Geyser Watch
An Online Field Journal at YellowstoneNaturalist.com
Watching water go the other way…
as well as many more not-quite-so-exciting thermal features of Yellowstone.
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Jan 2024
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Geyser Watch Blog Posts
Abyss Pool Heating Up – July 2017
Just a quick post here to share some comparison photos of the heating up of Abyss Pool at West Thumb Geyser Basin. While there haven’t been any reports of “Waterfall Geyser” in quite awhile, it seems the whole geyser basin is just slowly heating up. Which thermal...
Upper Geyser Basin Late June 2017
I recently spent three nights in the Old Faithful area and four delightful days spent taking notes on what I saw and visiting with friends. While I still need to go through more files, I’m starting to take more of the approach I do to scrapbooking and just find...
Watching Ledge Spring Erupt
Ledge Spring is one of the thermal features at West Thumb that has benefited from the energy increase that started last August with the appearance of “Waterfall Geyser.” In just a few days, this spring when from lower water and a crater lined with brown microbes to...
Updates from West Thumb early June 2017
The thermal energy continues to slowly increase at West Thumb Geyser Basin. This dynamic geyser basin is used to energy shifts, but this one is pretty good and will be fun to watch what happens over the summer. At best, I’m hoping to see another geyser or two...
Fountain Paint Pots area update early June 2017
More changes happening in Yellowstone – which really isn’t news, but change is always fun to watch. This time it’s in the Lower Geyser Basin in the Fountain Paint Pots area. A new vent has opened up near Clepsydra Geyser that’s known to be a fairly constant performer...
Spasmodic Geyser Observations 23 April 2017
It’s sometimes easiest to understand field notes by simply seeing how someone else keeps theirs. And since the Sawmill Group is acting differently this spring, I want to get my field notes out where others can see them for themselves. This way, if others decide to...
Sawmill Geyser is taking a break
As the summer 2017 season in Yellowstone starts to bring in more reports, there are some changes happening in the Sawmill Group. This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you follow a link and make a purchase, I receive a smallportion of that purchase at...
Updates from West Thumb – Early May 2017
Last week I took a survey flight over Yellowstone mainly to check on the thermal features at West Thumb as well as gather photos for my next book. In particular, I wanted to see if the geyser that started to erupt last August was still active or if the energy had...
Why is it called Black Pool when it’s blue?
One of the most often asked questions at West Thumb Geyser Basin is, “Why is it called Black Pool when it’s blue?” This NPS photo from 1978 shows how it used to look, which is black. The microbes lining the surface of the crater were said to be a dark orange or brown...
Giant Geyser Awakening?
Geyser Gazers in Yellowstone yesterday had a great kick off to 2017 with a Hot Period from Giant Geyser. They noticed Grotto Geyser was recovering from a “marathon” eruption – one that lasts a long time and drains the system enough to give Giant Geyser an opportunity...
Watching “N.O.T. Geyser” Grow at West Thumb
UPDATE: This thermal feature has a new nickname of "Waterfall Geyser" given due to the fact that numerous visitors when seeing this geyser in eruption commented about the waterfall of water from this geyser into Thumb Geyser's crater. This summer a new geyser broke...
Explore the Geyser Basins
