New research by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that how often Old Faithful and other Yellowstone geysers erupt may depend on annual precipitation patterns. Geysers are rare hot springs that periodically erupt with bursts of steam and hot water. Old Faithful has remained faithful for at least the past 135 years, showering appreciative tourists every 50 to 90 minutes (most recently an annual average of 91 minutes).
Scientists from the USGS, Stanford University and Yellowstone National Park have discovered that changes of water supply to a geyser's underground plumbing may have a large influence on the time between eruptions. For example, geysers appear to lengthen and shorten their intervals on cycles that mimic annual dry and wet periods. For more information visit: http://www.gsajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1130%2FG24723A.1
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