Massive Yellowstone geyser puts on a surprise show

For the first time since 2005, Steamboat Geyser erupted:

Steamboat must have decided it was showtime again on Wednesday. For the first time in eight years, and without warning, the geyser suddenly erupted in a massive spectacle, stunning those on the observation deck, who raced to pull out their cameras. "We estimate this eruption was about 200 to 300 feet high, and then it just steamed for about 24 hours," said Yellowstone spokesman Dan Hottle. It took park rangers about two hours to get there. Because of the number of geysers at Yellowstone -- 300, which is more than half of the world's total -- rangers rely on electronic heat sensors placed at each geyser to tell them when one has gone off. Steamboat is in the Norris Geyser Basin in Wyoming.

I am not even going to add any speculation on this... Yellowstone goes through periods of activity all of the time. This is the current update from the USGS:

During July 2013, the University of Utah located 128 earthquakes in the Yellowstone National Park region. The largest event was a minor earthquake of magnitude 3.1 on July 1, 2013 at 04:49 AM MDT, located about 11 miles northeast of West Yellowstone, MT. June seismicity in Yellowstone was marked by two distinct clusters of episodic earthquakes: (1) A swarm of earthquakes, ~11 miles northeast of West Yellowstone, MT, began June 30 and continued with 29 earthquakes occurring in July, including the largest event of the month on July 1st at 04:49 MDT (magnitude 3.1). In total, the swarm produced 49 earthquakes over 2 days. (2) 29 events ~13 miles east-northeast of West Yellowstone, WY occurred July 30th, the largest earthquake having a magnitude of 1.8. Yellowstone earthquake activity remains at normal background levels. Slow subsidence of the caldera, which began in early 2010, continues. Current deformation patterns at Yellowstone remain well within historical norms.

I will say, however, that it may pay to keep an eye on things...

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory


Source

That's a very optimistic title and let's hope
It stays something fun and interesting.
And not holy **** !
Dig a hole quick.

if this supervolcano activated..we will see cathastrop global event..and i hope not..scary..keep us update sir..very nice info..

I bet it did put on one heck of a show... would have loved to have seen it... oh well. I live just close enough that, if it does start to really act up... don't count on me posting a thread about it

Originally posted by madmac5150
I bet it did put on one heck of a show... would have loved to have seen it... oh well. I live just close enough that, if it does start to really act up... don't count on me posting a thread about it

waiitttttt..you live nearby? hey hey you must update us sir..if you can take some picture..if you can sir..

Originally posted by cheesy

Originally posted by madmac5150
I bet it did put on one heck of a show... would have loved to have seen it... oh well. I live just close enough that, if it does start to really act up... don't count on me posting a thread about it

waiitttttt..you live nearby? hey hey you must update us sir..if you can take some picture..if you can sir..

I don't live that close... if it does something that I can get a picture of, we are probably, well, see my second signature line

Found this on youtube.

Can someone please explain how the Feds are able to cut eruptions at yellowstone as part of their sequester? Since the park has been brought up I thought it a good time to get feedback. I'm bummed because I always thought these eruptions were natural. Now the Feds are asking park officials to cut back on these eruptions so they will be reducing water flow? Does this mean these eruptions are man (from old faithful and various other geysers) or are they going to divert water? and what purpose would this serve? I feel I'm super dense on this as it can't be that hard but I'm stumped.


www.yellowstonegate.com...

Originally posted by Dianec

Can someone please explain how the Feds are able to cut eruptions at yellowstone as part of their sequester? Since the park has been brought up I thought it a good time to get feedback. I'm bummed because I always thought these eruptions were natural. Now the Feds are asking park officials to cut back on these eruptions so they will be reducing water flow? Does this mean these eruptions are man (from old faithful and various other geysers) or are they going to divert water? and what purpose would this serve? I feel I'm super dense on this as it can't be that hard but I'm stumped.


www.yellowstonegate.com...

