WYOMING – Steamboat Geyser erupted for the first time in more than three years and no one was there to see it except machines.
After reviewing seismic and temperature data from sensors in the Norris Geyser Basin, scientists believe Steamboat Geyser erupted at 5:30am on Thursday, March 15. With most park roads closed for spring plowing, no one witnessed the eruption.
Park employees reported seeing a significant steam plume late on the 15. Park geologists arrived the next morning and were able to capture video on Friday, March 16.
Like most of the park’s geysers, eruptions of Steamboat cannot be predicted. In fact, Steamboat eruptions can be days or decades apart. When it does erupt, Steamboat reaches heights up to 380 feet. That makes it more than three times the size of Old Faithful and higher than any other active geyser in the world.
