Giant Geyser

Giant Geyser is a cone-type geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

Giant Geyser is the namesake for the Giant Group of geysers, which includes Bijou Geyser, Giant Geyser, and Mastiff Geyser. Giant Geyser is also the namesake for the Giant Platform, a raised stone structure incorporating all these geysers. Giant is notable for its spectacular, but sporadic eruptions, as well as for its very large cone of geyserite, which stands about 12 feet tall. [cite web | date = March 18, 2003 | url = http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/yellowstone/html/GiantGeyserCone.html | title = Giant Geyser Cone | work = Yellowstone: Historic 3-D Photographs Featuring Park Geology | publisher = US Geologic Survey | accessdate = August 24 | accessyear = 2006]

Giant can go days or weeks between eruptions. [cite web | date = March 18, 2003 | url = http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/yellowstone/html/GiantGeyser.html | title = Giant Geyser | work = Yellowstone: Historic 3-D Photographs Featuring Park Geology | publisher = US Geologic Survey | accessdate = August 24 | accessyear = 2006] Its activity level varies considerably from year to year [cite book | first=T. Scott | last=Bryan | authorlink=Bryan | coauthors= | month=May | year=1995 | title=Geysers of Yellowstone, The | edition=3rd Edition | publisher=University Press of Colorado | id=ISBN 0-87081-365-X] . For several years starting in 1955 it was dormant, and from 1963 through 1987 only six eruptions were known to have occurred. By contrast, around 1997 the interval between eruptions averaged as little as four days. The most recent active phase of Giant Geyser started on August 6, 2005 and continued until April 29, 2008, when activity decreased dramatically; there was a single eruption again on August 26, 2008. There were 11 eruptions in 2005, 47 in 2006, 54 in 2007 (the most eruptions for any year since 1955), and 15 in 2008 so far. The reasons for this variability are unknown, but appear to be related to an exchange of thermal energy between Giant and nearby Grotto Geyser.

The spectacular scale of a Giant eruption, combined with relatively frequent activity in recent years, has caused the geyser to be the object of much study and attention by geyser gazers, and much has been learned about its eruptive behavior. Giant steams and splashes even during inactive periods, but eruptions can only happen during so-called "hot periods" when there are changes in the activity of the other springs on the Giant Platform as well as more intense splashing in Giant itself. Hot periods typically last a few minutes, and most do not lead to an eruption; the hot period ends, activity on the Platform returns to normal, and it may be tens of minutes to hours before the next hot period occurs. When Giant does erupt, the activity can be quite dramatic, lasting about an hour and sometimes reaching over 250 feet. [cite web | date = December 22, 2004 | url = http://www.nps.gov/yell/tours/oldfaithful/giantg.htm | title = Giant Geyser | work = Old Faithful Area Tour | publisher = National Park Service | accessdate = August 24 | accessyear = 2006]

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