Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lowering Grand's pool, waves will begin to disturb the water surface more and more vigor-
ously, and Grand's eruption will usually begin.
When Grand finally begins, a wonderful roaring from underground will accompany a tre-
mendous burst of water up to 150 or 200 feet (45-60 m). But that's not all—Grand may put
forth as many as four of these bursts—or even more. Some people claim the first part of the
second burst is always the most fun.
Observer James C. Fennel wrote a description of Grand's first burst in 1892 that's valid
years later. “[W]ith earthshaking and tremendous rumbling that sounds like smothered thun-
der, the fountain without receiving warning of attack is shot aloft into the air two hundred
feet in an immense column of steam and water…. From the main column numberless jets are
discharged at all heights and angles draping the Colossus in an agitated fringework of ever-
changing patterns.”
Vent Geyser
next to Turban might be called Companion Geyser: its eruptions always ac-
company Grand and sometimes Turban. It erupts as high as 70 feet (21 m) at a slight angle
and may continue after Grand's eruption for an hour or more.
In approximately the next quarter mile (0.4 km), there are only five named springs before
the bridge over the Firehole. You pass springs connected to Grand called
Economic Geyser
(named for its habit of reclaiming almost all its erupted water),
East Economic Geyser,
and
Wave Spring,
and come to
Beauty Pool
and neighboring
Chromatic Pool.
Beauty Pool shows a full range of color in its water and bacterial mats (1996).
Beauty and Chromatic Pools illustrate extremely well the exchange of function between
connected thermal features. Beauty Pool was for a time in recent years decidedly the more
beautiful of the two; in 1995 Chromatic Pool became hotter and therefore more colorful for
about two months. The situation then reversed itself again and continues to do so. However,
since 2000, neither pool has been at its best.
Across the Firehole bridge is
Inkwell Spring,
which has diminished its flow recently. Bub-
bling water leaves inky manganese oxide stains on its cone.
