Yellowstone's Hydrothermal Explosion Sends Visitors Running, Damages Boardwalk: Geologist Analysis
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- A vigorous hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin around 10am on July 23, 2024 shot rocks and hot water skyward, sending tourists scrambling and damaging a boardwalk. This type of event is somewhat regular in Yellowstone and NOT tied or related to any volcanic event. Join geology professor Shawn Willsey as he discusses this event.
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Appreciate this update!
Thanks shawn
I really truly your expertise, I knew you would explain exactly the facts. Amazing channel
@@shawnwillsey please get on the horn with Fox News and set their coverage straight.
🎉❤🎉❤🎉 awesome 👍😎👍
What causes the water to flash to steam if the magmatic and hydrothermal aspects are independent and not related of each other?
When I saw folks posting this on Facebook, I said to myself, "Let's go see what Shawn Willsey has to say about it. If anyone knows, he will" Thanks Shawn for the update. Pretty scary for folks who were there, I'm sure.
Anything to get the heart racing man.
same here and I told KMVT to interview Willsey. If there is one man who can make common sense of why this happened its "The Rock Doctor" every time one of these events happens I say "when in doubt Ask Willsey!" he knows.
solid stance
And it could be trash thrown in. One cleanup of one geyser found trash from different eras, even a chuck of concrete dragged from parking lot and on. Loose rocks are usually cleaned up by staffs.
Sandy; you just sold a subscribe to this guy, and his content, backed with science. He said, " it was HOT ".
Thanks for the analysis. Good to hear it direct from the mouth of an actual scientist rather than MSM's talking heads.
I've been on that walkway and when you realize you are just walking on a crust that hardened up over boiling water it creeps you out. Those people were a little slow in realizing they could die right there.
@@pixelpatter01 100% agree. I was watching thinking, “You better move faster people.”
@pixelpatter01 and then they hung around afterwards. 😳
If you've never been to Yellowstone, you might think at first that this is how Black Diamond Pool always erupts.
My family did that on White Island in New Zealand.
Later that year it erupted with loss of life.
Being in nature entails risks. Part of the draw.
@@pixelpatter01 Yep! 10 seconds is all it takes.
I got seriously burned on my arm by one of the angry mud geysers that sputtered on me. One guy got hit in the eye. We were warned of the danger by many people and saw people who were injured. The signs are no joke.
Thanks for sharing.
Was that today?
That wasn’t just steam. That was magma contacting water causing an explosion. The black ash isn’t from steam.
@@kathybradbury Never heard of this happening before. This Geologist says this is a frequent happening. Nothing to see here folks move along.
@@kathybradbury@kathybradbury Yep, only steam is just white. They're trying not to cause people to panic. It should have been closed, they must have known what was coming this morning, going to get hit again tonight. Big one going to hit us in 4 days. That's been overdue to erupt for awhile. It's massive, not if but when that blows the entire mid section of the country will be taken out, that fault line runs all the way down to Golden, Colorado. The foothills between Denver and the Rocky Mountains. I'm in Arkansas now but I'm from Denver, my Grandma's house was in Golden, I left there in 1997 and you could feel her house shake all the time. The year before I was born Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted and my Grandma said there was ashes all over her car in Colorado. Yellowstone is SEVERAL times bigger and more powerful than Mount St. Helens. hot ash will rain down over several surrounding states. There will be so much ash and debris that it will be carried around the whole world and block out the sun, it will most likely take out our power grid and we will be in darkness. Google says for 2-3 weeks, temperatures will drop. The Bible says when Jes-s returns it will be 3 days of dark, the time in space is different here than on Earth. Im not sure of the time conversion but it looks like it's happening.Volcanos all over the world have been exploding, this one is following suit, with the underground tunnels and other fault lines throughout the country, there could be sinkholes also. I believe the country/continent is supposed to split as well. I am hearing that the eruption may be at 2am.
Good stuff, thanks, Shawn.
As an aside, this is an example of why I always wear footwear I can comfortably run in...including in a plane.
Hahaha 🤣
On those occasions where you're running away from a plane, speed is of the essence! 🏃🔥✈️
@@outlawbillionairez9780 Or maybe he's dragging the plane out of harm's way.... Not as much speed, but definitely need traction! Ha ha
@@Janer-52 hahaha 😂
Top tip!
@@outlawbillionairez9780 well if the plane crashes and a fire starts, it might help to be able to run away
I really appreciate the level headed and timely way you keep us updated on things.
My goodness, it's a miracle nobody was injured! Those were some pretty hefty rocks!
Always refreshing when someone logical is your source of breaking news for an event like this. Thanks Shawn!
As someone who lives in the area, I was very worried about fumes, too! So relieved no one was burned.
Did you see the size of the rocks that destroyed the boardwalk?
You don't live in Yellowstone.
Thanks Shawn, it's great that no one was harmed and we can marvel again at earth's ongoing story.
Thank you for the update. Glad everyone was safe.
Glad to have this report from a professional instead of the media. Thank you.
Notice the kid in the very back, totally left by his parents who were saving themselves!! THANKS DAD.
and Mom!
It's a kid. You can always have another one. Every man for himself!😛
George Castanza was the father
@@scottmartinezguitarandbass I noticed the same thing. WTF
Poor kid.
a visit those folks will NEVER forget!!!!!!
I work in the park and I was on my day off and I was down there this morning playing tourist, I was doing the hike from Morning Glory towards Biscuit Basin when a few people coming towards me said 'don't go any further' they have everything blocked off. They did not explain what happened, I assumed there was an accident.
