There was significant excitement in Yellowstone National Park on Saturday evening as one of its thermal pools erupted. While the eruption was incredible to witness on camera, I am sure it would have been absolutely terrifying to witness in person. Watch as the Black Diamond Pool erupts.
Watch As Black Diamond Pool Erupts In Yellowstone
Would you believe that this static webcam captured this incredible footage just two weeks after installation? Talk about proper timing! Cowboy State Daily shares that the pool in the Biscuit Basin erupted at 8:39 pm. on Saturday. In the video, you can see the water appearing calm before suddenly erupting. Then, as Black Diamond Pool explodes, dark water shoots up into the air. Although the eruption lasted only a few seconds, it was incredible to witness. After the eruption, heaps of steam can be seen billowing up from and over the top of the pool.
This is nothing compared to the eruption that happened on July 23, 2024. A video posted to Facebook shows the intensity of that eruption last year. A woman records as she and her family enjoy the scenic views at Yellowstone National Park. Then, suddenly, the Black Diamond pool explodes. However, in this instance, the scalding waters shoot several feet higher into the air. Massive steam clouds also begin forming. Honestly, from afar, it looked as if a bomb had been dropped. People scurry frantically, attempting to avoid being splashed with the incredibly hot water.
While this most recent explosion was nothing compared to the hydrothermal blast that occurred last year, Cowboy State Daily admits that it is a sign that the "pool is active and erratic."
Scientists Are Excited
While unsuspecting tourists may be terrified of these eruptions, scientists are thrilled by them. Ever since last year's explosion, scientists have been craving the chance to monitor Biscuit Basin, and now they have it. Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, was thrilled by the footage. He told Cowboy State Daily, "We had the feeling these kinds of things were happening. Now, we can see them, and this will help us better understand the new normal for Black Diamond Pool."
After analyzing the footage, Poland believes this most recent eruption was caused by "an accumulation of steam in the subterranean plumbing that feeds Black Diamond Pool." He points out that in the video, just before the explosion, you can see the surface of the pool rise. This motion, as if a significant pressure is being released, was probably an accumulation of pressure, due to steam that rises to a conduit, then drives that bubble out."
Furthermore, Poland admits that it classifies this instance as an eruption rather than an explosion. This is mainly because the eruption only shot water into the air. For an event to be considered an explosion, it must either "throw out rocks" or create a "crater that enlarges an existing crater." This differs from the hydrothermal explosion that happened in 2024. During that event, water and debris were shot into the air. Poland argues that the explosion in 2024 was "caused by the energy created when water rapidly expands into steam in a confined space, expanding over 1,000 times its original size."
Furthermore, the damage from that explosion was significant. Cowboy State Daily shares that "That event sent water hundreds of feet into the air, destroyed the Biscuit Basin boardwalk, and launched large rocks far from the pool."
