The following are all of the message posted by members of the geyser list serve concerning the May 2nd eruption of Steamboat. I have obtained permission to post these but have removed all e-mail addresses. This is a pretty interesting read - I hope you enjoy!
Subject: GEYSER REPORT(Deutch)
A Message From Ann Deutch 5/02
please post
STEAMBOAT:
Report just in. Steamboat 0650ie (at least 2 hours in) 5/2/00.
(ie = in eruption when seen)
Subject: REPORT: Major phase eruption of Steamboat Geyser(Whittelsey)
A Message From Lee Whittlesey 5/02
APPARENT MAJOR PHASE ERUPTION OF STEAMBOAT GEYSER, May 2, 2000, about 5 a.m.
We just received information this morning about Steamboat Geyser erupting in major phase. Here is what I've been able to "cobble" together so far. I seem to recall that Steamboat's last eruption was in October of 1991.
Bob Lindstrom, NPS Financial Services Administrative Technician, was traveling this morning (May 2, 2000) from West Yellowstone to his job at Mammoth Hot Springs at about 6:45 a.m. when he spotted a very tall vapor column from Elk Park. Suspecting a major phase eruption of Steamboat Geyser, he stopped at the Norris parking area and walked down to Steamboat noting a very heavy mist for most of the way. He noted the huge vapor plume and stated that the thing was "roaring like a jet engine" from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ("I watched it for about an hour."). During this time he saw no real water column; only intense water droplets, so many that it seemed to be raining all over the vicinity.
Lindstrom says there were two other persons there at 7 a.m., park visitors who were sleeping in their pickup camper (truck) at the Norris parking area. They stated to him that they were abruptly awakened about 5 a.m. by what they thought was an earthquake. Frightened, they drove south to Elk Park. Looking back east, they saw the huge vapor plume and decided it was the culprit, so they returned to the Norris parking area.
Lindstrom says they told him that they saw the big water column and took photos of it. They promised to send him copies of the photos (he gave them his name and work address), and he says they should be getting back to him pretty soon with the photos. The two park visitors appear to have stayed the entire time (5 a.m. to at least 7 a.m.) at Steamboat.
Thanks, Bob, for letting us all know and for having the foresight to ask for copies of the photos.
Steamboat Geyser rarely erupts in major phase. Intervals vary from three days to fifty years (it was dormant 1911-1961). Heights in major phase can approach 400 feet. It is considered the world's tallest geyser. Although geyser experts have searched in vain for something with which to predict it (see Bill Pulliam's article "The One Hundred Meter Sput" for example), it remains unpredictable. The water-phase duration is generally only three minutes to twenty minutes, but a powerful steam phase often continues after the cessation of the water for 12 hours or more.
Lee Whittlesey
Archivist
National Park Service
Subject: REPORT!!!! Steamboat(Sturtevant)
A Message From Smokey Sturtevant 5/02
Hi there,
I just got news that Steamboat Geyser has had a major eruption. From indications, it appears like it erupted about 5:00am Mountain Time. There was no one there that saw the actual eruption, but Katy Duffy saw the steam phase.
Further info as I can get it.
Take Care,
Smokey
Subject: REPORT: Steamboat Pictures on the web (Freund)
A Message From Udo Freund 5/02
I received a message from Craig Elliot of the Yellowstone Association informing us that Steamboat had erupted today, May 2, 2000, at approximately 5AM. The following URL has photos of the steam phase of this eruption taken at around 8:30. Something to look forward to this summer???? Enjoy!
http://yellowstoneassociation.org/whatsnew/steamboat.htm
Udo
Subject: REPORT: More on Steamboat eruption(Strasser)
A Message From Paul Strasser 5/02
Here's what I was able to glean after talking with several NPS folks: The 0500 time is based on visitors who were "dozing" in the parking lot. Apparently they thought there was an earthquake and hurriedly left the area. By the time they got to Elk Park they either came to their senses or saw water, and returned. Water D of 20 m VR. Reports are they do have photos of it in water phase.
Based on circumstantial evidence (amount of water/debris in parking lot, amount of debris in runoff channels) this may not have been an exceedingly tall water phase.
By the time NPS folks began to show up (9 to 11 AM, etc) it was in heavy steam. At 11 the steam was still heard from the interchange. At 10 one person likened it to Giantess (that's about right for 5 hours after the start).
