[Geysers] History of Morning Geyser

[Bill Johnson]

Exciting news!  (Although I do wish it had happened a week earlier, when I
was in the park. :-) )

My wife asks a good question: is there any possible connection between this
activity and the recent irregularity of Fountain Geyser?  One thing I
didn't report from last week's visit was that Fountain intervals were
apparently rather erratic -- again, those with more complete times than I
can tell that story better, but it wasn't its old reliable 6- or 12-hour
self.  Is there enough on Morning's past history to know whether comparable
breaks in Fountain's routine preceded its previous eruptions?  That's
probably all the "connection" that one can hope for, but it would be
interesting if the answer was yes.

-- Bill Johnson


On Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 4:46 PM, Lynn Stephens <lstephens2006 at hotmail.com>wrote:

>  People have asked about Morning Geyser's eruptive history:
>
> Per Whittlesey's Nomenclature:
>
>
>             "Turn of the century guidebooks stated that Fountain Geyser
> ceased operation in July, 1899, and remained inactive until October (when
> Morning Geyser quit?) at which time it resumed its usual displays.  This
> source mentioned the large 1899 eruptions of present Morning Geyser saying
> that at times they lasted for fully one hour.  Later editions described
> activity of Morning in July, 1909, when "Fountain abandoned its crater for
> the one adjoining and threw out jagged masses of geyserite more than 200
> feet.  The water was muddy and full of rock fragments."  These 1909
> eruptions continued at least into September.  There is apparently no
> record of activity for 1900-1908.
>             Eruptive activity of present Morning Geyser occurred twice in
> the 1920s.  One spectacular eruption is known for August of 1921, when
> Ranger Troutman saw it play to 250 feet in height and holding its height no
> lower than 200 feet for one hour and ten minutes.  Another eruption is
> known for July of 1922.
>             After this, no further activity appears to have occurred
> until 1944, when the geyser erupted once.  Two eruptions are known for
> 1946, and then in 1947, eleven eruptions were recorded.  Of those
> eruptions, all but two occurred during the morning hours, hence geologist
> George Marler's name (suggested in 1947-48) of Morning Geyser.
>
>             These eruptions were followed by 36 more in 1948, and eleven
> in 1949.  Morning Geyser was dormant 1950-51, and again rejuvenated in
> 1952.  It was active 1952-59, 1974, 1978, and 1981-83."
>
> Additional activity occurred in May 1991 for a few days, August 1991 for 3
> weeks, and for about a week at the end of March/beginning of April 1994.
>
>
>
> Lynn Stephens
>
>
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