M.G.
24. 7. 2024, 18.20
Updated: 24.7.2024, 22.12
Yesterday morning, a hot geyser suddenly erupted in Yellowstone National Park, spewing mud, rocks and hot water high into the air. The eruption occurred in the Biscuit Basin geothermal area, north of the famous Old Faithful geyser. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
When it comes to expected and controlled eruptions of geysers, people are happy about them and are ready to wait for them even for several hours. Yesterday’s eruption of a geyser in Yellowstone National Park scared the visitors, who ran away in panic and sought shelter, because no one expected this to happen. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the end, but the situation was life-threatening. It was a hydrothermal eruption associated with the heating of water in underground reservoirs.
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“Hydrothermal vents occur when water underground suddenly evaporates. Such explosions are relatively common in Yellowstone. For example, Porkchop Geyser exploded in 1989. An explosion similar to today’s has been recorded On May 17, 2009 right in Biscuit Basin,” reports the website Science Alert, which obtained data from the US Geological Survey and Yellowstone National Park.
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Why does the explosion occur?
Under high pressure, groundwater can heat up significantly above 100 degrees Celsius. At temperatures up to 250 degrees, it quickly turns into steam and therefore increases its volume. As the volume increases, the water and steam in the underground chamber run out of space and an explosion occurs, with the jet piercing the ground. None of the hydrothermal vents in Yellowstone are otherwise directly associated with magma. During a hydrothermal explosion, a geyser can hurl steam, water, mud and rocks up to 2 kilometers into the air, leaving behind even smaller craters.
As a result of the eruption, part of Yellowstone National Park will be closed until the mess left behind by the unexpected fury of the hydrothermal geyser can be cleaned up.
Source: svet24.si
