmodic and opposite Penta.  It is shaped roughly like a bootprint.  It seems to be most active when Penta is about to start an eruption.

The origin of the name is interesting: A careless visitor was illegally walking a dog on the boardwalk.  When the animal saw the bubbling vent, it jumped down to investigate and burnt its paw.  The animal's yelps attracted the comment from one gazer: "That's what I call a hot dog."

Jeff Cross
jeff.cross at utah.edu