Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-07-04
Whv do gevsers erupt?

Why do geySers erupt?
A great deal Of guessing has been
done in the past, but now seven-year
investigation by scientists OF the Car
negie institution of Washington, ID. g,
of the hot springs and geysers in yell
loWstone national park has overcome
a lack OF knowledge, says John j.
O,NeiIl, writing In the New York Her
aid Tribune.
Geysers are hot springs that burst
into violent action, ejecting water and
steam, sometimes to q height OF only
a few inches but In other cases TO more
than 200 feet. The heights reached and
the temperatures of the water have
been measured by Dr. Arthur L. Day,
of the geophysical laboratory OF the
Carnegie institution; DR.. E. T. Allen,
and others who studied 5000 springs
spread over an area Of Is by go miles.
Temperatures vary from 40 to 1914 de-
erees Fahrenheit and in few places
reach higher points. The park has an
elevation of 5000 feet, and water boils
at that height at 1879 degrees. One OF
the strangest aspects of temperature
in Yellowstone park DR.. Day reports,
is that in many springs the surface
layers of water are hotter than boiling
water.
Nowhere except at these Yellowstone
springs does superheated water, or
water hotter than boiling, occur nat
urally. Thermometers sunk into the
geysers reveal that the water at lower
depths is still hotter.
"At depth of y feet, in Lion gey-
ser, a temperature Of 253 degrees was
found or 5 degrees higher than the
boiling point at the surface" DR.. Day
says. I'm this hotter stratum boiling
is prevented by the pressure OF the
water above it, but owing to its lower
tensity, the hotter water migrates rap
idly upward, moving in considerable
masses till it reaches the surface, where,
in spite of considerable cooling on the
way, its temperature is still higher
than the boiling point.
Most of the figures given for the
heights reached by geyser fountains
are greatly exaggerated, according 70
the scientists. The highest point meas
ured during the seven years OF obSer-
walton was 1865 feet, and the highest
point previously recorded was 2l9 feet,
attained by the Beehive geyser in 1870.
It is doubtful If as many as six geysers
in Yellowstone reach a height of 100
feet.
The amounts Of water discharged
also. are overestimated. OLD Faithful
discharges only 10000 to 10000 gallons
second. The next heaviest discharge
was from Excelsior geyser six feet q
second. The Imperial had rate Of one
and a half feet. Neither of these two
latter geysers erupts any more.
The regularity with which geysers
erupt is another story which requires
debunking, according TO the scientists.
Probably the conception of geyser
in the minds of most people is that of a
natural water clock, erupting regularly
on the minute, and showing quiet in
tervals of even length" they say. mo
idea was ever farther from the truth.
Small gevsers for short periods Of time
do sometimes behave with great regu-
larity, but longer observation has al
ways shown marked differences in the
intervals between eruptiOns, and irreg-
ularities in other respects.
"Oid Faithful itself, though 1t erupts
frequently after an interval of about
IS minutes, shows minima and maxima
as far apart as 80 and 81 minutes. These
irregularities are hardly ever alluded
to in scientific discussions, and even
today no satisfactory explanation Of
them can be offered. Such factors as