Economic Geyser
Economic geyser was a very popular geyser in the early 1900s.
Plan Around Economic Geyser
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Economic Geyser Details
Economic geyser was a very popular geyser in the early 1900s. The geyser would erupt to 30 feet about every five minutes. The water would flow down into the vent, rather than run off, hence the name "Economic" Geyser. But then around 1923, Economic Geyser went dormant. If you look carefully at the dark orange color in its vent, you can easily tell that it remains dormant today. The dark orange color of the bacteria tells us the temperature of the water is about 130 degrees, and a geyser requires superheated water well above the boiling point of 199 degrees. However, there are clues here that Economic has had some periods of activity since then. Let's take a close look at the large lodgepole pine behind Economic Geyser. Note that many of the branches are dead extending about half way up the tree. What do you suppose caused that? Now notice the many smaller lodgepole pines growing underneath the "Papa" tree. How do you suppose they came to be planted? On the evening of August 17, 1959, at 11:37 p.m., a tremendous earthquake struck the Yellowstone country. The quake, with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, caused significant changes in the Upper Geyser Basin, including the rebirth of Economic Geyser. The geyser's scalding water killed branches half way up this tree, and also caused the resin on serotenous pine cones to melt, releasing their seeds. Typically this happens during a forest fire, but in this case it was heat from the geyser water. This chain of events all began with the earthquake of 1959. And in 1988 we almost lost this evidence. You can tell from the young trees just how close the fires of 1988 came to Economic Geyser. Source: National Park Service, Exploring the Upper Geyser Basin, Orville Bach
Difficulty
Low
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Nearby Parks Around Economic Geyser
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Economic Geyser
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Economic Geyser while the map context is still fresh.
0.7 mi away
Morning Glory Pool
Named for the distinctive shape of its vent, which resembles that of a Morning Glory Flower.
0.7 mi away
Riverside Geyser
Its regularity, predictability, picturesque setting, and beautiful long eruptions, make it a favored geyser.
0.9 mi away
Porcelain Basin Trail
This short boardwalk loop runs though one of the most easily accessible thermal basins.
0.9 mi away
Grotto Geyser
No other geyser in this basin is more revered for its unique mineral formations than Grotto Geyser.
0.9 mi away
Mystic Falls Trail
The trail to these 70 foot falls climbs gently through a growing pine forest.
