[Geysers] Geyser Report May 31 (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

THIS REPORT IS FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE READERS OF THIS LISTSERV AND IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, INCLUDING PUBLICATION IN THE SPUT OR TRANSACTIONS. I know several gazers who have been fooled by Clepsydra's steam cloud and reported it as Fountain.  I am probably one of the few gazers though who saw a combined Clepsydra/Fountain steam cloud, thought it was just Clepsydra, then saw a second steam cloud a couple minutes later driving across Fountain Flats this morning, and thought I had a near start on Fountain at 0452.  I went up to Fountain to watch it for a little while.  I was surprised when it stopped at 0518, which would have been a really short (for this season) duration of about 26 minutes.  Twig started about 3 minutes after Fountain stopped, which is more consistent with a short duration Fountain than a long duration Fountain, but sometimes Twig has waited a couple minutes after a long duration Fountain before starting.  Then Clepsydra stopped at 0527, only 9 minutes after Fountain stopped, and I thought Clepsydra should have waited much longer, or not paused at all after a short duration Fountain.  Later Maureen heard from Steve Eide that he had seen Fountain at 0446ie on his way north this morning.  Events this afternoon were consistent with Steve's earlier ie, or a longer duration Fountain this morning.  The first Morning's Thief this afternoon occurred at 1356.  There were six additional independent eruptions of Morning's Thief before Fountain finally erupted at 1710.  The last interval between independent eruptions of Morning's Thief was 14 minutes. Fountain's eruption was gorgeous.  The wind blew the steam off to the northeast so we had a good view from the boardwalk.  The sky was mostly overcast, with steely dark gray clouds off to the northeast.  The water droplets seemed to have a hang time of several seconds against that dark gray background.  Every once in awhile a sun beam would sneak through the clouds and illuminate the drops.  But most of the time the overcast sky intensified Fountain's blue bursts and the blue in the pool.  Just beautiful.  This afternoon's duration was only 32 minutes, and Twig started 2 minutes after Fountain ended.  With the 32 minute duration, I don't think I'll get to the Lower Geyser Basin in time for any part of Fountain's eruption tomorrow morning. As I was walking back to the parking lot after this morning's eruption of Fountain, we had a fantastic sunrise, first red, then gold, then yellow.  The red was reflected off the sinter plain making the whole world appear pink. After Fountain, I went to Pink Cone, which had an interval of just under 25 hours. I stayed for the duration of Great Fountain.  With a six minute fifth burst, I think it will wait until after dark tonight, so decided to come in early this evening. The rest of my time today was spent at White Dome.  I have now recorded 21 intervals.  The proportion of intervals in excess of 60 minutes is running well ahead of any other years, with 24% of the intervals exceeding 60 minutes.  To date the intervals have varied from a minimum of 18 minutes to a maximum of 100 minutes.  Three of the 5 intervals in excess of 60 minutes occurred one afternoon while I was parked at White Dome, so I know the intervals were closed intervals.  I have no explanation for the concentration of long intervals during that 4 1/2 hour observation period. While I was sitting at White Dome today, I remembered another sit when I had watched a young man pull up, take a stage set and a Ken and Barbie doll out of the back of his pickup.  The stage set had a large opening in the back, something like a large picture window.  He positioned the stage set so White Dome was visible through the picture window.  He then proceeded to pose Ken and Barbie in various positions in front of the picture window so he could take pictures of them.  About half an hour later I noticed two women hiking toward White Dome from Pink Cone.  One of the women stepped off the pavement at Gemini, walked over to the "Danger-Stay Off" sign and placed a small (about 8-10 inch high) cloth doll dressed in a green suit next to the sign so she could take a picture of it.  Neither of the women even looked over at White Dome, just looked at Gemini and Cave and then kept walking toward Great Fountain.  Barbara sees bears, I get to see people taking pictures of dolls! Lynn Stephens
 		 	   		  
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