Wonders of Wyoming, Dave Walsh

photo courtesy of nbcrightnow.com

Dave Walsh 22 Dec ’15
It doesn’t happen often, but if you get lucky, you can see the tallest of its kind in the World.  This Wonder was named by Dr. Ferdinand Hayden in 1878.  His expedition witnessed its awesome power in what is known as the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, and dubbed it so because of the way it splatters at an angle, in a pulsating paddlewheel fashion.  It continually erupts with spurts that can reach 40-feet in the air, but it can occasionally spew with a fury that can reach nearly 400-feet in the air.

It’s Steamboat Geyser and when it does reach those heights, more than twice the height of Old Faithful, it becomes the world’s tallest geyser.  Some eruptions can last up to 20 minutes or more, and pour out a million gallons of water.  The roar of Steamboat Geyser can sound like a jet engine, and can be heard from as far as 14 miles away.  Of course, these explosions are unpredictable, a 50-year span once passed, while several eruptions may occur in one year.

Steamboat Geyser, a spectacular Wonder of Wyoming.