A spectacular and muddy eruption from a famous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park has been captured on camera, providing dramatic new footage of the site's volatile geothermal activity.
Dramatic Footage Captures the 'Kablooey' Moment
The event occurred at the Black Diamond Pool on Saturday morning, with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) sharing video of the explosion on social media. The footage shows thick, dark mud spraying powerfully from the murky spring just before 9.23am local time in the park's Biscuit Basin area.
Volcanic experts at the USGS described the eruption with the simple, evocative exclamation: "Kablooey!" The site is situated roughly midway between two of Yellowstone's most famous landmarks: the regularly erupting Old Faithful geyser and the vast, colourful Grand Prismatic Spring.
A History of 'Dirty' Eruptions and New Monitoring
This is not the pool's first significant event. A major hydrothermal explosion in July 2024 hurled rocks and mud hundreds of feet into the air, damaging a visitor boardwalk and forcing the area to close. Since then, sporadic "dirty" eruptions reaching up to 40 feet have occurred.
Many previous eruptions at Black Diamond Pool have been audible but not visible, happening at night or when the camera was iced over. To better understand this activity, researchers installed a new camera along with a seismic and acoustic monitoring station this summer. These instruments, combined with temperature sensors managed by the Yellowstone National Park Geology Program, are designed to detect and characterise the eruptions more effectively.
The clear footage from Saturday proved the new setup's value. "We got a nice clear view of one of these dirty eruptions under bright blue skies with the surroundings covered in snow," USGS Volcanoes stated online, calling it a prime example of the activity observed over the past 19 months.
Yellowstone's Extraordinary Geothermal Landscape
Yellowstone is home to the planet's most remarkable concentration of hydrothermal features, including:
- Over 10,000 individual hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
- More than 500 geysers.
- World-famous sites like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring.
The park is also a sanctuary for iconic wildlife, including bison, bear, and moose. This latest eruption serves as a powerful reminder of the dynamic and untamed natural forces continuously at work beneath the surface of one of America's most beloved national parks.
