Grand Geyser

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Grand Geyser during an eruption. The smaller Vent Geyser is erupting at left.
Grand Geyser during an eruption. The smaller Vent Geyser is erupting at left.
Grand Geyser
Grand Geyser
Grand Geyser
Grand Geyser

Grand Geyser is a fountain geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is the tallest predictable geyser known. It was named by Dr. F.V. Hayden in 1871.[1]

Contents

[edit] Eruptions

Grand's fountain reaches a height of as much as 200 feet (60 m), with a duration of 9–12 minutes. Its eruptions occur in a series of 1–4 (rarely as many as 5) bursts.[2]

[edit] Sequence

Grand erupts every 7–15 hours. It belongs to the Grand Group (or Grand Geyser Complex), and its eruption is connected to those of the other geysers in the group, especially the adjacent Vent Geyser and Turban Geyser.[3]

For a few hours before an eruption by Grand, Turban Geyser erupts for a duration of five minutes about every 20 minutes. Grand's eruption begins within 1–2 minutes of one of Turban's eruptions with Vent Geyser erupting shortly after Grand. On occasions, Grand will stop erupting after 8 minutes only to restart with a taller fountain a minute or two later. Grand has been known to rarely experience over half a dozen restarts in a single eruption period. After Grand ceases its eruption, Vent and Turban continue erupting for another hour.[3]

Upon the finish of an eruption, Grand's pool is empty and takes about five hours to refill.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bauer, Clyde Max (1947). Yellowstone Geysers. Yellowstone Park, Wyoming: Haynes. ASIN B0007E44C4. 
  2. ^ Grand Geyser. Old Faithful Area Tour. Retrieved on 2005-09-16.
  3. ^ a b c Grand Geyser. Geyser Observation and Study Association (GOSA) (2006). Retrieved on May 23, 2006.

[edit] External links