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Geyser eruption depends on rainfall patterns


Date: 11-Jun-08
Author: U.S. Geological Survey

New research suggests that how often Old Faithful and other Yellowstone geysers erupt may depend on annual rainfall patterns.

Geysers are rare hot springs that periodically erupt bursts of steam and hot water. Old Faithful has remained faithful for at least the past 135 years, showering appreciative tourists every 50 to 90 minutes (most recently an average of 91 minutes).


Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park.  Courtesy: U.S. Geological Survey

USGS researcher Shaul Hurwitz and his colleagues from Stanford University and Yellowstone National Park have discovered that changes of water supply to a geyser's underground plumbing may have a large influence on eruption intervals; that is, the time between eruptions.

Full story: What Makes an Old Geyser Faithful?

 

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