Horrible Today: Live Footage Eruption Yellowstone Giant Geyser unstoppable, Throws Hot Soil Into Air

Horrible Today: Live Footage Eruption Yellowstone Giant Geyser unstoppable, Throws Hot Soil Into Air

Shortly before 10 a.m., a plume of hot water, mud and rock erupted from Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park’s Biscuit Basin, just about 2 miles northwest of Old Faithful. No early warning was detected by monitoring instruments. The blast damaged nearby pavement, and the basin remained closed as geologists assessed the activity. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Geologists examining the deposits have noted that the rocks ejected by the blast were glacial material, sandstone and siltstone, and gravel that lie just beneath the silica sinter that forms a layer on the surface. No rhyolite bedrock, which lies about 175 feet below the surface, was found. This suggests that the blast occurred at a much shallower depth and did not disturb the bedrock.

The eruption was directed mostly northeast toward the Firehole River, and large boulders, some several feet across and weighing hundreds of pounds, fell in that direction. This coincidental direction may be why no one was standing on the boardwalk at the time. Hydrothermal eruptions occur when liquid water boils and turns to steam in the shallow subsurface.