[Geysers] Geyser Report 6/23 (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

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I sacrificed a super or superb burst this morning at Great Fountain so I could get a duration on Twig and listen to Twig's steam phase.  I got the duration--31 minutes--but didn't get a steam phase.  After the bursting stopped it took 4 minutes before the water level drained from Twig's crater.  After the water finally drained there was no steam phase.  Also I noted that the crater isn't filling completely during Twig's eruption.  Only a tiny amount of water is splashed out into the rough sinter edge of the crater.  Since no hot water is running out of the crater there isn't any warm runoff to support cyanobacteria or other thermophiles so no colorful runoff around Twig's crater again this summer.
 
My goal for today was to obtain a closed interval on Atomizer--21h09m.  I've seen four Atomizer major eruptions in the four weeks I've been here.  Three of them were not quick come-back majors occurring 5-20 minutes after the preceding minor.  Today's eruption was a quick come-back major, occurring 6 minutes after the preceding minor had ended.  I waited over 3 1/2 hours from the time I arrived until I saw a minor eruption, which lasted 50 seconds.  The next minor occurred after a 1h39m interval and lasted 64 seconds.  The post-minor splashing started almost immediately and within 3 minutes had built to the point where the splashing was almost continuous and wide enough to fill the cone.  At the 6 minute mark the splashing built into a full eruption.  Water splashed from the eastern cone about 2 minutes into the eruption before it turned to steam.  Water phase from the western cone lasted about 10 minutes and noisy steam phase continued about 20 minutes.
 
While I waiting for Atomizer I also got to see another Artemisia eruption for an interval of 20h20m.  I also got to see an osprey with a fish fly over Artemisia twice today.
 
This evening Pink Cone waited until 2022, just 3 minutes shy of a 24 hour interval.
 
Great Fountain erupted at 2105.  The first burst started with a sideways blue bubble that must have gone 100 feet out to the west.  The remainder of the first burst was pretty but not massive.  I did not stay after the end of the first burst.
 
I may try for another closed major to major interval on Atomizer tomorrow while I'm hoping to hear an event cycle called for Fan & Mortar.  Unless I see something unusual this will be my last post for this trip.  When I return in late August I'll be camped at Madison Campground without internet access so this will probably also be my last post for the year.
 
Lynn Stephens
 
 
 		 	   		  
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