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The explosive story of Excelsior Geyser at Yellowstone National Park
On the morning of July 23, 2024, a hydrothermal explosion from Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin sent people running for cover. The event was caused by liquid water flashing to steam in the clogged hot-water plumbing system just beneath the surface, and it sent steam, water, mud and rocks several hundred feet into the air. […]
What did Yellowstone National Park look like before it became wonderland?
The Yellowstone region today is wonderland. It is full of spectacular geysers and colorful hot springs, home to lakes and meadows and mountains and valleys, and covered by forests and grasslands. What we see today is a result of volcanic activity that has shaped the landscape over the past 2 million years. But what did […]
The probability of hydrothermal explosions in Yellowstone National Park
The July 23, 2024, hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park was dramatic and extremely hazardous. It was the first such explosion in the park to be captured clearly on video, and it highlighted what has often been underappreciated as a source of hazard. A hydrothermal explosion is triggered when liquid water flashes to steam in an […]
Recent explosion could teach us more about the birth and life of geysers in Yellowstone
Shortly before 10 a.m. on July 23, an explosion of hot water, mud and rock occurred from Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, only about 2 miles northwest of Old Faithful. No precursors to the event were detected by monitoring instruments. Dramatic videos posted to social media showed a plume of water […]
There were 806 fewer earthquakes in the Yellowstone region in 2023 than prior year, report says
Every year since 2017, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has summarized yearly geological activity — earthquakes, ground deformation, geyser eruptions, and so forth — and research efforts and findings in a series of annual reports. In these products you can find information about the numbers of seismic swarms in a given year, or the progress made […]
Earthquakes, geyser activity in Yellowstone National Park slowed during 2023, data show
As most Yellowstone geology aficionados are aware, earthquakes are pretty common in the region—1,500–2,500 events are typically located by the University of Utah Seismograph Stations every year, with about 99% classified as M2 or below. In 2023, seismicity was on the low end of that range, with a bit over 1,600 located earthquakes. The largest was a […]
That myth about Indigenous people being ‘afraid’ of Yellowstone? Evidence, histories say otherwise.
The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804–1806 never entered the Yellowstone area, although they were tantalizingly close — on the return journey from the Pacific Ocean, a group led by Capt. William Clark passed through present-day Livingston, Montana, and journeyed down the Yellowstone River from that point. Nevertheless, in Clark’s journal of the expedition, in […]
Which is more hazardous to Yellowstone National Park visitors: wildlife or hot springs?
Yellowstone National Park is home to an array of “charismatic megafauna” — for instance, elk, bears, bison, wolves and other large mammals. And as the term “wildlife” implies, these animals are, well, wild. Yellowstone National Park requires all visitors to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards […]
If an eruption is so unlikely, why do we monitor Yellowstone National Park at all?
A common question asked of Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists is “when will Yellowstone erupt?” And the usual reply is that “an eruption of any sort, either an explosion or a lava flow, is very unlikely in our lifetimes.” This is a true statement — seismic imaging has shown that the magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is […]
2,429 earthquakes, 11 Steamboat Geyser eruptions, floods: Here’s Yellowstone’s 2022 year in review
Since 2017, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has produced annual reports that contain an abundance of information about a variety of topics — ground deformation trends, earthquake activity, and upgrades to monitoring networks, for example. In addition, there is information about research results and new discoveries, like the recognition of the new thermal area near Tern […]
First geological map of Yellowstone National Park stands test of time
The volcanic character of Yellowstone has long been known. An indigenous map drawn on a bison pelt indicating a volcano on the Yellowstone River was described by the governor of Louisiana Territory in an 1805 letter to Thomas Jefferson. The first formal geological studies of the region, however, were not undertaken until the 1870s. In 1871, […]
A Christmas (misinformation) story: Yellowstone National Park edition
On Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles directed and narrated a live radio adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel “The War of the Worlds.” The incident is famous for supposedly having incited a panic that the events being described were really happening. Some people apparently thought that Martians were invading Earth! Fast forward over 80 years […]