Solitary Geyser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Solitary Geyser |
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| Location | Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 44°28′08″N 110°49′42″W / 44.468826°N 110.828362°W |
| Elevation | 7,543 feet (2,299 m) |
| Type | Fountain geyser |
| Eruption height | 6 feet |
| Frequency | 4-8 minutes |
| Duration | 1 minute |
Solitary Geyser is a special kind of geyser found in Yellowstone National Park. It is located in an area called the Upper Geyser Basin. This geyser is known for its beautiful clear blue water. The ground around its base often looks orange. You can visit Solitary Geyser by walking along the Observation Point loop trail, which is behind the famous Old Faithful geyser.
What is Solitary Geyser?
Solitary Geyser is a "fountain-type" geyser. This means its water shoots up in a wide, bubbly column, like a fountain, instead of a narrow jet. When Solitary Geyser erupts, the water usually goes up to about six feet (1.8 meters) high. Each eruption lasts for about one minute. These eruptions happen quite often, usually every four to eight minutes.
How Solitary Geyser Changed
Long ago, Solitary Geyser was not a geyser at all. It was just a hot spring called Solitary Spring. A hot spring is a natural pool of hot water that comes from underground. This spring did not erupt or shoot water into the air.
However, something interesting happened. Water from the spring was redirected to fill a swimming pool nearby. This caused the water level in Solitary Spring to drop. When the water level became lower, the spring started to erupt! It turned into the geyser we see today.
Later, the water was no longer sent to the swimming pool. The water level in Solitary Geyser returned to its original height. Even though the water level went back up, the geyser kept erupting. It continues to erupt regularly, showing how nature can sometimes change in surprising ways.
