GEYSERS
Beehive geyser is a cone-type geyser. Its summer-time intervals during the past few years have ranged from a little over 8 hour to a few days with most intervals around a day or less. In the winter the intervals have often become longer and more erratic.
Beehive appears to be coming back after a dormancy and subsequent erratic behavior which started in early July 1998.
Beehive's Indicator started having frequent, regular, "false indicator" eruptions the week of July 6, 1998, rendering Beehive nearly dormant until July 28, 1998. During August, September and much of October it played irregularly with false indicators still being seen. A False Indicator tends to play with an extraordinary long duration, sometimes greater than 60 minutes, and does not result in an eruption of Beehive. The frequent and regular false indicators were seen about every four to six hours. They seemed to have taken enough energy from Beehive to render that geyser dormant
This type of activity has occurred twice before, once in the summer of 1992 and again in the summer and fall of 1994. The 1992 activity lasted for about one month. As in the 1998 activity, Beehive seems to have been able to pull itself out of the dormancy. The 1994 activity lasted longer, four months, during which time, Beehive erupted almost exclusively in response to eruptions of nearby Giantess Geyser. That time it was a Giantess eruption that eventually spurred Beehive back into regular eruptions. In all three cases though, the false indicator eruptions ended abruptly and Beehive resumed erupting at nearly the same interval it was erupting at prior to the dormancy.
Beehive's duration is about 5 minutes. For most of its duration, it maintains its maximum height of as much as 200 feet. Because of the fine spray-like nature of the eruption, the top of the water column is often chopped off by strong winds but the eruption is still impressive.
Beehive geyser was named by the first organized expedition into what is now Yellowstone National Park, the Washburn expedition of 1870. The name was derived from the shape of Beehive's 4 foot tall cone which the members of the expedition thought looked like an old-fashioned straw beehive.
Beehive is one of my favorite geysers. It is possible to stand closer to this geyser than any other major, frequent geyser. Up close you notice its power as the steam is forced out of its nozzle-like vent at nearly super-sonic speed. It sounds like a jet engine. At a distance you notice the beauty of its soaring veil-like plume. It is truly one of the best shows in Yellowstone.
What to look for:
Beehive is closely related to a much smaller geyser located near Beehive's cone. This smaller geyser is called Beehive's Indicator. Beehive's Indicator will often, but not always, start erupting prior an eruption of Beehive Geyser. Usually, Beehive's Indicator gives enough warning so that anyone that sees it can make it to Beehive in time to see Beehive's eruption.
Beehive's Indicator is a cone-type geyser. It erupts from a small jagged hole about ten feet from Beehive's cone. The eruption is characterized by nearly steady jetting to 10-15 feet. If Beehive erupts, Beehive's Indicator will stop during Beehive's eruption. Beehive's Indicator often precedes Beehive by 15 to 20 minutes but can rarely precede it by as little as seconds to as much as 30 minutes.
Eruptions of Beehive's indicator do not always preceded an eruption of Beehive. Rarely in the past few years but more frequently at times in the past, Beehive has been known to erupt without being preceded by the indicator. Prior to all eruptions of Beehive, Beehive splashes. In a no-Indicator eruption, the eruption of Beehive is triggered by an exceptionally large splash from its cone.
Another type of Indicator eruption is called a "False Indicator". False indicators look similar to a normal indicator eruptions (they may be somewhat weaker) but they last longer, as much as 60 minutes, instead of the normal maximum of about 25-30 minutes. False Indicators occur at about the time Beehive is expected to erupt but they do not not result in an eruption of Beehive. During most of the last 20 years, False Indicators have been followed a few hours later by a normal Indicator eruption that results in an eruption of Beehive. Twice in recent years, 1992 and 1994, Beehive's Indicator had frequent False Indicator eruptions, occurring about every 4-6 hours. At these times Beehive went dormant for a few months.
