| Comments: | There was nothing to forewarn it. From 10:39 am to 11:09 am the south vent played 36 times the north vent 6 times. The play from the south vent was as yesterday – about 30 feet maximum – and of little volume and duration. The north vent plays during this time were all weak. The water level at 11:40 am was still at least 10 feet down. The MAJOR ERUPTION began at 1:35 pm. I was at Echinus when I noticed a burst from Steamboat above the treetops – another followed- and I ran toward steamboat. Just as I reached the bridge over the runoff channel the north vent shot up to its full height of about 300 feet. Within 5 minutes the height had dropped to about 150 feet and at that time both vents were playing to about equal height. By 1:45 pm the south vent was playing higher than the north vent. The north vent was steam by 1:52 pm- after 17 minutes- and the south vent went to steam at 2:15 pm – 40 minutes. The steam phase was still strong when I left at 4:20 pm. A few small chunks of sinter were torn out of the crater & were found around the geyser later |