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Posted by fred (132.235.25.156) on 14:50:21 07/27/2009
In Reply to: Gysers posted by Lori Heckenberg
Geyser gazing is simple, it's just boiling water. Go to the GOSA webpage and look up the latest average intervals recorded by Ralph Taylor (there is a link on the OF webcam page). Then stop at the visitor center, look in the log book for the last recorded eruption, and add the average interval. Presto! Just stand in front of the geyser at the calculated time, with an appropriate range to take into account the indicated standard deviation (variability).
Many times geysers will demonstrate clear signs of an impending eruption, but not always. Just remember the wisdom of the great philospher Yogi Berra, "you can observe a lot just by watching."
Gazers can be helpful, but as a group, they are (too) serious about their "science," and not being a member of their club, sometimes they are gruff and overbearing. Like the time they indicated Artemesia couldn't possibly erupt for another 4 hours, 3 minutes before it did {snicker}. Or the time they all went to dinner an hour before Giant erupted, because vent number so-and-so wasn't full, so nothing could possibly happen. {double snicker}
But I digress. Like I said, it's a stochastic phenomenon, just add the current interval with an appropriate range of uncertainty. It's not very hard.
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