A new thermal vent has captured the curiosity of visitors in Yellowstone National Park, primarily because it is visible from the road, despite the park’s fame for its myriad geysers, hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. When the park opens its roads to vehicle traffic in April, tourists will have the opportunity to observe this new steam emission from a designated viewing pullout, provided the thermal vent remains active.
Located about a mile north of the Norris Geyser Basin, this feature was initially discovered by scientists last summer. Scientists reported venting of 171-degree Fahrenheit (77-degree Celsius) steam from the base of a wooded hill after trekking through marshland. A light layer of gray mud affirmed the vent’s novelty, as disclosed in a recent update by Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists, which is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mike Poland, in charge of the observatory, shared that such developments frequently occur and change within Yellowstone. “While the feature itself is new, the occurrence of a new feature is rather ordinary,” he remarked. “The significant part was how noticeable it was. Yet, the creation of a new feature isn’t something out of the ordinary.”
This emergent plume of steam is part of a 200-foot area of warm ground and seems connected to a hot water feature that appeared 700 feet away back in 2003. Over the winter, the plume’s activity reduced, and geologists remain uncertain whether it will continue to be visible from a distance this coming summer or be obstructed by water within the vent.
Notwithstanding frequent geological changes, interest in Yellowstone remains high due to the park’s position above a volcanic system responsible for substantial eruptions in ancient times. However, the volcano has not had any lava eruptions for 70,000 years, nor major ones for 631,000 years. The magma chamber underlying Yellowstone, extending between 5 and 10 miles beneath the surface, warms the groundwater that manifests as the park’s renowned hydrothermal phenomena. Currently, only 10% to 30% of the chamber contains fluid magma.
Despite Yellowstone’s occasionally dramatic geological activity, including a hydrothermal explosion that sent scalding water and debris skyward, prompting tourists to flee last summer, geologists assure that the volcano shows no indication of impending eruption. The park’s thermal features are transient; however, Yellowstone’s iconic Old Faithful Geyser remains robust.
“There are so many thermal features, and they not only appear and vanish but also undergo changes,” Poland explained, highlighting the park’s continuously evolving geological landscape.