[Geysers] Is Morning erupting?

[Maureen Edgerton]

I think Morning is erupting, it is just not being observed.

Yesterday's short duration at 1133 lead me to be around Monday morning at 0730 in case Fountain also had a short interval Sunday evening.

When I got to the pull off on the road before the Paint Pots parking lot, there was a very wet field behind Morning, looking like a run off field from Morning's water.  Since the last time this occurred I did not go out to the platform to check on things, I headed right out there to inspect the area.

Twig was dry and in front of Fountain near the boardwalk was dry.  The field to the left of Morning was very wet.  There was also run off toward the road, similar to Twig runoff, yet it was coming from below Morning's Thief, in line with Morning, and MT was dry.  

Also, Fountain was empty and I was expecting it to be at the level it is at before erupting (lately about 20 inches or so from the rim) that far into the interval.

On Friday, the last morning I feel there was a Morning eruption before today, there was only 1 MT right before Fountain started.  I will see if this follows today. (see below)

Since there is no one spending time in lower basin besides me right now, and I am out of the park a lot this week, it may remain a mystery.  

Fountain has been awesome as always.  With longer duration eruptions we end up with longer intervals and with durations shorter than 36 minutes ( funny that these are now the short durations) it is usually less than 11 hours until the next Fountain.  Twig seems to erupt after 30 minutes (to 35) of Fountain's eruption, and on a normal day MT will be in play at least 2 hours before Fountain's start, though intervals are erratic and can be 10 minutes and then move out to 35 minutes...still  it seems to come back to a short interval before Fountain start, yet often Fountain will start with it.

Today MT started first at 0936 and Fountain was at 1038.  There was a long interval Thief and then Fountain, no short interval today before Fountain start.   MT happened 3 times before Fountain.  Twig start was very early as it was on Friday.

While Fountain was erupting, large pieces of sinter flew out of it along with the awesome blue bubbles.  This is also (I think) another sign that Morning has occurred, though maybe soon it will be done with that process.

So, those are my observations.  I wish I had a telephoto lens so I could get a picture for you of how wet is was on the backside of Morning this morning.  

Other things...

It is very smoky in the West of the park these days.  I cannot see Mt. Holmes from the Fountain platform, it is obscured by smoke.  The past few days you can taste as well as see the smoke.  

Deep Blue, in the field beyond Fountain, has gotten a lot more active of late.  The other day we were treated to a huge pool blue bubble during the Fountain eruption.  I had not seen it erupting this year before the past few weeks, and it is a sight to see.  Happy to report it is back, for now.

Great Fountain is all over the place.  I saw an eruption last week where the 3rd series was higher than the first.  The first was very small though.  This 3rd series started with a perfect blue bubble with a spire spike that broke through it.  It was amazing, and there was also another bubble to start the 4th series...so staying late pays off these days.  I encourage everyone to go on Geysertimes.org to see the intervals.  

Thanks to RB Whitaker for posting some times lately.

That is it for now.  Take care,  Maureen Edgerton





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