Steamboat Geyser - Definition

Steamboat Geyser at Norris Geyser Basin

Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest geyser. During major eruptions, water shoots more than 115 meters into the air. (An eruption of Waimangu Geyser in New Zealand reached 300 meters, but Waimangu has not erupted since 1914.) These eruptions have ranged from 3 to 40 minutes in length, and are followed by powerful jets of steam.

Steamboat Geyser does not erupt on a predictable schedule. The recorded intervals between eruptions range from four days to fifty years. Minor eruptions are much more frequent.

As of November 17, 2003, the last seven eruptions of Steamboat Geyser occurred on:

12 October 1991

2 May 2000

13 September 2002

26 April 2002

26 March 2003

27 April 2003

22 October 2003

Steamboat Geyser consists of a pair of vents, at 2303 meters above sea level.

External link

• Photos from the 2000 eruption (http://www.nps.gov/yell/press/images/steamboatpics/index.htm)