We love everything Yellowstone, so when we heard that the Giantess Geyser was erupting again, we immediately went over to the live webcam to watch it.
The fact that it came back to life on Tuesday and is still going is a big deal. It’s been 6 1/2 years since the geyser, one of the largest in Yellowstone, last erupted.
And when it erupts, everyone knows. The eruption, according to yellowstonegate.com, can be heard a mile away and the eruption can last more than a day.
We hate to criticize our friends at Yellowstone but the live webcam has no sound so it is disappointing not to hear it. Perhaps they can throw a microphone in the geyser (waterproof would be advisable) or pipe-in sound like Major League Baseball is doing due to the pandemic.
Other interesting notes, courtesy of YellowstoneGate:
— Water eruptions send up jets of water lasting from 24 to 48 hours with possible pauses between series of bursts (a 1938 report states they recurred every 20 to 30 minutes).
— Steam eruptions send up jets of water for the first 30 to 45 minutes of the eruption, then shifting to a strong and powerful steam phase that can be heard for up to a mile away. These eruptions last for about 12 hours.
— Mixed eruptions follow the same pattern as steam eruptions until about three to six hours into the eruptions, when they shift back to water, sending up more jets. These mixed-phase eruptions will continue for 24-48 hours with possible pauses between series of bursts, and may shift back and forth between steam and water.
— Aborted eruptions also start with jets of water, but are much weaker and end after one to six hours. These haven’t been seen since the 1983 Borah Peak earthquake in Alaska that sent energy waves that affected and changed some of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal systems.
