| Note: | 04/22/1973
At 7:28 pm Ebony was due for another minor eruption. Just previous to this as during all other times there had been intermittent moderate bubbling and occasional boiling. The water started to rapidly rise and quickly reached the level where at all other times the minor eruptions with their vigorous boiling began. However, upon reaching the level at 7:28 the water became very quiet and still – no bubbling or boiling at all. The water remained in this quiet state until 8:05 pm with almost no activity at all. Shortly after 8:05 the surface of the pool of water in the vent began to rise again but in addition, be practically covered with superheated boiling. At 8:06 pm the major eruption began, 87 minutes after the last minor eruption.
By this time it was too dark to use the brunton compass to measure the height of eruption for the moon had not yet risen. However, by what little light there was, it is certain that Ebony played well in excess of 40 feet high.
Rocks were thrown up into the air with one, approximately, 8 x 13 inches in size, seen heaved up about 10 feet.
The style of play was similar to the one observed on March 13th, being a series of fountain-like bursts. They start out in rapid progression at the beginning of the eruption (after the pool has started to overflow) and gradually slow down throughout their period of play until the end. It is at the point of the pool’s overflowing that the geyser starts having tall bursts. |
