The Cold Case of Whatâs Heating Up Yellowstoneâs Steamboat Geyser
Scientists ruled out earthquakes and excessive snowfall as culprits in the series of outbursts from the worldâs tallest active geyser.
The Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park last February.Credit...Leila Coker/Alamy
By Robin George Andrews
Jan. 6, 2021
Yellowstone National Park is an excess of geologic riches, from sweeping volcanic vistas to bubbling caldrons with multicolored irises. But one of its 10,000 thermal features has been capturing everyoneâs attention recently: Steamboat Geyser.
Steamboat, the worldâs tallest active geyser, can launch superheated water almost 400 feet into the sky. These eruptions have been erratic, with gaps between each major outburst lasting anywhere from four days to 50 years. But in March 2018, it began a showstopping performance that shows no sign of petering out. The geyserâs 129 eruptions from the moment of its awakening to the present date exceed the total number seen gushing from Steamboat in the preceding half-century.