Distant hills and mountains comprise a volcanic tableland...
Yellowstone is one of the few places in the world where geysers occur. The essential for geysers and hot springs exist here. Snow and rain provide water, heat from deep in the earth warms the rock and water above it, and fractures in the rock provide the "plumbing" through which the water circulates.
A geyser's channels have constrictions that prevent the water from circulating freely to the surface where the heat would escape. Pressure builds. Steam rises and is trapped by the constrictions and overlying cooler water. At a critical point the confined steam actually lifts the cooler water and causes the geyser to overflow or splash. Pressure release continues, more steam rises and forces water out of the vent. The eruption begins.
--from the NPS Fountain Paint Pot Area Trail Guide
I think I have all of the geysers below correctly labeled, but I'm not completely sure.
The first geyser we came to was Jet Geyser which apparently erupts every few minutes.
It wasn't the most active geyser we saw, but wasn't completely silent either. I think this video is of Jet from later on when we were looking at it from the other side.
Fountain Geyser was next which "is one of the most impressive geysers in the park. Eruptions reach 20-50 feet..." We didn't get to see an actual eruption, and it appeared to be empty as the guide said it often was in between eruptions.
Spasm Geyser wasn't too impressive, but did have a constant pool of water (and I'm sure I got the name right on this one, ;-)).
But Clepsydra Geyser was quite impressive, even from a distance.
Pictures turned out rather well too.
And a video closer was even more impressive.
You can see all of the pictures from the Fountain Paint Pots in this album:
~Matt
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