Recent explosion could teach us more about the birth and life of geysers in Yellowstone
This boulder is the largest that is confirmed to have been part of the July 23, 2024, hydrothermal explosion from Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin at Yellowstone National Park. The tape measure is 20 inches long. Black Diamond Pool and a boardwalk are in the background. The foreground is scattered with smaller rocks that were part of the explosion. (Lauren Harrison/Colorado State University)
Shortly before 10 a.m. on July 23, an explosion of hot water, mud and rock occurred from Black Diamond Pool in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, only about 2 miles northwest of Old Faithful. No precursors to the event were detected by monitoring instruments. Dramatic videos posted to social media showed a plume of water and rock fragments rising about 600 feet into the air as people ran for safety. The explosion heavily damaged the nearby boardwalk, and the basin remains closed as geologists assess the activity. Thankfully, no one was injured.
Geologists examining the deposit have noted that the rocks thrown out by the explosion were composed of glacial materials, sandstones and siltstones, and gravels that immediately underlie the silica sinter that forms a veneer on the surface. None of the rhyolite bedrock that is present about 175 feet beneath the surface (based on drilling in the 1960s) was found. This indicates that the explosion was generated at a depth much shallower than that to have not disturbed the bedrock. This is not surprising, because hydrothermal conduits mostly exist at shallow levels beneath the surface in Yellowstone.
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