At 11 Cistern was about 3 inches below overflow. No later data about Cistern. Pre-eruption activity: As of 8 days ago, nearly all minor activity was from the south vent, with occasional norths - similar to last year's mode of activity.
Today, visitors told NPS staffers that on Saturday and Sunday they saw water 40 to 60 feet high from both vents. They said they were very impressed and thought an eruption was starting on a couple of these minor plays. Naturalist John Tebby told me that on Monday he saw the minors starting from both vents, but to 6-8 feet, and a modest amount of runoff from the south vent. He was only in the vicinity for a short time, since Echinus erupted. Cistern was more intriguing to him because it was in heavy boil to 6-8", and he noted that it seemed to have heated up considerably.
Also, no Giant as of 1600 Tuesday MDT. Too bad, I'd have loved Giant to erupt today -- you could have said that Giant erupted, but was NOT the tallest geyser to erupt today....
Paul
Subject: Steamboat Time(Barr)
A Message From (Lee Whittlesey) 5/03
Tom--Thanks for the info. I'll pass it along to GOSA gazers.
Lee Whittlesey
Subject: Steamboat
Author: Thomas Barr at NP-YELL
Date: 05/03/2000 7:11 AM
Hi Lee,
Don't know how picky anyone wants to be about the eruption time, but I drove past Norris at about 5:45 am yesterday and did not notice any large plume of steam. I wonder if those folks meant that it woke them up at 6 am (wonder if their watches could have been on Central Standard Time). Just a thought.
Thanks!
Tom
Subject: REPORT: Additional Steamboat Info(Strasser)
A Message From Paul Strasser 5/03
I've received more info about Steamboat's eruption. First is a report from a National Park Service employee I received. I talked to this person, who gave permission to post it here, but requested that a name be taken off (I must sound awfully shady on the phone...) Anyway, here is the report.
>>>>>>
This morning I went to Norris to see if Cistern was drained. I noticed the vapor cloud from Steamboat was still going strong. As I approached Steamboat, the boardwalk was covered with ice. I noticed water was actually coming out with the steam (as well as small rocks - grape to large strawberry size). I slid down to Cistern - it was drained of water - as far as I could see from the boardwalk. Both Steamboat drainages had water in them - not tons, but flowing. In the first 30 minutes I was there, Steamboat had water coming out 95% of the time with heights averaging to the tops of the trees in the background (trying to adjust and imagine the geyser, trees and I are on the same level). For the next 5 minutes, it was nothing but steam. Then the water started again. After a total of 40 minutes of being there, I had to go. I took pics w/a disposable camera - so hopefully proof of what I saw (but who knows what it will show). Sorry for text that's not very eloquent, but I have a meeting to go to and was very excited to pass on the news.
<<<<<<<
IN addition, I received a jpg from Craig Elliott of the Yellowstone Association of a photo taken by Beth Taylor that clearly shows debris - small rocks, pebbles, mud, water) across the top of the bridge over the Steamboat runoff channel that's closer to Echinus.
My comments: I wrote yesterday: "Based on circumstantial evidence (amount of water/debris in parking lot, amount of debris in runoff channels) this may not have been an exceedingly tall water phase." This is now questionable. The first report I got said that it seemed like there wasn't much runoff. The jpg shows that at least some muddy discharge was voluminous enough to reach the top of the boardwalk bridge. I saw several major eruptions and their aftermaths in 1978-1982 that didn't do this.
Cistern did drain, and this person confirmed the report to me via phone. The last I heard was that it was only down 3", but I don't know for certain how late in the day yesterday this drop was noted.
Regarding the water that this person saw today. Not unprecedented. Steamboat reverted to weak water mingled with steam after several eruptions in the 1980's, including 6/22/82, 9/6/82 and one (the date escapes me) in 1984. This is not a complete list, only the eruptions where this was noted (and I remember without digging out notes). In fact, after the 6/22 eruption Suzanne, her mom, and I saw thin jets of water to probably 80 feet many, many hours after the eruption (which took place at 0222). The water seen this morning from Steamboat was primarily north vent, tall narrow oblique jets hitting the slope to the NE of the vent (I recall that sound of the water hitting the rocks...). This person told me that about half the jets were higher than the treeline as seen from midplatform, the rest were smaller, and the treeline was about average. The south vent joined in, not as strong or as voluminously.
