Minute Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
N 44° 43.439 W 110° 42.312
12T E 523346 N 4952331
A once magnificent geyser, destroyed by human ignorance
Waymark Code: WMJYY
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 08/02/2006
Views: 75
In the early years of Yellowstone National Park, there was a stagecoach station near this geyser. Back then, it erupted precisely every 60 seconds, sometimes as high as 50 feet as seen on the picture taken in 1948.
Visitors waiting for coaches amused themselves by tossing coins, rocks and other objects into the geyser. Over time, these ignorant acts plugged the geyser’s plumbing, effectively killing it.
These days, the geyser is only erupting through its smaller eastern vent. Eruptions are irregular and usually not higher than 1-3 feet. It stands as a sad example for humankind’s lack of understanding the principle driving forces in nature.
At last, we can only protect what we love; and we can love only what we understand; and we can understand only what we are taught.