Yellowstone News and Information

Thar She Blows! Dormant Geyser In Yellowstone Erupts For First Time in 25 Years

  Caldera Chronicles   Yellowstone's famous biscuits By  Yellowstone Volcano Observatory   May 15, 2023 Yellowstone's Upper Geyser Basin hosts the legendary Old Faithful, but it's also home to an isolated thermal group famous for its biscuits.  Though, only a few remain of a large batch that existed prior to 1959.  Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Wendy Stovall, volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Deputy Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park, in about 1887. Bulbous-shaped geyserite knobs around the pool reminded the photographer, Frank Jay Haynes, of biscuits. Biscuit Basin is located three km (two mi) northwest of Old Faithful Village on the western side of the Grand Loop Road. The basin is with...

  The Story of Old Faithful And What Makes It The Most Famous Geyser In The World

  Travertine: Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Timekeeper Release Date: May 24, 2021 Standing on the boardwalk next to any of Yellowstone’s hot, steamy, vigorously bubbling hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles, or geysers, you may be struck by the sheer amount of energy that powers this system, night and day. But how long have these features been active?  To address this question, geologists can turn to the “clock” that is frozen within hydrothermal travertine deposits. Yellowstone  Caldera  Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week's contribution is from Lauren Harrison, a postdoctoral researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey. Travertine is a form of limestone composed of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are both made of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). In contrast to limestones that are formed in the ocean from the shells of tiny plankton a...