Hydrothermal explosion at Yellowstone National Park shocks visitors

Stewart ‘da baws’ Shirley, Staff Writer

   A hydrothermal explosion occurred at Biscuit Basin of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on Tuesday, July 23. The boardwalk near the explosion was destroyed and, while visitors were present, no injuries were reported.

   The explosion, occurring around 10 AM., sent "grapefruit-sized rocks tens to hundreds of feet from the eruption", says Logan Ramsey of KSL.com. 

   The explosion was not caused by volcanic activity. It was a hydrothermal explosion, meaning it was caused by "an accumulation of steam and boiling water" says Michael Poland, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey.

   Yellowstone National Park, a national park mostly in Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho, is the world's first national park, established in 1872. It’s known mainly for its wildlife: It's one of the few places where wild American bison roam. Furthermore, Yellowstone is home to Bobcats, Canadian Lynxes, Coyotes, Elks, Moose and more.

   The park spans 3,468.4 square miles, or almost 9,000 square kilometers, according to the National Park Service Acreage Reports. The Yellowstone Lake is among the largest high-elevation lakes in North America.

   Biscuit Basin, the trail in the Old Faithful Area in which the explosion occurred, is named for its biscuit-like deposits which used to surround Sapphire Pool until an explosion in 1951, according to the National Park Service. From the trail, fascinating geological features such as Sapphire Pool, Avoca Spring, and Jewel Geyser can be seen.

   Experts reject the idea of a super volcano eruption. "Explosions like this are common in the park, with smaller ones happening almost every year. For example, a much smaller one happened near Old Faithful in 2018, and in Norris Geyser Basin earlier this year," according to Poland.

   Larger explosions are less common, and explosions of this size occur every few decades. While the explosion destroyed a nearby boardwalk, it didn’t have any long-term physical effects on the park overall, says Poland.