[Geysers] Geyser Report--Mostly 5/26/2015

[Lynn Stephens]

Erin, Cassidy, Connor and I spent the day at Norris on Monday, May 26, watching splashes in Black Growler and the red, white, and shoulder vents of Ledge.  The only geyser we saw was Constant, which was having 4-burst eruptions.  We spent part of the time playing cards.  More than one visitor asked if they could take a picture of us because it was so unusual to see people playing cards in the geyser basin.
 
I spent today (May 26) at White Dome, collecting observations from 05:45 until 19:25.  
 
White Dome--I obtained 26 intervals, which varied from a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of 84 minutes, with a median of 24 minutes.  The 26 durations I recorded varied from a minimum of 1m32s to a maximum of 2m05s, with a median of 1m52s.  My general impression is that intervals haven't changed much from what I've recorded in recent years, but durations have decreased slightly.
 
Gemini (and Pebble):  I saw three complete series of Gemini.  Two of the series consisted of four eruptions (series #1 and #3), the other series (series #5) had five eruptions.  I was there for 4 1/2 hours before the first series started.  Interval between Series #1 and series #2 was 4h22m and between series #2 and series #3 was 3h50m.  Intervals between eruptions within the series varied from a minimum of 4 minutes to a maximum of 14 minutes.  
     Fluctuations of water levels in Gemini and Pebble showed a distinct connection between the two features.  During a Gemini series, water levels in Pebble dropped.  Following the end of a Gemini series, water level in Pebble started rising.  When Gemini's vent would fill and bubble, Pebble would show a slight drop.  Prior to the start of the first series, Pebble's water level reached the point where it was overflowing down the side of the hill toward Cave.  This overflow continued for at least 70 minutes.  About 5-7 minutes prior to the start of the Gemini series, water level in Pebble dropped a few inches, with the drop being fairly rapid.  This precipitous drop occurred about 5-7 minutes prior to the start of series #2, and again prior to the start of series #3.  The water level in Pebble did not rise high enough to overflow down the hill prior to the start of either series #2 or series #3.
    I haven't calculated time between end of Gemini series and the time the east and west cracks on the sides of Pebble's crater start spitting water, and when the water level in Pebble reaches and then innudates these cracks, but have data and will do the calculations when I write up results from my June trip for a Sput article.
    One other note--I have not seen any independent activity from Gemini's right ("evil") vent during any of my observation sessions this season.
 
"Rejuvenated Geyser:"  At 0545 when there's no other gazers around, no noise from visitors, and no noise from traffic, there are plenty of sounds to hear that are not otherwise audible.  This morning I had an audible warning of about 5-10 seconds before the start of Rejuvenated Geyser, even though I was standing on the concrete in front of Gemini/Pebble.  I collected data on 28 durations and 29 intervals.  Durations varied from a minimum of 2m33s to >7m52s.  All durations were under 5 minutes, with the exception of the one recorded as >7m52.  I missed the exact start of that eruption because it occurred on the shortest interval of the day--an interval barely over 19 minutes.  The median duration was 3m39s.  Intervals varied from a minimum of 19 minutes to a maximum of 34 minutes with a median of about 27 1/2 minutes.
 
Although the day was cool, I never saw any steam clouds that could indicate the UNNG-TGG-#1 is active.
 
Pink Geyser:  As I was leaving this evening, I stopped to say hello to some friends who were parked at Pink Cone.  While I was talking to them, I saw an eruption of Pink Geyser.  Duration was about 6 minutes.  Combining my time with a time reported in GeyserTimes yielded an interval of 3h08m.  I plan to spend tomorrow collecting data in the Pink Cone Group.
 
Pink Cone:  Over the past two days, Pink Cone backed up one hour.  Ben Hoppe had a day filled with short waits and or walk-up geysers today.  I'll let him report his story.  But I will include one snippet because it involved me.  Ben had stopped to talk to me at White Dome.  He walked back to Great Fountain to verify that it was in overflow.  When he came back he indicated he was going read for about 30 minutes there at White Dome before driving back around to Great Fountain.  I did the calculations in my head and said if it were me, I would read at Pink Cone instead.  I said there was no guarantee, but Ben agreed he liked my thinking, especially since he didn't know if he'd ever seen a Pink Cone start.   He drove over there and Pink Cone started shortly after he arrived, addiing another walk-up to his day.
 
Visitor comment of the day:  Sitting at Gemini/Pebble, I've about given up saying anything to people who  walk out to Cave, unless they go beyond the sign.  So I went through most of the day without saying anything to anyone.  This afternoon however a couple walked across the bare sinter toward Gemini, with the female member of the couple in the lead.  I quietly and politely asked them to return to the pavement, indicating where they were walking was dangerous.  I told them there's hot water and thin sinter where they were walking.  The female member replied, "I know.  That's why we're going out there!"
 
I managed to spend much of Saturday and most of today until I had my first wrong way driver on Firehole Lake Drive today at 1610.
 
Whiskey Flats--Even with the periodic rain storms the past few days, Whiskey Flats is not a lake this year; it's barely a pond.  The frogs are quite happy, croaking loudly.
 
Final notes--birds:  My logbook for today contains the notation that I heard my first sandhill cranes of this season this morning at 1038.  At 1927 I again heard a pair of sandhills.  This time they came flying in from the area over near Firehole Pool, flew across the meadow so we could see them until they disappeared behind White Dome.  Their altitude was decreasing as they passed White Dome.  I don't know whether they landed in the Tangled Creek area or whether they kept flying over toward the meadow in Fountain Flats.  At 1046 I noted the sound of a goose.  And, at 1202, as I was returning from Fountain Paint Pots, I saw a mallard duck, a drake, floating on the lukewarm pool on the right hand side of the road not far from the entrance to Firehole Lake Drive.  On my way back to West Yellowstone I saw several osprey sitting in snags along the Firehole River, and plenty of white blobs of foam on the River, but still haven't spotted the pair of swans that Barbara has seen. 
 
Lynn Stephens
 
 
 		 	   		  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: </geyser-list/attachments/20150526/75381842/attachment.html>