Yellowstone's Geysers: How Do They Work and Why They Exist - Answers From A Geologist

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Hi Shawn, some food for thought: (1) As the bubbles start to form and expand in the superheated water deep in the geyser, water starts getting pushed out of the vent, lowering the weight and corresponding pressure on the superheated water. This lowers the boiling point which causes more of the water to boil, which pushes out more water, creating a runaway condition. (2) As the bubbles rise, the pressure upon them decreases, causing them to expand further, ejecting more water, and contributing to the runaway condition. (3) The boiling of the water removes a lot of thermal energy from the hot rock at depth, which means that the rock lining the geyser deep down gets cooled somewhat, and it will take some time for that temperature to rise back up again. That should help the geyser refill. (4) Without a vent restriction, and/or with too low a refill rate, it is likely that incoming water would be boiled off and escape as vapor as fast as the water came in. They geyser would become a fumarole instead. (5) I speculate that Steamboat may be in a related state where a restriction needs to form in order for it to reach a point where the incoming water is not able to boil off as quickly as it enters, only for that restriction to be partially or totally blown apart during the next eruption. The restriction may be from sinter buildup or some other minor collapse event. This and variations in rainfall would cause unpredictable intervals between eruptions. Anyway, those are the thoughts that came to mind watching this video. Thanks for spreading education the way you do!

"OLD FOLKS", can remember percolating coffee pots kind of like that! good job thank you ALL stay safe

I love this video. I spent a summer working in Yellowstone and had the opportunity to visit the Norris Geyser Basin and others. It was amazing to see this and thanks for your explanation. I really suggest everyone visit Yellowstone if you get the chance. It is an amazing place. Thanks Shawn

Gosh, I miss seeing Yellowstone. You can NEVER visit it enough !!!!!!

Excellent, easy to follow explanations. Thank you!

That was quite helpful, thanks. All 3 of those features in the one spot was handy.

I first visited Yellowstone in 1974, part of a 2,700 mile solo bicycle tour. I didn't get to Norris until a 2003 visit, a time of moderate activity throughout the park. The Bozeman newspaper had a story "Is Yellowstone Ready to Blow?" Sigh. Norris was hot too that summer and half of it was closed after a ranger checking ground temperatures noticed his boots were melting. It was the only basin that made me feel uncomfortable, just too reminiscent of leaky high pressure steam lines. I found the cooler basins more comfortable - and interesting. The cooler temps allow algae and bacteria to grow and color the area. I found the smaller geysers where you could be closer and see steam trailing off the water droplets more interesting than big geysers. A hot springs especially are really neat with their different colors and water that's so clear. I'm finally getting the 200(!) best slides online, and on their 50th anniversary. Today's upload was from close to the US Glacier National Park, so not quite to Yellowstone.

Thanks for all the hard work on these videos

...Anyway. i wanna go to yellerstone national park and see the hot spots. Thank you tons again Dr.Wilsey

Have you seen a thermal profile(s) of Yellowstone? That would give us a better idea of the depth / temperature gradients and how they interact with groundwaters and the temperatures of the magma body.

Brilliant once again, feed the brain

Norris is my favorite. I had to cancel this year’s trip so I’m having to visit virtually.

Good morning from Santa Monica CA 🌴

I was 9 when my family visited Yellowstone (and Grand Teton).

Amazing, thank you.

Thanks for this video. I enjoyed it. Please consider making more videos this length, I like your longer videos, but don't often have time to watch a video of 1-2 hours. A shorter, more concentrated format like this has advantages for many viewers.

My favorite place to visit. Thanks for the explanation!

Shawn, understanding how much trauma the Steamboat geyser creates for the trees as you described beginning 10:08. My question: How ever did that tree get so big before the geyser output killed it, and what does that say about the age of the current geyser location compared to the age of the tree? We see the geysers, we assume they are pretty old. Are they really temporary, or subject to shifting location in the overall geyser timeline?

I can only imagine how hot the watertable is just 20 feet below the walkway. Hence the walkway. I wonder with the two resurgent domes ( Mallrad Creek and Sour Creek) there if small volcanoes could occur at either one of them in our lifetimes? I guess that is why they are closely monitored. Thanks for the class on geysers professor.