Yellowstone geyser that exploded last summer shows activity. See the eruption
The same geyser that erupted last summer in a hydrothermal explosion in Yellowstone National Park was recorded erupting again, video shows.
'Small eruption from Black Diamond Pool, site of a hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, captured by new webcam on May 31 at 8:39 p.m. MDT!' U.S. Geological Survey Volcanoes said in a Facebook post Monday, June 2.
The video shows the steaming pool bubble ever so slightly before a bulb of steam and black mud shoots up from the geyser. The pool then settles again and water spills over its edge in tiny waves.
'On May 14, a new webcam was installed at Biscuit Basin to track activity at Black Diamond Pool, where a hydrothermal explosion occurred last summer,' U.S. Geological Survey said in the post and in a June 2 news release.
The camera posts an image every 15 minutes to the agency's website and logs a video that can be downloaded later, officials said.
'Analysis of the static images indicated changes in the pool on the evening of May 31, and downloaded video captured a small eruption from the pool at 8:39 p.m. MDT. This is the first eruption from Black Diamond Pool that has been captured on video since the hydrothermal explosion on July 23, 2024, although there is evidence from other monitoring data and some eyewitnesses that sporadic eruptions have occurred several times since the July 2024 event.'
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientists track surface deformation in the area each spring using semi-permanent GPS stations, officials said. They installed the new webcam during maintenance of geophysical and temperature monitoring stations, and they hope to establish 'a new seismic/acoustic/GPS station at Biscuit Basin' in June.
Tracking activity in Yellowstone and abroad
Someone asked in the comments whether the activity reflected that Yellowstone is showing signs of erupting due to frequent earthquakes.
'Not about to erupt anytime soon. And, there aren't frequent earthquakes going on at Yellowstone right now. In fact, there are far fewer earthquakes so far in 2025 than for an average year,' the U.S. Geological Survey replied. 'Typically there are 1500-2500 quakes in a given year. That's normal for the region, given all of the hot water beneath the surface and preexisting faults in the region. The magma chamber beneath Yellowstone is mostly solid, and it would take a while to rejuvenate it to the point it could support a significant explosive volcanic eruption.'
A team of researchers recently discovered a magma cap about 2.5 miles under Yellowstone's surface that 'acts like a lid' and keeps the volcanic system from erupting, McClatchy News previously reported.
A few people chimed in to theorize that volcanic activity and eruptions seem to be increasing across the globe. Several of them referenced the recent eruption of Mount Etna in Italy, the volcano's first eruption in about a decade, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey set the record straight in the comments.
'There actually isn't really any change in eruptive activity worldwide, although it can sometimes seem that way owing to uneven media coverage and a few noteworthy events (like Etna's recent activity – but even that was a relatively small event, spectacular though it was),' the agency said. 'Global volcanic activity isn't any more or less significant than usual right now.
One person claimed that 'volcanic activity is escalating globally.'
The U.S. Geological Survey pushed back on that narrative in the comments.
'Not so much – volcanic activity worldwide has been at pretty steady levels (and this eruption isn't volcanic anyway, but rather a steam burst from a geyser system.),' the agency said, directing them check out the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program, which tracks all eruptions worldwide. 'From those records you can see that eruptive activity isn't any more or less vigorous now than at other times.'
Eruption awes viewers
Others commented on how fascinating they found the visuals from the eruption.
'It is so weird to see black ash erupt from clean water,' someone said. 'The earth is crazy and cool!'
In a reply to another comment, the U.S. Geological Survey explained that the eruption appeared dark in color due to mud that had settled at the bottom of the pool.
'These sorts of eruptions have happened in prior months, and geologists have noticed muddy deposits on the pool margins as a consequence,' the agency said.
It looked similar to the hydrothermal explosion from the same geyser last summer, when charcoal-colored debris and steam blasted hundreds of feet into the air and ultimately changed the shape of Black Diamond Pool, McClatchy News reported at the time.
Biscuit Basin has been closed to visitors since that 2024 explosion.
'Wow, no indication that was about to happen, I saw no change in water level,' someone said. 'I know the area is closed, but it would have been quite a surprise to anyone walking by at the time.'
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