Seismic Geyser and Its Bearing on the Origin and Evolution of Geysers and Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park

Marler, George D.; White, Donald E.

doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1975)86<749:sgaibo>2.0.co;2

Cited by 37 publications

(37 citation statements)

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“…Eruption timing was 66.5 minutes in 1939, and has slowly increased to an average of about 90 minutes in 2016. Changes in eruption intervals after the 1959 M W 7.5 earthquake at Hebgen Lake were noted at Old Faithful and other geysers in Yellowstone (Marler and White, 1975). Other significant seismic events outside of Yellowstone, nearby and as far away as Denali, Alaska, have had impacts on the geyser and hot spring activity in the vicinity (Husen, Taylor, and others, 2004).…”

Section: Old Faithfulmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They form due to a combination of chemical dissolution, collapse, and in some cases minor hydrothermal explosions (for example, Seismic Geyser) (Marler and White, 1975). others (2005, 2007) have provided strong geochemical evidence that conical hydrothermal vent structures on the floor of Yellowstone Lake form by dissolution of silica from the lake sediments, but similar studies have not been completed on subaerial hot spring pools.…”

Section: Hot Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These deposits contain no juvenile material (molten prior to the explosion-triggering event) and show no evidence of concurrent volcanic eruptive activity (Morgan and others, 2009). Small historical hydrothermal explosion events sometimes have been documented in the park (Fournier and others, 1991;Marler and White, 1975), whereas others are noted but not described in sufficient detail to interpret the processes and triggering mechanisms. None of the large explosion events (Indian Pond, Mary Bay, Duck Lake, Pocket Basin, Turbid Lake, and several others on the floor of Yellowstone Lake; fig.…”

Section: Hydrothermal Explosionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This may be explained if the ejected material were predominantly sinter, because this would disintegrate rapidly. Marler and White (1975) described large sinter blocks ejected from Link Geyser in Upper Geyser Basin that disintegrated within a decade. At Storm Point, however, the substrata are mostly resistant silicified gravel and lake sediment and, thus, an alternative explanation for the lack of an ejecta rim associated with craters here is that most craters may have formed by collapse and (or) dissolution; this would be consistent with the absence of ejected blocks.…”

Section: Storm Pointmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geologic field-trip guide to the volcanic and hydrothermal landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau

Morzel¹,

Shanks²,

Lowenstern³

et al. 2017

Scientific Investigations Report

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Section: Old Faithfulmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hot Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hydrothermal Explosionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Storm Pointmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Geologic field-trip guide to the volcanic and hydrothermal landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau

Morzel¹,

Shanks²,

Lowenstern³

et al. 2017

Scientific Investigations Report

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“…In contrast, after the same earthquake, it took 2.5 years for Seismic Geyser to evolve from a new crack in sinter to a small geyser, and still more years for that geyser to reach heights of 12-15 m (40-50 ft). Its eruptions ceased when a small nearby thermal feature became active (Marler and White, 1975).…”

Section: Thermal Areas At Yellowstone National Park Are Naturally Dynmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogeology of the Old Faithful area, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and its relevance to natural resources and infrastructure

Foley¹,

Fournier²,

Heasler³

et al. 2014

Open-File Report

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For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Suggested citation: Old Faithful Science Review Panel, 2014, Hydrogeology of the Old Faithful Area, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and its Relevance to Natural Resources and Infrastructure: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1058.. ISSN 2331ISSN -1258 Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. Executive SummaryA panel of leading experts (The Old Faithful Science Review Panel) was convened by Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to review and summarize the geological and hydrological understanding that can inform National Park Service management of the Upper Geyser Basin area. We give an overview of present geological and hydrological knowledge of the Old Faithful hydrothermal (hot water) system and related thermal areas in the Upper Geyser Basin. We prioritize avenues for improving our understanding of key knowledge gaps that limit informed decision-making regarding human use in this fragile natural landscape. Lastly, we offer guidelines to minimize impacts to the hydrothermal system that could be used to aid decisions by park management.Old Faithful sits within the Upper Geyser Basin, an area of abundant hydrothermal activity where boiling waters extend from the surface to significant depth within glacial sediments and underlying volcanic rocks. The geyser systems are directly fed by waters recharged decades to millennia ago, which are surrounded by colder, younger waters. Activity of the geysers is controlled by complex subsurface plumbing with fractures and conduits separated by regions of low permeability. Observations over the past century indicate that the thermal areas and their features are both fragile and highly dynamic. Although Old Faithful has erupted regularly for the past 150 years, it exhibits changes in eruptive behavior over time, and the average interval between eruptions has increased by about 50 percent over the past 50 years. It is clear that human activity has modified the hydrothermal system in the past; conversely, natural features pose ongoing hazards to humans and human infrastructure.Current (2014) long-term programs to measure heat discharge by chloride-flux monitoring, and more recently by thermal-infrared imaging, are crucial for assessing the status of the hydrothermal system. Complementary studies could include airborne resistivity, environmental tracers, numerical modeling, and greater emphasis on...

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Triggering and modulation of geyser eruptions in Yellowstone National Park by earthquakes, earth tides, and weather

et al. 2014

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We analyze intervals between eruptions (IBEs) data acquired between 2001 and 2011 at Daisy and Old Faithful geysers in Yellowstone National Park. We focus our statistical analysis on the response of these geysers to stress perturbations from within the solid earth (earthquakes and earth tides) and from weather (air pressure and temperature, precipitation, and wind). We conclude that (1) the IBEs of these geysers are insensitive to periodic stresses induced by solid earth tides and barometric pressure variations; (2) Daisy (pool geyser) IBEs lengthen by evaporation and heat loss in response to large wind storms and cold air; and (3) Old Faithful (cone geyser) IBEs are not modulated by air temperature and pressure variations, wind, and precipitation, suggesting that the subsurface water column is decoupled from the atmosphere. Dynamic stress changes of 0.1À0.2 MPa resulting from the 2002 M-7.9 Denali, Alaska, earthquake surface waves caused a statistically significant shortening of Daisy geyser's IBEs. Stresses induced by other large global earthquakes during the study period were at least an order of magnitude smaller. In contrast, dynamic stresses of >0.5 MPa from three large regional earthquakes in 1959, 1975, and 1983 caused lengthening of Old Faithful's IBEs. We infer that most subannual geyser IBE variability is dominated by internal processes and interaction with other geysers. The results of this study provide quantitative bounds on the sensitivity of hydrothermal systems to external stress perturbations and have implications for studying the triggering and modulation of volcanic eruptions by external forces.

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Seismic Geyser and Its Bearing on the Origin and Evolution of Geysers and Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park

Cited by 37 publications

References 0 publications

Geologic field-trip guide to the volcanic and hydrothermal landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau

Geologic field-trip guide to the volcanic and hydrothermal landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau

Hydrogeology of the Old Faithful area, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and its relevance to natural resources and infrastructure

Triggering and modulation of geyser eruptions in Yellowstone National Park by earthquakes, earth tides, and weather

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