World Heritage Site:
Yellowstone National Park
Publication Year:
2013
Publication Type:
Article
Publication Identifier:
WHE158654B8DD
Summary
A detailed analysis of Lone Star Geyser's eruptions in Yellowstone National Park reveals that its heat output, estimated at 1.4–1.5 MW, is less than 0.1% of the total heat output from the Yellowstone Caldera. The study, conducted over four days, identified four distinct phases in the geyser's eruption cycle: a fountaining phase with high jet velocities (16–28 m/s) and low steam fraction, a posteruption relaxation phase, a recharge period, and a preplay phase characterized by steam pulses and flow oscillations. Researchers used simultaneous measurements of water discharge, acoustic emissions, infrared intensity, and video to quantify these dynamics, providing new insights into the energetics and behavior of geyser eruptions.
Citation
Karlstrom, L., Hurwitz, S., Sohn, R., Vandemeulebrouck, J., Murphy, F., Rudolph, M. L., Johnston, M. J. S., Manga, M., & McCleskey, R. B. (2013). Eruptions at Lone Star Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, USA: 1. Energetics and eruption dynamics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 118(8), 4048–4062. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrb.50251