yellowstone geysers

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‘Geyser Gazers’ patiently wait for Yellowstone eruptions

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Self-described 'geyser gazer' Ryan Maurer takes notes after the eruptions of Lion Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone is home to two-thirds of the world’s geysers, attracting visitors from around the world. Most catch Old Faithful and may wander the boardwalks and accidentally witness other eruptions. Some look at the schedule in the visitor’s office listing the times for the six predictable regular geysers, Great Fountain, Grand, Castle, Daisy and Riverside along with Old Faithful, and plan their day in hopes of catching those in action. But a dedicated few devote weeks, and sometimes entire summers, to waiting, watching and recording eruptions. These are geyser gazers and members of the Geyser Observation and Study Association. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, People, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, geyser gazers, geysers, morning glory pool, old faithful

World’s tallest geyser erupts in Yellowstone

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Steamboat Geyser erupts in Yellowstone National Park in 2005. The Norris Geyser Basin feature is the largest active geyser in the world, spewing water more than 300 feet into the air during full eruptions.

Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world, delighted visitors to Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday, spewing steam high into the air in a rare and powerful eruption that lasted several minutes and resulted in ongoing steam and rumbling that persisted until Thursday morning. Full eruptions of Steamboat are rare and unpredictable, and are prized by geyser gazers who wait to witness a rare column of super-heated water that can reach more than 300 feet. Eruptions can last only a few minutes, or as long as 40 minutes, with this week's outburst lasting a reported 15-20 minutes. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, News, Science & Nature, geysers, Norris Geyser Basin, steamboat geyser, yellowstone geysers

Steamboat geyser, world’s tallest, erupts in Yellowstone after 8-year lull

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The world's tallest active geyser has erupted in Yellowstone National Park for the first time in eight years, sending a steam-powered jet of excitement through geyser gazers who consider it one of the most special eruptions to behold. The water from Steamboat can reach as high as 300 feet, with steam from that spray reaching even higher. By comparison, the Statue of Liberty measures 305 feet from the torch to the ground below its pedestal. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, News, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, steamboat geyser, trending, yellowstone geysers

Yellowstone sees rare dual eruption of Morning and Fountain geysers

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On Wednesday, a group of dedicated geyser enthusiasts headed to the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park to await a possible eruption of Morning Geyser near the Fountain Paint Pots. The hours of waiting paid off not only in an eruption of Morning Geyser, but also a rare simultaneous eruption from Fountain Geyser. This became the 9th known dual eruption of these two closely connected geysers in the history of Yellowstone. Morning erupted for a full 33 minutes before quieting down and allowing Fountain Geyser to finish another hour of the eruption. The total eruption of Fountain Geyser lasted 93 minutes. The early evening light and blue skies dotted with summer clouds made for fantastic viewing conditions. A couple of the bursts from Morning reached 150-200 feet as estimated by knowledgeable geyser gazers. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Inside the Parks, Yellowstone, fountain geyser, morning geyser, trending, yellowstone geysers

Hot ground prompts boardwalk shift in Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone

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Yellowstone National Park's geyser basins see constant shifts and changes. New features heat up while others cool down. This is a normal process in the geyser basins and is monitored using a range of advanced technologies, allowing the National Park Service to take action to mitigate the situation. In the Upper Geyser Basin, a hot spring across the boardwalk from Scallop Spring (just across the bridge by Castle Geyser) has gradually expanded to the point where the heat from it now weakens the wood of the boardwalk above it. Other areas of hot ground have been detected nearby as well, and the decision was made to move the boardwalk away from this increasingly unstable ground. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Inside the Parks, Yellowstone, boardwalks, maintenance, safety, yellowstone geysers

Yellowstone geyser predictions: Why didn’t it erupt on time?

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Geysers are a rare sight anywhere in the world, so with half the planet's geothermal features located in Yellowstone National Park, the natural wonders rank high on "must-see" lists for most first-time park visitors. Old Faithful is famous for erupting "on schedule," so shouldn’t there be a geyser schedule for the whole day posted somewhere? Sure, if geysers were truly predictable. But they’re not. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Grand Teton, Inside the Parks, geysers, old faithful, trending, yellowstone geysers

Yellowstone Geyser Report for January: Longer days make winter viewing more productive

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Old Faithful Geyser erupts on the morning of Dec. 19 as seen from the National Park Service webcam.

The geysers and other thermal features of Yellowstone National Park make up a vast, complex and dynamic collection of constantly changing natural wonders. A wide range of amateur hobbyists and professional geologists and hydrologists regularly track the activities and changes in Yellowstone’s thermal features and post their findings at various sites online. Here’s a look at thermal activity in December 2012 and January 2013. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, geysers, giant geyser, yellowstone geysers

Yellowstone Geyser Report for October: Great Fountain Goes Wild

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The geysers and other thermal features of Yellowstone National Park make up a vast, complex and dynamic collection of constantly changing natural wonders. A wide range of amateur hobbyists and professional geologists and hydrologists regularly track the activities and changes in Yellowstone’s thermal features and post their findings at various sites online. Here's a look at October's thermal activity. October saw quite a few interesting changes, and based on reports, would have been a great time to head to Yellowstone to see things in person. The first snowfall of the season came to Yellowstone and closed some of the entrances in October. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, great fountain geyser, morning geyser, november yellowstone geyser report, yellowstone geysers

Yellowstone geyser report for September: Fan and Mortar fall into a rhythm

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September 2012 saw Plume Geyser stop erupting for the second time this year. The last known eruption was on the morning of September 6. While no eruptions have been seen since, constant gurgling lets us know the water isn’t terribly far below the surface. Listen to the gurgling of Plume Geyser here. Beehive Geyser seems to be averaging an eruption once every 12-17 hours. About 15 hours is a good guess to have for the center of an unofficial prediction window. Most daytime eruptions are caught on the live streaming webcam and can be a nice break during the work day. Aurum Geyser has had a few 3- and 4-hour intervals between all the long intervals of 10 or more hours. That means it's likely to shift into winter mode soon. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Geology, Science & Nature, Yellowstone, fan geyser, morning geyser, mortar geyser, yellowstone geysers