[Geysers] Long-term periodicities at Steamboat (& elsewhere)?

[TSBryan at aol.com]

Two interesting (?) points about the Steamboat periodicity, beyond the fact 
 that it certainly appears to be real and startlingly regular:
 
1. It should be noted that while the temperature drop is relatively sudden, 
 the recovery of temperature is much more gradual, taking the better part 
of a  day,  making it apparent that this is not some simple on-off event. It 
would be really  interesting to know if there is any sort of chemical change 
(such as  sulfate-chloride) involved. (I really like the idea of a 
deep-seated cyclic  process and, sorry, but cannot help but think of the "Geyser 
Hill  Wave.")
 
2. Though it most likely is coincidental, there appears to be a somewhat  
similar cyclic temperature change at Opalescent Spring, another feature that 
is  chloride-rich and so presumably with water of deeper origin (as is, 
presumably,  Steamboat).
 
Scott Bryan
 
-----Original Message-----
From:  geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu
[mailto:geysers-bounces at lists.wallawalla.edu]  On Behalf Of Davis, Brian L.
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2011 5:38 PM
To:  geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
Subject: [Geysers] Long-term periodicities at  Steamboat (& elsewhere)?

Looking at the Steamboat temperature log  here:

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/activity/monitoring/norris/steamboat.php

I  noticed something I'd never known before (I know, there's a LOT I don't
know)  - Steamboat seems to have a nicely periodic 4.5 day cycle (most 
easily
seen  in the monthly graph). That surprised me, and got me thinking about
what  could do that, as well as when in the cycle a major is most likely to
happen.  Is there any information on this?

While on the subject of long-term  cycles, what others are known? I realize
Giant hot periods might fit in this  category, but I'm not sure what else
might? Annual cycles might be related to  seasonality, but certainly this
doesn't explain things like a 4.5 day  cycle.

-- 
Brian Davis
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