A last type of Indicator eruption is rarely seen. It is called a "Mid-cycle Indicator". These eruptions occur midway between two eruptions of Beehive. They are usually short, weak and only last a few minutes. They are easily missed.
Beehive appears to be coming back after a dormancy and subsequent erratic behavior which started in early July 1998.
Beehive's Indicator started having frequent, regular, "false indicator" eruptions the week of July 6, 1998, rendering Beehive nearly dormant until July 28, 1998. During August, September and much of October it played irregularly with false indicators still being seen. A False Indicator tends to play with an extraordinary long duration, sometimes greater than 60 minutes, and does not result in an eruption of Beehive. The frequent and regular false indicators were seen about every four to six hours. They seemed to have taken enough energy from Beehive to render that geyser dormant
This type of activity has occurred twice before, once in the summer of 1992 and again in the summer and fall of 1994. The 1992 activity lasted for about one month. As in the 1998 activity, Beehive seems to have been able to pull itself out of the dormancy. The 1994 activity lasted longer, four months, during which time, Beehive erupted almost exclusively in response to eruptions of nearby Giantess Geyser. That time it was a Giantess eruption that eventually spurred Beehive back into regular eruptions. In all three cases though, the false indicator eruptions ended abruptly and Beehive resumed erupting at nearly the same interval it was erupting at prior to the dormancy.
Beehive's duration is about 5 minutes. For most of its duration, it maintains its maximum height of as much as 200 feet. Because of the fine spray-like nature of the eruption, the top of the water column is often chopped off by strong winds but the eruption is still impressive.
Beehive geyser was named by the first organized expedition into what is now Yellowstone National Park, the Washburn expedition of 1870. The name was derived from the shape of Beehive's 4 foot tall cone which the members of the expedition thought looked like an old-fashioned straw beehive.
Beehive is one of my favorite geysers. It is possible to stand closer to this geyser than any other major, frequent geyser. Up close you notice its power as the steam is forced out of its nozzle-like vent at nearly super-sonic speed. It sounds like a jet engine. At a distance you notice the beauty of its soaring veil-like plume. It is truly one of the best shows in Yellowstone.
What to look for:
Beehive is closely related to a much smaller geyser located near Beehive's cone. This smaller geyser is called Beehive's Indicator. Beehive's Indicator will often, but not always, start erupting prior an eruption of Beehive Geyser. Usually, Beehive's Indicator gives enough warning so that anyone that sees it can make it to Beehive in time to see Beehive's eruption.
Beehive's Indicator is a cone-type geyser. It erupts from a small jagged hole about ten feet from Beehive's cone. The eruption is characterized by nearly steady jetting to 10-15 feet. If Beehive erupts, Beehive's Indicator will stop during Beehive's eruption. Beehive's Indicator often precedes Beehive by 15 to 20 minutes but can rarely precede it by as little as seconds to as much as 30 minutes.
Eruptions of Beehive's indicator do not always preceded an eruption of Beehive. Rarely in the past few years but more frequently at times in the past, Beehive has been known to erupt without being preceded by the indicator. Prior to all eruptions of Beehive, Beehive splashes. In a no-Indicator eruption, the eruption of Beehive is triggered by an exceptionally large splash from its cone.
Another type of Indicator eruption is called a "False Indicator". False indicators look similar to a normal indicator eruptions (they may be somewhat weaker) but they last longer, as much as 60 minutes, instead of the normal maximum of about 25-30 minutes. False Indicators occur at about the time Beehive is expected to erupt but they do not not result in an eruption of Beehive. During most of the last 20 years, False Indicators have been followed a few hours later by a normal Indicator eruption that results in an eruption of Beehive. Twice in recent years, 1992 and 1994, Beehive's Indicator had frequent False Indicator eruptions, occurring about every 4-6 hours. At these times Beehive went dormant for a few months.
A last type of Indicator eruption is rarely seen. It is called a "Mid-cycle Indicator". These eruptions occur midway between two eruptions of Beehive. They are usually short, weak and only last a few minutes. They are easily missed.
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