Geyser output and storage through dormancy
GeysersHard
Use eruption timing and the dormant season to size a supply that lasts between eruptions.
Three different rates
An analyzed vent has an eruption rate, a fraction of time erupting during its active season, and a fraction of the whole activity cycle spent active. Long-term supply = eruption rate × eruption fraction × active fraction. The peak is useful for moving output away; the long-term value is useful for feeding a colony.
| Geysers | Temperature | Active-period yield | Max pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cool Steam Vent | 110 ºC | 1,000 – 2,000 kg/cycle | 5 kg |
 Steam Vent | 500 ºC | 500 – 1,000 kg/cycle | 5 kg |
 Water Geyser | 95 ºC | 2,000 – 4,000 kg/cycle | 500 kg |
 Polluted Water Vent | 30 ºC | 2,000 – 4,000 kg/cycle | 500 kg |
 Cool Slush Geyser | -10 ºC | 1,000 – 2,000 kg/cycle | 500 kg |
The active-period yield in the comparison is already averaged across the eruptions within that active period. Do not multiply it by the eruption fraction again. Multiply by the active fraction to include dormancy, and divide kg/cycle by 600 to express kg/s.
Reserve for the longest interruption
Consider a vent erupting at 10 kg/s for half its active season, with activity for 75 of every 125 cycles. Its long-term average is 10 × 0.5 × 0.6 = 3 kg/s. A colony using 2 kg/s needs 60,000 kg stored for the 50 dormant cycles: 2 × 50 × 600. Additional storage covers gaps between eruptions, delivery delays and the reserve you choose to keep.
Temperature changes the equipment
Without a Geotuner, Cool Steam Vent emits at 110 ºC, below the Steam Turbine’s intake threshold; simply placing a Steam Turbine above it does not make a working condenser. Each Geotuner aimed at the vent adds 20 ºC while it has amplification data, so one Geotuner lifts its steam past that threshold. Steam Vent emits much hotter steam, but turbine flow, power and body-temperature limits still apply. Plan cooling and drainage independently of the vent’s theoretical output.
Cool Slush Geyser provides cold Polluted Water, not clean Water. The two liquids have different freezing boundaries. Before purification, compare the resulting liquid’s temperature range with the temperature in your pipes. Warm Water Geyser output should likewise remain away from temperature-sensitive crops until its heat is handled.