Yellowstone volcano’s geysers erupted at an unusually high rate last year, breaking all known eruption records. USGS data collected since the start of last year has shown 2018 to be the most thrilling year for Yellowstone in a long time. The geological agency has now said Yellowstone’s world-famous Steamboat geyser erupted a total of 32-times – beating its previous 1964 record. The USGS said: “If you were a geyser watcher, it was surely one of the most memorable years in a long time.”
Yellowstone volcano’s Steamboat Geyser is the tallest active geyser in the world, rivalled only by Waimangu Geyser in New Zealand.
Located in the Norris Geyser Basin of the US National Park, Steamboat Geyser is live evidence of the intense volcanic processes deep below Yellowstone.
The geyser can go for years at a time without erupting jets of scorching hot water but 2018 proved to be something of an anomaly.
The last time Steamboat erupted this frequently was in 1964 when park officials noted 29 hot water eruptions.
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Yellowstone volcano: The park’s geysers broke records for the highest number of eruptions (Image: GETTY)
Last year the number of eruptions went completely off the charts and was accompanied by Yellowstone’s other notable geysers joining in.
It was surely one of the most memorable years in a long time
The USGS said: “The previous record was 29 eruptions in 1964, and the geyser was quite active in the 1960s and early 1980s, so the recent activity is not unprecedented by any means.
“Most geysers in Yellowstone are like Steamboat – they do not erupt on regular schedules.
“Certainly, the spate of activity was an exciting sight for the millions of visitors to Yellowstone National Park in 2018, and many tales of Steamboat eruptions graced social media this past summer.”
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The first eruption was observed on March 15, 2018, and was shortly followed by two blasts in April.
Steamboat Geyser than roared back to life once more on May 4, prompting a quick response from scientists.
Geologists from the University of Utah and Yellowstone National Park experts deployed a series of seismic sensors around the geyser to monitor its activity.
Before June 4, four more geyser eruptions rocked the volcanic feature, giving scientists insight into what was going on deep below the surface of Yellowstone.
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Yellowstone volcano: Steamboat Geyser erupted a total of 32 times last year (Image: GETTY)
According to the USGS, similar experiments at Old Faithful geyser have helped scientists better understand the “plumbing” and eruptive patterns of the geyser.
But Steamboat was not the only geyser to see a high number of powerful eruptions last year.
The USGS said: “Giant Geyser, in the Upper Geyser Basin – not far from Old Faithful – also erupted repeatedly.
“The last time Giant was so active was in 2007-2008, when it erupted several dozen times.
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Yellowstone volcano: The incredible geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser (Image: GETTY)
“There was also a rare eruption of Ear Spring in the Upper Geyser Basin in September which was associated with the formation of a new thermal feature that forced the closure of a boardwalk.”
Giant Geyser erupted at least 29 times last year, according to Yellowstone’s GeyserTimes database.
And Ear Spring’s unusual blast brought decades worth of rubbish like coins and baby dummies to the surface.
One factor which may have contributed to the high number of Yellowstone eruptions was header-than-usual rainfall in past years, but the exact cause remains unknown.
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