In a national park in the United States, a fountain "exploded" under the feet of tourists: what happened (video)

Yellowstone National Park is considered one of the most fascinating natural attractions in the United States. This unique territory is located above an active supervolcano, which is a source of heating for numerous underground reservoirs, oxidizing their contents.

This gives the park its unique beauty, but also comes with certain risks. Recent events reported by Science Alert confirm this.

The incident occurred on July 23 at 10:19 a.m. local time in a geothermal area known as the Biscuit Basin. There was a release of hot water, which was much more powerful than usual, bursting to the surface from the depths of the earth.

A video posted on Facebook by Vlada March shows a dark fountain of material rising into the air. People nearby quickly ran for cover after the unexpected explosion.

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However, this incident is not a cause for concern. It was not a volcanic eruption, but a hydrothermal release associated with overheating of water in underground reservoirs.

According to an official statement from the U.S. Geological Survey and Yellowstone National Park, "Hydrothermal explosions occur when water suddenly turns to steam underground, and they are relatively common in Yellowstone."

They also recalled previous similar events. For example, in 1989, Porkchop Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin exploded, and on April 15, 2024, a smaller eruption was recorded there. Another case, similar to the one that occurred on July 23, took place in Biscuit Basin on May 17, 2009.

When water is underground under high pressure, it can heat up to temperatures well above the boiling point. At about 250 degrees Celsius, it turns into a vapor phase and expands. Unable to escape underground, the water is looking for a way to the surface.

Hydrothermal explosions in Yellowstone are not directly related to magmatic activity, but may be associated with seismic processes. Usually, 1500 to 2000 earthquakes are recorded in Yellowstone annually.

During eruptions such as the one recorded on July 23, steam, water, soil, and rocks can be blown up to a height of two kilometers, leaving craters behind.

These small eruptions occur quite often, but large ones are much less frequent - about once every 700 years.

Earlier, UAportal wrote about the driest desert in the world, which was suddenly covered with flowers.

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