GREEN RIVER, Utah — Crystal Geyser in Grand County is erupting.
It's not your average geyser since it's partially human-made. It's called a "soda pop geyser" because it erupts the same way a soda would shoot out if you shook a soda bottle and then opened the lid.
Tom Chidsey, a retired oil and gas specialist with the Utah Geological Survey, spoke with FOX 13 News about the field trips he's taken groups on down to the geyser.
He explained how it's much different than geysers like Old Faithful and others that draw visitors to Yellowstone National Park.
"Old Faithful is a naturally-occurring geyser and it's hot water. This geyser was the result of a well attempting to find oil and gas back in the 1930s, and it's cold water," Chidsey said. "And the other thing is it's loaded with carbon dioxide gas, which is not like, you know, the geysers that you would see in Yellowstone."
He says the best chance of being able to see the geyser in action would be to camp out next to it. It's about 10 minutes outside of Green River — but it is irregular in timing and size, so you never know what you're going to see, if you see anything.
When it does erupt, it can last anywhere between three minutes to 50 minutes. It can get up to 40-80 feet, but sometimes it's only about three feet. Based on some studies, it can be spaced out between 17 and 27 hours.
So your chances aren't fantastic, but if you're in the area and you have some extra time, maybe you'll get lucky!
