Riverside Geyser is a geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming.

Riverside Geyser
Full Eruption 2009
Map
LocationUpper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming
Coordinates44°28′25″N 110°50′26″W / 44.4735439°N 110.8404890°W / 44.4735439; -110.8404890[1]
TypeCone geyser
Eruption height75 feet (23 m)
Frequency5 - 7 hours
Duration20 minutes
Temperature82.1 °C (179.8 °F) [1]

The geyser is located on the Firehole River within the Upper Geyser Basin. The geyser shoots steam and water to heights of 75 feet (23 m) in an arch over the river, sometimes causing rainbows. The eruptions occur every 512 to 7 hours. As is Old Faithful, Riverside is one of the most predictable geysers in the park, because it is not located near any other geysers that may disrupt the flow of underground water in the geyser's plumbing. Riverside is unique in its way that eruptions seldom occur at the average interval for any given time. Instead, Riverside is bimodal, meaning it usually erupts 20 minutes before or 25 minutes late for a duration of 20 minutes. For an hour or two before the eruption, water pours over the edge of the cone.[2] The geyser was named by the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871.[3]

The geyser is one of the most reliable geysers in Yellowstone,[4] despite the moniker and reputation of the better-known Old Faithful.

Riverside geyser erupting into the firehole river

References

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  1. ^ a b "Riverside Geyser". Yellowstone Geothermal Features Database. Montana State University.
  2. ^ "Riverside Geyser". Old Faithful Area Tour. National Park Service.
  3. ^ Bauer, Clyde Max (1947). Yellowstone Geysers. Yellowstone Park, Wyoming: Haynes. OCLC 1517713.
  4. ^ "Yellowstone: Photo Gallery". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2005-09-19.