Sunday | April 12, 2026
Crystal Geyser: A Geological Oddity
Presented by The City Of Green River
Led by geologists Paul Anderson and Tom Chidsey
Crystal Geyser is located along the Green River about 3 miles south of town. Unlike the more familiar geysers in Yellowstone, Crystal Geyser is human-made and flows cold water, which explodes with carbon dioxide (CO2) like a shaken bottle of soda pop.
It was created in 1936 when an oil exploration well encountered a high-pressure system containing trapped CO2 instead of oil. This same system was responsible for ancient Ice Age (Pleistocene – 2.6 million to 12,000 years ago) deposits of tufa in the area first identified by Major John Wesley Powell during his 1869 journey along this stretch of the river on the way to the Grand Canyon. Modern terraces of tufa are forming today from calcium carbonate-bearing water flowing from the geyser.
Major eruptions of Crystal Geyser attain heights of 40 to 80 feet, which last from 3 to 49 minutes, and occur anywhere from 17 to 27 hours apart. A few brief stops will describe the geology along the route.
This half-day trip is excellent for anyone who loves scenic dirt road driving and has a curiosity about the geology surrounding Green River.
See below for important trip information.
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Participants must drive their own cars.
The route takes well graded dirt roads down to the geyser. Any vehicle type is welcome.
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Lunch, water, sturdy shoes, binoculars, camera, and snacks.
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Paul Anderson and Tom Chidsey
Paul Anderson has been a geologic consultant for nearly 40 years and a past resident of Emery, Utah, where he and his wife Mary Ann are active in the local community. Paul is an expert on the Cretaceous geology of Emery County including its coal and gas resources as well as many other areas of the state.
Tom Chidsey is an emeritus geologist from the Utah Geological Survey where he worked as a petroleum researcher for 31 years and 13 years prior in the oil and gas industry of Utah and Texas.
Both Paul and Tom have served as presidents of the Utah Geological Association and have been awarded the prestigious Lehi Hintze Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Geology of Utah.
