Old Faithful is not the tallest geyser at Yellowstone. It is not the one that erupts more frequently either, but there is something unique about it; Old Faithful erupts regularly, reaching heights from 90 to 184 feet and lasting 1.5 to 5 minutes. We just spent 74 minutes looking at beautiful Yellowstone, waiting for Old Faithful to perform its trick through this livestream, and wow! The wait was worth it!
In 1870, The Washburn Expedition led by Henry Washburn and Nathaniel P. Langford explored the northwest of Wyoming. After observing all these geysers, they noticed one that erupted consistently within a measurable time frame. Every 74 minutes, the geyser erupted, earning it the name “Old Faithful.” What’s in a geyser that propels all this gas up to Earth’s surface? According to National Geographic, geysers are “made from a tube-like hole in the Earth’s surface that runs deep into the crust.” Water in the lower parts of the tube, where molten hot rock lies, gets extremely hot; it is, in fact so hot that it boils. What we see on a geyser eruption is all this water rushing out as steam.
Now when we say that it erupts regularly, we don’t mean that it is clock-ticking-exact, but that’s the beauty of it! With today’s technology, and in the middle of all the stress around our lives, you can enjoy some alone time, while waiting for the Old Faithful to open up Earth’s loins and hit surface with its roaring steam. The eruptions happen every 35 to 120 minutes, and you can watch the Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin livestream webcam, though you will have to download Adobe Flash Player first.
Through a program funded by Canon USA, Inc. named “The Eyes on Yellowstone,” you will also have access to nine webcams, from which eight are static while one is livestreaming. Click out the map where are they located.
There are a lot of really cool things to do in life, but witnessing at least one of the Old Faithful’s eruptions in Yellowstone should be on your list! It is an excellent reminder of how alive our planet is, and how powerful nature can be. If after this, you can’t get enough Earth, get ready to take other virtual tours of America’s National Parks. Enjoy the ride!