A NPS employee caught a glimpse of something pretty rare last Thursday – Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Basin erupted, prompting a flurry of local news reporting, such as this from the Casper Tribune –
The tallest active geyser in the world may be erupting for the first time since 2014, according to the National Park Service.
Yellowstone National Park employees reported seeing the Steamboat Geyser erupt on Thursday evening, the park service announced Friday. Park geologists then compared the accounts to thermal sensors in the area and determined it “could be a series of minor eruptions.”
The geyser can shoot water higher than 300 feet during major eruptions, according to the Park Service. A geyser in New Zealand has sent water higher, but not in more than 100 years…
A friend and I joked on Friday that predictions of the Caldera blowing couldn’t be far behind, and sure enough they’ve started to pop up again.
He raised the question about a very robust water year (which starts every October 1) increasing groundwater sources to feed at least some of the geothermal activity in Yellowstone, which from a common sense perspective would certainly seem to potentially play a role here. Snowpack in the area (snow water equivalent specifically) is still well above average for this time of year.
We’re not ready for the Caldera to blow just yet, but if you’ve been putting that Yellowstone trip off for a year or two, better get it back on the books.
