Thermal explosion at Yellowstone prompts section closure

Yesterday a hydrothermal explosion at Yellowstone National Park sent park revelers scrambling. The National Park Service later closed the area.

Video circulating on social media channels shows dozens of Yellowstone visitors scrambling to escape an explosion of steam, boiling water, and mud rising high above them. The incident happened at the Biscuit Basin section of the park, near Sapphire Pool, a few miles north of the famous Old Faithful geyser.

“No injuries were reported,” NPS said.

NPS and the US Geological Survey said the hydrothermal explosion happened around 10 am local time Tuesday. The explosion was powerful enough to damage a section of a boardwalk, but the agencies didn’t say if other damage was evident.

USGS said hydrothermal explosions happen when water is suddenly flashed heated to steam, sparking a quick release of water vapor with explosive force. Government geologists said this type of thermal explosion is fairly common at Yellowstone.

“For example, Porkchop Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, experienced an explosion in 1989, and a small event in Norris Geyser Basin was recorded by monitoring equipment on April 15, 2024,” USGS explained. “An explosion similar to that of today also occurred in Biscuit Basin on May 17, 2009.”

Both agencies said there is no evidence that magma is rising to the surface at Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park is understood to be home to a massive supervolcano that last erupted some 640,000 years ago, blanketing much of the US Midwest with volcanic ash. The very name “Yellowstone” is a reference to the yellow-colored volcanic sulfur rocks found in the park.

Geologically, the region is a “hotspot” or a point on Earth where the volcanic effects of Earth’s deep mantle layer penetrate through the crust. The Hawaiian Islands were formed by a similar hotspot in the Pacific Ocean.

The section of the park where the hydrothermal explosion occurred has been closed until further notice.

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