The date on that article is April 1---ya got fooled,

reply to post by Dianec


The Old Faithful Geyser's eruptions are being cut back because tourists are harming the environment by looking at them too much.
In all seriousness, look at the date of the article you posted...it was an April Fool's joke!

reply to post by Dianec


The article you provided explained that a man-made water infrastructure artificially supplies and refills the geysers sooner than they would refill themselves naturally from surface water, ground water, and precipitation.

The Northern Rockies Watershed Compact of 1892 requires the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, as well as the federal government, to pay into a trust fund used to cover the costs of dams, irrigation canals and other water infrastructure across the region, said Phil McCandliss, a law professor and water rights specialist at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Water usage, including surface water that recharges Old Faithful and other thermal features in the park, is released from a network of regional reservoirs on a cost-paid basis, he said. The park has approximately 500 geysers and more than 10,000 thermal features that draw water from the system.

I can't find any other source for this allegation other than the one you provided. I don't know if it is true.

reply to post by Sahabi


Thanks for that info but it was an April fools joke! A reputable paper did a good job on that one. I scanned over the article, got busy, and didn't think of it again until this post today when I realized how strange this sequestration was. Thanks to you all I see it was indeed an April fools joke. Talk about a delay in "getting it". I feel quite stupid at this moment. Going to get a good nights sleep and stop believing things so easily! Ugh.

Originally posted by Dianec
reply to post by Sahabi

 

Thanks for that info but it was an April fools joke! A reputable paper did a good job on that one. I scanned over the article, got busy, and didn't think of it again until this post today when I realized how strange this sequestration was. Thanks to you all I see it was indeed an April fools joke. Talk about a delay in "getting it". I feel quite stupid at this moment. Going to get a good nights sleep and stop believing things so easily! Ugh.

edit on 3-8-2013 by Dianec because: Edited to make more to point.

Hey, don't feel bad. I've been to Old Faithful and I was buying the story enough by the end to plan a call to Montana relatives in the morning to see what the heck that was all about??

It sounded so crazy and wild...but then, darned if they didn't come up with a scenario so stupid and outlandish, it was precisely what I've come to expect from our Government, with a plausible method of screwing with nature too... Err... Yeah, I think I'll actually take a moment tomorrow to drop a note to the editor with a congrats. How often does an April Fools gag play SO well, it's still pranking well into the future? Very good job on that!

** By the way, I figured why wait? I just sent off an Email to the name on the byline of the April Fools story. We got a laugh out of it, right? Why not give him one too, for how it's been a gift to keep on giving. I'll drop a note back here if I get a reply on it.

reply to post by Dianec


That one's solved! I didn't put much trust in the article, as it was the only source of the allegation.

reply to post by Dianec

Thanks for that info but it was an April fools joke! A reputable paper did a good job on that one. I scanned over the article, got busy, and didn't think of it again until this post today when I realized how strange this sequestration was. Thanks to you all I see it was indeed an April fools joke. Talk about a delay in "getting it". I feel quite stupid at this moment. Going to get a good nights sleep and stop believing things so easily! Ugh.

What are you talking about? It's all over several sources, it erupted on July 31st. Published AUGUST 1st.

Am I missing something?
here's a linked video on livescience showing it: www.livescience.com...

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by Dianec

 

What are you talking about? It's all over several sources, it erupted on July 31st. Published AUGUST 1st.

Am I missing something?
here's a linked video on livescience showing it: www.livescience.com...

i heard the CNN report just 30 minutes ago... 10:44AM Eastern 3 August 2013


maybe the link was a Fool Day Joke that was revived as being a factual NEWS item for the recent PoP




another point...

i wonder if the fracking of the balken & shale oil pools of liquid oil are making the subterranian water aquifers do strange stuff...like pool water into the cavity that has been 'dead' for the past few years?

reply to post by St Udio


I'm responding to my initial response to the OP. I had asked a question. Shouldn't have done that as it clearly confussed. Sorry for doing that OPer..

reply to post by Dianec

OH! Okay, I see now. You were referring to another source, not the OP. Got it. Thanks, I thought I had a brain fart going on....which isn't at all unusual.