Steamboat Geyser
Encyclopedia
Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park
's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest currently-active geyser
. During major eruptions, water may be thrown more than 300 feet (90 m) into the air.
Steamboat's major eruptions last from 3 to 40 minutes in length, and are followed by powerful jets of steam. Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from four days to fifty years. The geyser was dormant from 1911 to 1961. Minor eruptions of 10 to 15 feet (3–5 m) are much more frequent. After an eruption the geyser often vents large amounts of steam for up to 48 hours. Cistern Spring, located nearby, will drain completely during a major eruption of the geyser; the spring refills within a few days.
Prior to 1904, Waimangu Geyser
, in New Zealand, had some taller eruptions capable of reaching 1600 feet (487.7 m) but in 1904 a landslide
changed the local water table and since then Waimangu has not erupted. Excelsior Geyser
in Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin likewise was taller, with eruptions reaching 300 feet (91.4 m). However, Excelsior has not erupted since 1985, and is now classified as a hot spring.
As of 23 May 2005, the last eight eruptions of Steamboat Geyser occurred on:
Steamboat Geyser has two vents, a northern and a southern, approximately five meters apart.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest currently-active geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
. During major eruptions, water may be thrown more than 300 feet (90 m) into the air.
Steamboat's major eruptions last from 3 to 40 minutes in length, and are followed by powerful jets of steam. Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from four days to fifty years. The geyser was dormant from 1911 to 1961. Minor eruptions of 10 to 15 feet (3–5 m) are much more frequent. After an eruption the geyser often vents large amounts of steam for up to 48 hours. Cistern Spring, located nearby, will drain completely during a major eruption of the geyser; the spring refills within a few days.
Prior to 1904, Waimangu Geyser
Waimangu Geyser
The Waimangu Geyser, located near Rotorua in New Zealand, was the most powerful geyser in the world. Its workings were apparently created by the great 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption, which opened a 14km-long fissure down the mountain and through Lake Rotomahana.The geyser was first seen erupting in...
, in New Zealand, had some taller eruptions capable of reaching 1600 feet (487.7 m) but in 1904 a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
changed the local water table and since then Waimangu has not erupted. Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser
Excelsior Geyser Crater, formerly known as Excelsior Geyser, is a hot spring in the Midway Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Excelsior was named by the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871...
in Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin likewise was taller, with eruptions reaching 300 feet (91.4 m). However, Excelsior has not erupted since 1985, and is now classified as a hot spring.
As of 23 May 2005, the last eight eruptions of Steamboat Geyser occurred on:
- 12 October 1991
- 2 May 2000
- 26 April 2002
- 13 September 2002
- 26 March 2003
- 27 April 2003
- 22 October 2003
- 23 May 2005
Steamboat Geyser has two vents, a northern and a southern, approximately five meters apart.