NEW THERMAL FEATURES at Yellowstone Volcano - July 2023

Geysers and hot springs are some of the most dynamic geologic features on the planet. They are always changing and sometimes that change happens in places where we can see and appreciate it. This has been the case on Geyser Hill, near Old Faithful, in Yellowstone National Park.

The activity started May 24, 2023. Aurum Geyser began erupting for the first time in two years, and Beehive Geyser began erupting a little more frequently. In early June, a small feature formed next to the boardwalk near Doublet Pool. Another thermal feature that formed in 2018 but had been dormant came back to life on May 30. And at about the same time, a nearby small feature formed, throwing debris up onto the boardwalk.

This recent increase in activity is similar to that which occurred in September of 2018. That time period is well known for a rare eruption of Ear Spring, which hadn't erupted in decades. When it erupted in September 2018, it brought decades of human trash to the surface—cinder block, coins, cans with pull tabs, even a baby's pacifier—things people had thrown into the spring or had fallen in.

The Geyser Hill activity has calmed substantially since early June and things seem to be to returning to normal. What drove this short period of increased activity? Some may be tempted to think it's magma imparting heat to the surface but that's not the case. If that were true, we would expect to see changes throughout the basin, not just in one small area of Geyser Hill. We would also see abundant earthquake activity and dramatic ground deformation. This is really more of an example of the dynamic nature of Yellowstone's hydrothermal system. It's like the plumbing in an old house, always springing leaks. This is Yellowstone being Yellowstone

[pixelpusher]

just FYI your audio is heavily biased to the Right side.

[stacey]

Um there has been e q s in and throughout y s since 2020