A New Hot Pool Has Formed at Yellowstone National Park and Most People Don’t Know About It

I just got back from a weekend in Yellowstone National Park with my family, and it is definitely a vacation everyone should take. We got our fill of geysers, stinky smells, scenic drives, and wildlife, and we didn’t get featured on the Tourons of Yellowstone websites. FYI, right now is a great time to see animal babies in the park. From the safety of our car, we saw baby elk, bison calves, a black bear cub, and a young grizzly.

We took the trip as a family reunion, and I was surprised that many of my siblings were unaware of the recent seismic and turbulent activity at Biscuit Basin. The area has been closed since late July 2024 due to a massive and unexpected geyser explosion that destroyed part of a boardwalk and has been monitored by geologists since then.

A New Hot Pool Has Formed at Yellowstone National Park and Most People Don’t Know About It

The Biscuit Basin explosion in 2024 was documented in many videos and stories. There was no warning that the Black Diamond Pool was going to blow up, and it’s a miracle that no injuries were reported from it. Since that explosion, geologists have been monitoring the area, and it has been closed to the public. Last month, on June 13th, monitoring equipment showed signs of activity in the area, and a few days later, between the 14th and 16th, new vent groups and a new hot pool had formed.

The hot pool is interesting because, instead of being caused by an explosion, scientists believe the ground caved in and formed the new pool.

Photo by Kiernan Folz-Donahue Yellowstone National Park Public Domain - 1

The new pool is around 21 feet by 17 feet in size.

Photo Credit Jeff Hungerford and Kiernan Foz-Donahue Yellowstone National Park - 1

Biscuit Basin will remain closed indefinitely as the area is monitored. A video posted to social media on the USGS Volcanoes page explains what has been happening and shows videos of each of the hydrothermal explosions and ground changes.

What do you think about the increase in seismic activity in parts of Yellowstone National Park?

A new pool also formed last year in the Norris Geyser Basin.