In the 80's this was considered late-stage water comingling with late-stage steam, rather than the first minor activity leading up to the next eruption. (Too bad, I wish it was recovering so quickly...)
Anyway, the eruption seems now to be more typical rather than some oddball "small" major that some gazers were speculating about. And just remember - a typical Steamboat is like talking about a typical supernova.
(will we go this weekend? Well, if Giant hasn't erupted....maybe. The great nightmare is leaving Norris and when we're just past Elk Park, Steamboat erupts. And at the same time, so does Giant.)
Paul
Subject: Steamboat Time (Ellison)
A Message From "Chase Ellison" 5/03
I found this post on Yellowston.nets forum and I belive that this supports toms theory
-Chase Ellison-
>Steamboat was actualy past 0500
> by Not needed
> >I drove by norris at 0535 hours on the third and even >stopped to go to the bathroom and it was not >erupting when I came back by 3 hours later it was but >not at 0535 MOUNTAIN TIME I belive that it was >erupted at 0600 hours and that the people who were >sleeping in the parking lot had their watches set at >Pacific Time
> > Posted on May 03 2000 , 09:57 PM
Subject: Re: QUESTION: Steamboat (etc)(Bryan)
A Message From Paul Strasser 5/04
Scott asked:
Question #1: Is there enough info available for any of the Steamboat experts to be able to say that the action seen 2 to 3 days before the eruption were (um...) "good signs"; was that the first that such activity has been seen since ...?...
Answer: Kinda sorta. Nice to be specific, eh? The work in the 82-84 period dealt strictly with intervals from 7-42 days, rather than the rarer 3100 day interval. This isn't the first time that nice stuff from both vents has been seen in the dormancy (and at some point you have to call it a dormancy rather than an interval, right?) The fact that this stuff was seen in the few days before doesn't surprise me, though. A couple of interested parties in the Park, upon hearing about this behavior during a phone call with me, gnashed their teeth and rent their garments. But the thing went pre-dawn. Even if you'd known that something was different, that there was concerted play, it wouldn't necessarily have resulted in Decker: The Sequel.
Question #2: Echinus has been having a rough time of it recently. Can anything substantial be said about it "now"?
John saw what he described as a very decent Echinus eruption on Monday. He didn't get a complete duration, but said it was over 4 minutes. He described it as full height, and based on our conversation I took this to mean "full height for most years, not the last couple."
Paul
Subject: Re: Steamboat Time (Kallien)
A Message From Fred Kallien 5/04
I believe I read somewhere that the campers were from Oregon. That might explain their watches possibly still set to Pacific Time. 0500 Pacific = 0600 Mountain Time.
A Message From (Lee Whittlesey) 5/05
STEAMBOAT ON MAY 2 BY CANYON DISTRICT NATURALIST NEYSA DICKEY
Skip and I were headed to Bozeman yesterday morning and saw it as we came down the hill from Canyon a bit after 7am. I was SO excited! At first, I thought it was either Steamboat or smoke from a fire. As we looked again, Skip and I decided the plume had to be Steamboat. We detoured into the parking lot and half-ran, half-walked down to the boardwalk. That puppy truly was roaring like a continuous train or jet engine. The morning was clear and still, so the vapor plume rose straight into the air. It was "raining" for quite a distance, so the boardwalk had a layer of thin ice that made it treacherous walking. We clung to the railing. Then, closer to the geyser, it turned to an icy slush for a short distance - about where the boardwalk ends and the stretch of dirt trail begins. On the viewing platform, it was "raining" steadily. The woman from Oregon took pictures of Bob, Skip, and me in front of Steamboat, so I hope they turn out. We couldn't stay long due to our appts in Bozeman, but the view of the geyser basin on the hill just north of the campground was spectacular. We talked about you and how you'd missed other eruptions - wished you were with us. It was subdued when we returned in the evening, but it was still pumping out steam; the wind had picked up and it was being carried east, so it wasn't nearly as tall as in the morning.
That morning, as we were leaving to head to Bozeman, Brian Suderman was headed to the platform - we met on the icy, hilly stretch of the boardwalk. Hope he stayed a while. It was amazing!
Hugs,
Neysa
