A sudden geothermal eruption occurred at Yellowstone National Park on July 23, creating a massive plume of steam and debris, prompting visitors to flee.
The geothermal eruption at Yellowstone National Park on July 23. (Video: Vlada March)
Park officials had to close the area after the eruption, according to the National Park Service (NPS). The plume of material reached approximately 30 meters high and was located in the Biscuit Basin, just north of the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. The Biscuit Basin is known for its colorful hot springs and geysers.
No injuries were reported from the eruption, but nearby boardwalks will need minor repairs, according to a representative from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Photos taken after the eruption showed mud and debris scattered along the walkway.
“What we witnessed was spectacular and certainly dangerous,” said Michael Poland, scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. According to Poland, the eruption on July 23 was relatively small compared to previous events in Yellowstone, but it serves as a significant reminder of an underappreciated hazard.
Yellowstone National Park staff assessing damage to the boardwalk. (Photo: NPS).
Poland noted that blockages in the natural water system beneath Yellowstone may have triggered the eruption. These blockages caused heat and pressure to build up in a conduit beneath the Biscuit Basin, resulting in water vaporization, a sudden increase in volume, and ultimately an explosive event.
According to the NPS, this event does not indicate an increase in volcanic activity beneath Yellowstone. “The eruption does not reflect a change in the volcanic system, which remains at a normal background level of activity,” a representative from the agency stated.
“We saw a lot of steam rising, and within seconds, it became enormous. It erupted and turned into a cloud that obscured the sun,” said Vlada March, a visitor at Yellowstone on July 23. Yellowstone staff, along with a team of geologists from the USGS, are monitoring the area and will reopen it to visitors when it is safe.
The eruption on July 23 was relatively small compared to past geothermal events at Yellowstone, including a series of eruptions that occurred 13,800 years ago in the Mary Bay area, northeast of Yellowstone Lake. These eruptions left a caldera with a diameter of 2.4 kilometers, the largest caldera formed by geothermal eruption on Earth.
