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UPDATE | Hydrothermal Explosion Rocks Corner Of Yellowstone National Park

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Published Date

July 23, 2024
Hydrothermal blast rocks Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park/NPS

A hydrothermal blast rocked Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday/NPS

Editor's Note: This updates with remarks by Dr. Mark Stelten, Deputy Scientist-in-Charge at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

A hydrothermal explosion Tuesday morning rocked Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park, sending a towering eruption of hot water, rocks, and other debris into the sky and sending visitors running.

There were no reported injuries from the explosion, though the boardwalk through that area of the park's Upper Geyser Basin was heavily damaged. The blast occurred about 2 miles northwest of Old Faithful.

Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion/MistarMuffin

The Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion was captured on video by Vlada March

"The boardwalk was damaged, but there were no reports of injury," the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory reported. "The explosion appears to have originated near Black Diamond Pool. Biscuit Basin, including the parking lot and boardwalks, are temporary closed for visitor safety.  The Grand Loop road remains open.  Yellowstone National Park geologists are investigating the event."

A video of the eruption was captured by MistarMuffin and can be viewed at this site.

Ironically, the explosion occurred a day after the observatory released its weekly Caldera Chronicles column, which discussed a similar event in the Norris Geyser Basin that was recorded by monitoring equipment this past April 15. 

When asked if the Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion might be linked to the Norris Geyser Basin event, Dr. Mark Stelten, Deputy Scientist-in-Charge at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO), indicated as far as researchers at YVO were aware, there was no direct link between the two. Stelten explained that relatively small hydrothermal explosions like this are common at Yellowstone, and even though the explosion looks huge in the video captured of this event, in geologic terms, the Biscuit Basin explosion was simply "on the bigger end of a small hydrothermal explosion."

"Hydrothermal explosions occur when water suddenly flashes to steam underground, and they are relatively common in Yellowstone," the YVO said. "For example, Porkchop Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, experienced an explosion in 1989..."

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