Echinus Geyser | |
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Echinus Geyser during an eruption | |
Location | Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Park County, Wyoming |
Coordinates | 44°43′21″N110°42′05″W / 44.7224352°N 110.7013199°W Coordinates: 44°43′21″N110°42′05″W / 44.7224352°N 110.7013199°W [1] |
Elevation | 7,575 feet (2,309 m) [2] |
Type | Fountain geyser |
Eruption height | 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 m) |
Frequency | rare |
Duration | 4 minutes |
Temperature | 80.3 °C (176.5 °F) [1] |
Norris Geyser Basin |
Echinus Geyser is a geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Echinus was named during one of the U.S. Geological Surveys of the park in the late 1870s or early 1880s. The name Echinus comes from the spiny appearance of the cone that resembles a Sea urchin or class Echinoidea . [3]
Echinus' eruptions are unpredictable. Its fountain reaches a height of as much as 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 m), with a duration of about 4 minutes. Prior to 1998, this geyser was very regular, every 35 to 75 minutes. There were also major eruptions that lasted as much as 118 minutes. It is speculated that there was a secondary underground water source that used to power the major eruptions and that the connection to the source was severed leading to Echinus' current state. [4]
In October 2017, Echinus Geyser began to show signs of growing activity, with possible eruptions every 2-3 hours. In January 2018, Echinus' last eruption was recorded of this active phase. [5] One recorded eruption occurred in January 2019. [5]
Echinus is the largest acid-water geyser in the world. Its waters have a pH of 3.3 to 3.6, nearly as acidic as vinegar. [4] The water temperature is 80.3 °C (176.5 °F). [1]
Old Faithful is a cone geyser located in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. It was named in 1870 during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to receive a name. It is a highly predictable geothermal feature, and has erupted every 44 minutes to two hours since 2000. The geyser and the nearby Old Faithful Inn are part of the Old Faithful Historic District.
The geothermal areas of Yellowstone include several geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park as well as other geothermal features such as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. The number of thermal features in Yellowstone is estimated at 10,000. A study that was completed in 2011 found that a total of 1,283 geysers have erupted in Yellowstone, 465 of which are active during an average year. These are distributed among nine geyser basins, with a few geysers found in smaller thermal areas throughout the Park. The number of geysers in each geyser basin are as follows: Upper Geyser Basin (410), Midway Geyser Basin (59), Lower Geyser Basin (283), Norris Geyser Basin (193), West Thumb Geyser Basin (84), Gibbon Geyser Basin (24), Lone Star Geyser Basin (21), Shoshone Geyser Basin (107), Heart Lake Geyser Basin (69), other areas (33). Although famous large geysers like Old Faithful are part of the total, most of Yellowstone's geysers are small, erupting to only a foot or two. The hydrothermal system that supplies the geysers with hot water sits within an ancient active caldera. Many of the thermal features in Yellowstone build up sinter, geyserite, or travertine deposits around and within them.
Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest currently-active geyser. Steamboat Geyser has two vents, a northern and a southern, approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) apart. The north vent is responsible for the tallest water columns; the south vent's water columns are shorter.
The Yellowstone Caldera is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The caldera and most of the park are located in the northwest corner of Wyoming. The major features of the caldera measure about 34 by 45 miles.
Riverside Geyser is a geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming.
Castle Geyser is a cone geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. It is noted for the particularly large geyserite sinter deposits, which form its cone. These deposits have been likened in appearance to a castle.
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.
Turban Geyser is a geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Daisy Geyser is a geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Atomizer Geyser is a cone geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Atomizer Geyser is part of the Cascade Group which also includes Artemisia Geyser. The geyser is named for a fine mist resembling the spray from an atomizer that is ejected during major eruptions.
Narcissus Geyser is a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Narcissus Geyser is part of the Pink Cone Group. Other geysers in this group are Bead Geyser, Box Spring, Dilemma Geyser, Labial Geyser, Labial's Satellite Geyser, Pink Geyser, and Pink Cone Geyser.
Excelsior Geyser Crater, formerly known as Excelsior Geyser, is a dormant fountain-type geyser in the Midway Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Excelsior was named by the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871.
Beehive Geyser is a geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. The 4-foot (1.2 m) tall cone resembles a beehive. Beehive's Indicator is a small, jagged cone-type geyser located about 10 feet (3.0 m) from Beehive.
Fountain Geyser is a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Solitary Geyser is a fountain-type geyser in Yellowstone National Park, located above the Upper Geyser Basin. Eruptions last about a minute and are four to eight minutes apart; most eruptions are less than six feet in height. It is very distinctive with clear blue water underneath and a base that is tinted orange. Solitary Geyser is accessible via the Observation Point loop trail behind Old Faithful.
Jet Geyser is a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Jet Geyser is in the Fountain Group that includes Fountain Geyser, Morning Geyser, Red Spouter and Silex Spring.
Giant Geyser is a cone-type geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Giant Geyser is the namesake for the Giant Group of geysers, which, on its platform, includes Bijou Geyser, Catfish Geyser, Mastiff Geyser, the "Platform Vents," and Turtle Geyser. Giant Geyser's Platform, a raised stone structure incorporating all these geysers. Giant is notable for its spectacular, but sporadic eruptions, as well as for its very large cone of geyserite, which stands about 12 feet tall.
Lion Geyser is a cone-type geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is located in the Geyser Hill complex.
Lone Star Geyser is a cone type geyser located in the Lone Star Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. The basin is a backcountry geyser basin located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin. The geyser is reached via an old service road open to hikers and biking with the trailhead near Kepler Cascades on the Grand Loop Road.
Bulger Geyser is located in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Bulger Geyser is 200 feet (61 m) south of Grand Geyser. It erupts frequently, with both major and minor eruptions. As with most geysers, the minor eruptions are the most common. They have a duration of seconds. Major eruptions are infrequent, but they have durations as long as 12 minutes. Either way, the play consists of somewhat vigorous bursting 1–12 feet high.