Sawmill Geyser, named for the whirring sound it makes during its eruption, is a geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. The geyser was named by Antoine Schoenborn of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871.
Sawmill is the largest geyser in the Sawmill Complex, a region of geothermal features located in Upper Geyser Basin approximately 10 feet off the path. [2] The geyser has an irregular pattern of eruption due to the underground structural interconnectivity which is characteristic of geyser complexes. Despite this, it tends to have a delay around 1 to 3 hours between eruptions. Often, Sawmill will erupt after the nearby Spasmodic Geyser, but only if Penta Geyser, another significant geyser in the complex, does not erupt first. If Penta erupts before Sawmill, Sawmill is cut off from water, and cannot erupt until the basin is reloaded, indicated by an eruption by Spasmodic. Another eruption indicator is when Sawmill fills with the rest of the geyser's water in the Sawmill Complex or starts to overflow, bubbles tend to rise to the surface. This indicates that an eruption is near. Sawmill drains after its eruptions, and if it had a large eruption prior, unusual behavior can occur in other geysers in the area.
Sawmill was a frequent eruptor in recent years prior to January or February 2017, when it suddenly ceased eruptive activity for over four years. [3] [2] According to reports submitted to GeyserTimes.org, Sawmill's last observed eruption for over four years occurred during the morning hours of January 29, 2017. Sawmill Geyser resumed eruptive activity with an eruption at 2:00 AM on June 24, 2021. [4]
A geyser is a spring characterized by an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. As a fairly rare phenomenon, the formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in a few places on Earth.
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.
Riverside Geyser is a geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming.
Brilliant Pool is a hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Brilliant Pool is part of the Daisy Group and is interconnected with the Daisy and Splendid Geysers. Prior to an eruption by Daisy or Splendid, the pool is filled.
Anemone Geyser is a geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Anemone is actually two closely related geysers. The larger of the two is known as Big or North Anemone while the smaller is known as Little or South Anemone. The two geysers were named after the anemone flower by the Hague Party in 1904. Both vents have a pale yellow color and shape similar to the flower.
Spindle Geyser is a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming.
Botryoidal Spring is a fountain-type geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Artemisia 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.
Box Spring is a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Dilemma Geyser is a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is part of the Pink Cone complex. Other geysers in this group are Bead Geyser, Box Spring, Labial Geyser, Labial's Satellite Geyser, Narcissus Geyser, Pink Geyser, and Pink Cone Geyser.
Pink Geyser is a fountain-type geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
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 straw beehive. Beehive's Indicator is a small, jagged cone-type geyser located about 10 feet (3.0 m) from Beehive.
Baby Daisy Geyser is a geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is part of the Old Road group of geysers.
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.
Spasmodic Geyser is a geyser located in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
White Dome Geyser is a geyser located in the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Penta Geyser sits a few feet off the path adjacent to Spasmodic Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States.
Opal Pool is a hot spring in the Midway Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Opal Pool usually has a temperature of approximately 132 °F (56 °C). Though usually active as a hot spring, Opal Pool is considered a fountain-type geyser.
Approaching Sawmill - July 5, 2010
Near Sawmill - July 5, 2010
Sawmill Geyser spout - September 17, 2010
