Old Faithful is Old Faithful is Old Faithful is Old Faithful!

It’s spectacular . . . it’s dependable . . . it’s predictable!

Old Faithful is a geothermal showcase of Yellowstone.

Old Faithful is not the biggest or even the most predictable geyser in Yellowstone, but the eruption happens about every 50 to 120 minutes.

We were lucky; we had about a 5 minute wait to observe this amazing event. On the way over, we were surprised when the road was enveloped in fog and mist.

It cleared just as we approached Old Faithful.

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Yellowstone

is built over a geological hydrothermal phenomenon characterized by Geysers, Fumaroles, Hot Springs, and Mudpots.

Yellowstone Lake sits over the Yellowstone Caldera, a large active supervolcano that lies about 3-8 miles below the surface. Surface water from rain and snow seeps down to a layer of molten rock or magna. The resulting hot water and steam come to the surface as hot springs; fumaroles; and geysers.

A Hot Spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. (Wikipedia – Hot Springs - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_spring)

Fumaroles (steam vents) are plumes of steam that come through the rocks to release pressure from the underground activity.

Mudpots are bubbling muddy clay spots that are formed through the action of micro-organisms converting hydro sulphide into sulphuric acid.

Geysers also originate as hot springs but because of constrictions, water is prevented from freely rising to the surface – thus the eruptions to clear the channels and allow the heat to dissipate. http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/geysers.htm

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Mudpots

Fumaroles

Geyser – Old Faithful

Here are a few of the over 70 shots we took around the Old Faithful area.