This post was written by Koben Cooper as part of the InnoHub blog series focused on how Mines students have used InnoHub resources to bring their projects to life.

“I learned the importance of showing appreciation for the places that are so special to us!”

Concept

In Yellowstone National Park, there is a massive geyser called Beehive geyser, which is one of the most liked and most important geysers in the world. This project created multiple models of it and well as fun Beehive related trinkets to show what it looks like up close, giving people a unique perspective on it’s attributes.

Inspiration | Process | Finished Product

I have been geyser gazing in Yellowstone for my entire life and participate in geological research analyzing the behaviors surrounding Beehive geyser, Beehive is undeniably one of my favorite things in the world so being able to create models of it and have a miniature Beehive with me everywhere I go sounded super awesome!

My process involved gathering LIDAR data, creating a very detailed model of the cone and an eruption, and then 3d printing a few versions of models that explore different attributes of Beehive and it’s eruptions in the Makerspace.

“LIDAR data is extremely refined and can easily be turned into models of anyone’s favorite places or things!”

The final product is a set of Beehive related models, including large-size models of the cone which Beehive erupts from, models of the eruption column and what Beehive looks in eruption, topographic models of the surrounding area, and small trinkets to draw attention to Beehive and show my appreciation for it and fascination of it. These are all 3d printed models that I can handle/show to research partners, friends, and visitors. These models help people, both experienced and inexperienced in geysers, understand their unique attributes and they show the “close up” of a feature that is more than fifty feet away from any boardwalk, giving people a unique perspective.

Things Learned

One of the things that is amazing about Beehive is that it erupts water 200 feet into the air.
When you are fifty feet away from it, it is hard to comprehend the scale of Beehive compared to
the cone it erupts from. These models showed me a better perspective on just how insane it is
to be 50ft away from boiling water exploding two hundred feet into the air!!

What’s Next?

I am currently working on creating models for different geysers and different areas of the park
that are less accessible to the public in hopes of showing the unique features and attributes of
locations and geysers that are not normally seen by the public.