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You're watching Inside Yellowstone
Old Faithful is only one of a few hundred
geysers in the park. It’s not the tallest geyser.
Other geysers erupt longer or more frequently.
So why is Old Faithful the most famous?
First of all, it’s one of the few predictable
geysers. Geysers are very rare and predictable
geysers are even rarer. Most geysers don’t
have a discernable pattern of behavior but a
few do. Old Faithful is rather tall, shooting
water 120’ in the air. Many visitors are able
to see it because it erupts several times
each day and is predictable to within less
than half an hour. Why is its pattern of
behavior so regular? We think the fact that
it is set apart from other features means
it doesn’t share its plumbing system with
many other geysers and springs. In other areas
areas, where there are a lot of
features close to one another, like on Geyser
Hill, the plumbing systems are connected, so
a change in one affects the others. Old Faithful
being separate, isn’t easily influenced by
other geysers and springs. We do
know that Old Faithful has been faithful at
least since 1870 when it was named for
its regularity. It’s one of the features that has
made Yellowstone a destination for millions.
In fact, become a symbol of the park itself
and is an American icon.