[Geysers] Giantess Intervals (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

THIS REPORT IS FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE READERS OF THIS LISTSERV.  REPRODUCTION FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, INCLUDING PUBLICATION IN THE SPUT, ON FACEBOOK, ANY WEB PAGE, OR ANY OTHER REPRODUCTION REGARDLESS OF THE MEDIUM USED, IS PROHIBITED. I periodically read the archives of the Old Faithful webcam chat page and noticed some discussion about where the current interval for Giantess rates in comparison with historical activity. Heinrich Koenig compiled reports of Giantess eruptions from 1864 through 07/01/1997 and published his compilation in an article in Volume VI of the Transactions.  At the time he published the article, the earliest report he found was 1864.  He did not find any reports for 1865-1869, but then again there were almost no reports for eruptions of any geysers during that time. From 1870 through 1908 there were only a few years for which no reports of eruptions had been found--1871, 1874, 1877, 1879, 1890, 1892, 1894, 1898, and 1900.  Note that there were no consecutive years with zero reports. Giantess was quite active in 1904-1908, then Heinrich wrote there no reports for 1909 through 1918.   Haynes (in the 1912 Guide) said, "During
1911 the records show that the intervals between eruptions varied from four to
twelve days; while a few years ago the Giantess played only every three to four
weeks."  Marler noted Haynes "seem[ed]
to have taken information from the records which the guards submitted to
Superintendent Anderson [in 1895 and 1896]" as the source for the information in the 1912 Guide.  Whittlesey [1988] apparently also did not find any specific reports of observed eruptions from 1909 through 1918.  Whittlesey noted Allen's guidebooks (1914 and 1918) included Giantess in a table of geysers and said intervals were "5-40 days" but no source was provided by Allen and Whittlesey apparently did not find any independent source to indicate where this information originated from.  Giantess may very well have been dormant for about a 10 year period from 1909 through 1918.  Once reports of eruptions resumed in 1919 it wasn't until 1933 that Koenig said there was another year with no reported eruptions.  Marler [1972] reported 7 eruptions in the 1930s, 12 in the 1940s, 13 in the 1950s, and 20 in the 1960s.
>From 1934 through 1997 the only years for which Koenig found no reported eruptions were 1939, 1941, 1943, 1956, 1957, 1964, and 1978. Marler did not list Giantess in the table of "active geysers" in his 1956 annual report report, so it can reasonably be concluded that none were observed.  However Marler did list giantess as active in his 1957 and 1964 annual reports.  Assuming Marler was correct in his reports of activity even though Koenig did not locate specific dates for eruptions during those years, Giantess does not appear to have a two-year period of dormancy from 1919 through 1997. Since 1997 the longest intervals have been ~591 days from the 1/1/1998 eruption to the 8/23/1999 eruption, and ~653 days from the 7/25/2006 eruption to the 5/8/2008 eruption.  Lynn Stephens  
                                    





[1]George
Marler, Inventory..., June, 1973, p. 297.  See also his Geyser Observations and
References, vol. 1, section on Giantess Geyser.





   		 	   		  
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