Cliff Geyser was named for its geyserite wall holding the pool above Iron Spring Creek in Black Sand Basin by A.C. Peale, geologist with the Hayden Expedition into Yellowstone National Park of Wyoming in the year of its founding, 1872. Black Sand Basin is a thermal area located a mile downhill from the main group of the Upper Geyser Basin. It is named after the small pieces of black obsidian mixed in with other sands of the area. Nearby, on the trail back towards the main group of the Upper Geyser Basin, lies Black Sand Pool, erupting every 10 minutes or so and creating some of the strongest ground thumping outside of those caused by an eruption of the very powerful Artemisia Geyser. Within Black Sand Basin lies several very beautiful thermal springs including Emerald Pool, Rainbow Pool, Opalescent Pool, and Sunset Lake. Several geysers are also found in the area, of which the largest and somewhat regular erupting one is Cliff Geyser. While it can be very unpredictable at times and has even become dormant for many years, it is a geyser well worth observing though it may require some patience. At the most regular of times it may erupt about every 45 minutes, but then again it may also not erupt again for an entire day or more. A major eruption will only occur with a full pool. The pool completely drains after a preceding eruption, and will fill up again relatively quickly just before the next eruption. During the times of the pool filling it is possible to witness a few minor eruptions that may reach up to 10 feet. But a major eruption is indicated by a full pool from which bursts easily reach 20 to 40 feet. And it was during one of these major eruptions that The Wild Images Team captured an image of the above scene. Here Cliff Geyser fires out twin jets of water from its vivid turquoise pool, causing some water runoff over the edges of the geyserite rim which give its name. Further water runoff occurs from the back side on both the right and left, where it runs around the geyserite cliffs and drains into the waters of the darker colored Iron Spring Creek, which itself is a tributary of the Firehole River further downstream. In the background below the clouds, blue sky, and nearby volcanic ridges, can be seen the blue steam of Sunset Lake, adopting the blue color by reflecting the light emanating from the deep, hot waters of the lake. Most of the ground in between is devoid of vegetation due to the amount of ground heat caused by the thin surface crust covering over the magma chamber in the extremely massive Yellowstone Crater, of which the ridges in the background form part of its rim. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.
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