Horrible Today: Live Footage of Yellowstone Giant Geyser Second Explosion Threatens Hundred Tourists
Yellowstone’s Most Terrible Eruption occurred about 650,000 years ago, creating a 30x45-mile caldera, or basin. The heat that fueled the eruption still fuels the park’s hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and mud pools. On July 23, 2024, visitors were sent running when an unexpected hydrothermal explosion spewed debris and steam hundreds of feet above the ground, and threw boulders the size of grapefruits tens to hundreds of feet from its source.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “Hydrothermal explosions typically occur in the park one to a few times per year, but they often occur in backcountry areas where they may not be easily detected.” No one was injured during the explosion, but several trails and fences were damaged. While not dangerous, visitors should still be careful because such explosions can happen at any time
