Data used to determine water volumes and solute discharge from geyser eruptions in the Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, USA

There are approximately 500 active geysers in Yellowstone National Park, USA, and the geysers in Upper Geyser Basin are some of the most iconic in the world. Between April 11 and 15, 2025, we attempted to quantify the volume of water erupting from several geysers in Upper Geyser Basin including Old Faithful, Beehive, Lion, Castle, Grand, Grotto and Riverside Geysers using a combination of methods. For the geysers that discharge directly into a river (all but Old Faithful Geyser), the erupted discharge can be quantified by continuous measurement of the river’s specific conductance. To measure the volume of water released during an Old Faithful Geyser eruption, a combination of methods was required because the distribution of water erupted is highly dependent on wind speed and direction. Thus, we quantified the volume of erupted water from Old Faithful that flowed to the north into the Firehole River and the volume of erupted water that flowed to the southwest using a flume. We also monitored wind direction, wind speed, and air temperature.