Did You Know?

Answers to questions asked on the Home page.

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Hunting Birds

Hunting with a camera that is. Birds are fascinating to watch and try to find. Let's start exploring....

Animals

Animals are intriguing to look for and watch in the wild. They come in all shapes and sizes. What do you know about the animals you see?....

Hydrothermal Features

Yellowstone National Park exist today because of it's 10,000+ features....

Water of Yellowstone

If you visit Yellowstone National Park water will be a key resource of your visit....

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Do Geysers Stop or Start Erupting?

Sawmill Geyser during a dormant period.

Here is Sawmill Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin in a dormant period. Look at the dark color in the water. That brown color indicates that the water temperature is probably below 90°F (90°C).
 

Geysers can become active or go dormant at any time. Some geysers have very irregular intervals. For example, Ear Spring erupted on September 15, 2018, after last erupting on January 28, 1957. Ear Spring interval was 61 years, 245 days, 15 hours, and 49 minutes. Many people did not know the Ear Spring was a geyser because of its very long interval and its name as a spring.

Anything that impacts the ingredients that make a geyser erupt can stop or start eruptions. Water must be hot for eruptions to occur. Anything that decreases or increases the underground temperature can be a cause. Any sudden change in water flow levels can impact a geyser's ability to erupt.

Yellowstone National Park has 1000-3000 earthquakes each year. Most are below our ability as humans to feel. But they are capable of physically opening or closing a geyser plumbing system. They can also change how or if the water flows to a geyser or system.

New features sometimes rise to the ground surface. What type of feature develops depends on the structure involved, water temperature, and available water, to mention a few requirements.

One word you must always associate with Yellowstone is "change." Geyser basins constantly change, with features going dormant, becoming active, changing, or created.

Looking down into the Upper Geyser Basin from Observation Point. Plume Geyser is in eruption in this 2012 picture.

The image above is of Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin from Observation Point. On the right, the beautiful blue pool is Giantess Geyser. Giantess Geyser last erupted on August 11, 2021. On the left corner of this picture is Plume Geyser erupting. This picture is from 2012, Plume Geyser last erupted on January 26, 2013.
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