Geyser Watch

The changes in the thermal features fascinate me, and the record keeper part of me wants to keep finding and pairing up these types of images. They aren’t stunning images that will take your breath away, but sometimes the story they tell or the record they keep is the focus.

Another change in a thermal feature – I think. I had asked a couple of more knowledgeable folks about Variable Spring (in the Upper Geyser Basin – it’s located sort of ‘behind’ Grotto) when I was there in June.  This year it had a small bubbler next to it. I’ve searched my photos, but haven’t found another one with the exact same view. The folks I talked with in June weren’t sure if that was new or just larger, but we all noticed it.

Here’s how it looked in 2008:

Variable Spring 14 Sept 2008

And here’s how it looked this June (2010):

Variable Spring 8 June 2010

Then I enlarged the area in question. Here’s the 2009 photo cropped:

Is that depression there a small spring already? Maybe. Maybe not. Here’s that same area in question from the June 2010 photo:

Sigh. I’m not sure if we’ll ever really know for certain, but if I can get back up there before the snow flies this year, it’s one thing on my list to check on again.

OH! And speaking of changes…there was an email yesterday saying that a disturbance is going on over at Norris Geyser Basin. That means there’s more activity and things that haven’t been erupting now are. No idea of how long it’ll last, but if you have a chance, Norris would be more fun and interesting to visit right now.