U-Haul TR: Old Faithful, WY - U-Haul SuperGraphics on Waymarking.com

It is not the biggest or the most regular geyser in Yellowstone but it is the biggest regular geyser. Furthermore, it has been erupting in nearly the same fashion throughout the recorded history of the park. Through the years, it has become one of the most studied geysers. One result of this close observation is that the Park Rangers are able to predict its eruptions fairly accurately. This makes Old Faithful geyser one of the easiest geysers in Yellowstone to see. Old Faithful is deceiving. The benches around the geyser are over 300 feet from the geyser but with nothing to judge the distance by, I rarely realize just how big the geyser is until I get further away. Personally, I like the view from Geyser Hill. As with any geyser, watch the wind direction or you may only see steam. Old Faithful is perhaps the most studied and predicted geyser. Mathematicians, statisticians, and dedicated observers have analyzed it for many years. For example, a direct relationship exists between the duration of Old Faithful's eruption and the length of the following interval. Short eruptions (around 2 minutes) lead to short intervals (about 65 minutes); long eruptions (4 minutes or so) lead to long intervals (about 94 minutes). During a short eruption, less water and heat are discharged; thus, they rebuild again in a short time. Longer eruptions mean more water and heat are discharged and they require more time to rebuild. As of August 2002, the average interval was 94 minutes. Geysers are hot springs with narrow spaces in their plumbing, usually near the surface. These constrictions prevent water for circulating freely to the surface where heat would escape. The deepest circulating water can exceed the surface boiling point of 199° F / 93° C. The surrounding pressure also increases with depth, much as it does with depth in the ocean. Increased pressure exerted by the enormous weight of the overlying rock and water prevents the water from vaporizing. As the water rises, steam forms. Bubbling upward, steam expands as it nears the top of the water column until the bubbles are too large and numerous to pass freely through the constrictions. At a critical point, the confined bubbles actually lift the water above, causing the geyser to splash and overflow. This decreases pressure on the system, and violent boiling results. Tremendous amounts of steam force water out of the vent, and the eruption begins. Water is expelled faster than it enter the geyser's plumbing system, and the heat and pressure gradually decrease. The eruption stops when the water reservoir is exhausted or when the gas bubbles diminish enough to be able to rise without ejecting the water.

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