[Geysers] Geyser Report Tuesday, September 18, 2012

[Barbara Lasseter]

First, my apologies for omitting the bottom vent data from my report
on the Fan & Mortar wruption on Th 9-13-12.  Both bottom vent and
lower mortar were splashing essentially every minute from 0949 to 1009
when I stopped logging.  Bottom vent had 2 full eruptions during the
event cycle.  The 1st started at 0957 and lasted under 2 minutes. The
splashing continued until the 2nd full eruption at 1004 which ened at
1026.
I have very little info on yesterday's F&M.  I understand the eruption
was phoned to the VC with the request it be logged and called over the
radio.  My radio did not pick up any call.  Mortar started the
eruption, with high in lock, followed immediately by Fan.  Perhaps
others can supplement this info.

Lone Pine has frustrated me recently, making me pay for those
drive-ups earlier in the summer.  I watched an overflowing, boiling
pool from about 0740 until 1300 on Sunday 9/16.  Early in the watch
the boiling was very vigorous.  The eruption seemed imminent.  The
memory of that big push kept me hopeful through the following hours of
slight rise and fall and lighter boiling.  When I drove by again just
before 1600, it had erupted and was no longer steaming.  Having seen
the "empty" pool on Wed 9/12 at 0730, and noting the approximately 12
hr shift from 24hrs between early Wed AM and early Sun afternoon, I
returned at 0745 Monday, hoping that it had been going short of 24hrs.
 The pool was in overflow and boiling lightly---until at least after
noon.  I'll admit having quick eruptions from both Beehive and Grand
at 0700 (0653 and 0706ie respectively), combined with temps in the
20's and heavy fog, assisted my decision to try Lone Pine yesterday.

Still no Plume!
Beehive: 1222
Beehive's Indicator: 1206 after 2 minutes of visible water
Grand: yesterday 2335E, today 0510E, 1038 G1C
West Triplet: 0904 d=32
Little Cub ie @ 1114, 1149, 1226
Depression: 1115ie
Oblong: 0931ie
Daisy: 1102
Grotto: 0857ie
Fountain: about 0900ie
Pink Cone: 0826ie
Tilt's Baby: 1055

Temps high 20's going in, mid 60's coming home.  Lots of smoke.  The
VC evacuated for about an hour near 1130 for some sort of fire threat.
 Do you suppose the smoke has gotten heavy enough to trigger a smoke
alarm?  One gazer talks about being "in the ashtray" on days like
this.

There are surprisingly few bison on this side of the park compared to
what I have seen prior years.  Perhaps because the weather has been so
mild??  No precipitation in the forecast in the next week.  Good for
gazing, bad for fires.

I hear a visitor watching Great Fountain got beaned by the side mirror
of a passing RV on Firehole Lake Drive recently.

Barbara Lasseter