Massive Explosion Occurs at Yellowstone National Park’s Biscuit Basin
on Jul 23, 2024
On Tuesday, July 23, an explosion occurred early in the morning at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park.
A video posted by a witness on Facebook reveals that the explosion at Biscuit Basin occurred between 9 and 10 a.m. Tourists on the boardwalk at the popular hiking spot witnessed a massive eruption of black water and debris shooting into the air, causing onlookers to run for safety. The video also shows that the boardwalk was completely destroyed in the aftermath.
The National Park Service (NPS) has confirmed in a statement that the incident at Biscuit Basin was a hydrothermal explosion. Hydrothermal explosions occur when water underground rapidly flashes to steam, and they are relatively common in Yellowstone.
What is Biscuit Basin?
Biscuit Basin is a thermal area in Yellowstone National Park’s Upper Geyser Basin, named for the biscuit-like deposits that once surrounded Sapphire Pool, according to the park’s official website. After the earthquake that occurred in 1959 at Hebgen Lake, Sapphire Pool erupted, causing the “biscuits” to be blown away.
The specific cause of why the recent explosion happened at Biscuit Basin has not yet been confirmed. However, historical activities in the park suggest that the hydrothermal explosion may be related to the Black Diamond Pool.
According to the NPS, the Black Diamond Pool is a large, murky blue pool with water flowing into nearby pools and has a history of hydrothermal explosions. For example, after an earthquake in July 2006, the pool erupted, resulting in several explosive events in the days that followed. Although eruptions have been infrequent since then, with the last observed in 2016, the pool’s history of explosive activity might explain the recent event. A similar explosion also occurred in Biscuit Basin on May 17, 2009.
As of now, there are no reports of injuries resulting from today’s explosion. The area is currently closed to the public until further notice.
