Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest and far more powerful than Old Faithful, is roaring back to life. Having been dormant for decades, the volcano has now erupted nine times in the past few months. The eruptions can rival Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island, only much bigger. Because Yellowstone National Park’s geyser field sits atop an active volcano, with a large magma chamber deep within the earth, the same energy that causes the geysers to erupt can send ash clouds as far away as Chicago and Los Angeles.
“It’s mind-boggling to imagine the scale of this eruption,” said Mike Poland, a scientist at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. The eruption that created the park happened 70,000 years ago, and there’s no sign of another one anytime soon. But scientists want to know what’s behind the recent activity. “We see gas emissions. We see all kinds of thermal activity. That’s what Yellowstone does. That’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s one of the most dynamic places on Earth,” Poland said.
The park’s most unpredictable geyser is Steamboat. It could erupt in five minutes, five years — even 50 years from now. But no one who visits Yellowstone wants to look away from the view. “It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” one visitor said. “I’m going to be amazed.” Timing is everything, and only a lucky few will get to see it. Poland’s team of volcanologists used thermal imaging equipment to track the temperature of the 50-mile-wide magma field. They also monitored 28 seismographs because the supervolcano is expected to be accompanied by major earthquake activity.
The sheer volume of things happening right now is a boon not only for scientists but also for science buffs like Hannah Gilbert. Geysers naturally fluctuate in their activity and are usually nothing to worry about. While the link between geyser eruptions and earthquake activity is a popular misconception, visitors to the national park need not be alarmed, Poland explained in an interview with CNN. Poland said the likely explanation for Steamboat’s recent activity is rising groundwater in Yellowstone from years of heavy snowfall that eventually melted and flowed into the geysers and hot springs.
Halo Guyss...! Don't Forget To Subscribe..!
Thank You♥
