GREAT FALLS — A “localized” hydrothermal explosion at Yellowstone National Park sent terrified people running and forced officials to close Biscuit Basin, which contains several geysers, on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, park officials said.
Dramatic video captured by Vlada March shows the moment of the explosion, which she described as a “once in a lifetime” experience.
“No injuries were reported and the extent of damage is unknown at this time,” park officials said in a news release.
"This sort of thing happens 1-2 times per year somewhere in Yellowstone (often in the backcountry, so it goes unnoticed)," the USGS said on social media. "It's an underappreciated hazard that we've been emphasizing for years. A similar event happened in roughly the same place in 2009."
(1st REPORT, 1:46 pm) The U.S. Geological Survey said on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, that a small hydrothermal explosion occurred in Yellowstone National Park in the Biscuit Basin thermal area, about 2.1 miles northwest of Old Faithful.
The agency added that "small doesn't mean that it was not spectacular."
The boardwalk was damaged, but there were no reports of injury. The explosion appears to have originated near Black Diamond Pool.
Biscuit Basin, including the parking lot and boardwalks, are temporarily closed for visitor safety. The Grand Loop road remains open. Yellowstone National Park geologists are investigating the event.
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory says that hydrothermal explosions occur when water suddenly flashes to steam underground, and they are relatively common in 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. An explosion similar to that of today also occurred in Biscuit Basin on May 17, 2009.
Monitoring data show no changes in the Yellowstone region. Today’s explosion does not reflect activity within volcanic system, which remains at normal background levels of activity.
FROM JULY 2018:
Hydrothermal explosions such as today's are not a sign of impending volcanic eruptions, and they are not caused by magma rising towards the surface.
We will update you when we get more information.