Dang! That's some serius power..... glad those folks ran because the fallout looks dangerous.
The black volcanic rocks weigh a lot more than the overlying crust and geyserite. It’s a miracle no one died and an absolute unfathomable miracle no one was injured.
@@MrColinManning Wait til the Big One arrives!
@@RangerMcFriendly Right? They will move that boardwalk now or shut it down to visitors. You are right that it was a miracle nobody was killed or injured.
@@klaatu368 Right? That's what I've been saying. It's overdue too.
@@porcupineparty8598 Exactly. One way or another, nature always bats last.
Thanks for including the damage that occurred. It's amazing how destructive something seemingly trivial can be in nature. Makes me respect nature all the more.
Mother Nature said " go home y'all"😂😂
"Get off'a mah lawn/geyser!"
;-P
@@timothyhopper8804 someone probably threw something in
Not a chance... Mother nature would never use the ridiculous contraction, _"y'all."_
@@StoneE4
You know nothing, John Stone.
;-P
Except for that child 😂
Wow. I lived near Yellowstone for 40 years or so and never heard of a hot pool doing that.
@@TheDevice9 yeah that's not what I'd call normal.
@@randyballew8795 It's normal on a geological time scale.
Yeah and it was black, which indicates something other than water.
Perfectly normal in areas with hydrothermal features! This was just a little one compared to some.
@@Encephalitisify if I were to guess, the roof fell on a steam chamber underground, causing cooler water into the chamber. Weakened roof + instant increase in pressure from fresh steam, usually equals explosions. I'll be surprised if this cycles a series of explosions as the roof restablizes.
Lived at Yellowstone North Entrance for 15 years and been through Biscuit Basin countless times (there's an awesome waterfall not too far from there). When I first saw the news, I figured it was Sapphire pool exploding--that thing is DEEP. Everyone on that boardwalk was LUCKY that day!
Thank you for another scientific, level-headed analysis Shawn. Must have been a scary experience for those in the proximity! Glad no one was hurt.
Appreciate the update...thank you
I lived at Old Faithful in the employee housing for 18 months. This is a rare event. Yes it doesn't mean YS is going to blow up, but its very rare.
So Yellowstone is about to blow up!?!!!
@@mtg1776 with the way the world is going, would it be that bad? Lol
Rare to see as in human timespan but not in a geological timespan. It's about 640,000 year's old and during that
time it might have done this million times. It is just that no one was there to record it.
This doesn't happen that often, but maybe every 5 years. Steamboat geyser blew rocks into the air last year a few times and was dark and muddy.
@@mtg1776 It could blow at any time! From the videos on youtube of the Super volcano under Yellowstone, it's overdue.
Thanks for the clear, scientific explanations.
Those people all ran and left that little kid behind. Parent of the year award goes to....
thats what I noticed too
Dumb statement.
Yeah, that was the second thing I noticed. Way back in the 1960's, when bears were far more abundant in visitor areas, I saw two parents do the same thing when a momma bear ran at them as they were feeding her cubs. A dad and daughter dashed to get into their station wagon car, but the human mom and her son were still outside. Human mom got in the car, closed the door, realized her child was still outside, got out of the car, shoved the kid in, and got in herself, just as momma bear put a paw up against the glass window. Momma bear had run about five hundred feet from the place where she had turned around to see the humans messing around with her cubs, and that run took her only about 15 seconds! People seem to think Yellowstone is a petting zoo.
@@gmaneis exactly right! Petting zoo syndrome!
@@johncoles8014 one of those people is obviously the parent, unless you think the world's best nanny is taking kids to national parks?
Thanks as ever for providing educated and reasoned input.
First time seeing this channel. I really appreciate you calmly giving good information. Exaggerated reactions have become all too common, so this is refreshing.
Backtracking through some of Shawn's other Iceland videos might be fun...🎉
So glad to find your channel!
Thanks for clarification of this event. It's comforting.
Your calm and factual discussion is very appreciated. Thank you.
Sadly, this is impossible for 99% of people on social media.
Thank you for the update, Shawn. I appreciate you getting out ahead of the "doomsday" videos that begin circulating and combating them with your expertise. ✌️💙
TYSM for the update!.
Some of those rocks was really close to people. They so lucky to be aware of the danger.
Some of those rocks are very large too. They will shut down that one to the public.
rhyolite bombs Willsey had me do a paper for him on them in 2009 so I know how dangerous those things are.
That was very dramatic! I am glad there were no injuries or deaths.
Thanks Shawn for the update.
From all of us island monkeys over here " please keep your caldera
Over...... thera! 😂❤
Thanks! Great update! This was the first I’d heard of this event.
Thanks for your support.
Amazing to see, and doubly amazing that nobody was hurt!
Thank you for your report.
Those people are very lucky.
Look at the size of the rocks that could have landed on them.
I went sliding right off one of those boardwalks and into the hot smug when I was nine.
Thank you.
thank your parents for being idiots to bring children to such a volcanically active area for "fun"
@@seankingwell3692Yellowstone park is a place to go to see the stuff I went when I was rlly little and I was just fine parents aren’t stupid for bringing their kids the only stupid thing they could do is not watch their kids letting them get close enough like that to slide down and their parents could’ve been watching them and they could’ve just slipped
@@FrankBenlin
I peed in the fountain at Dulles International Airport when I was a little fellow.
Not everybody can say that.
@@seankingwell3692 millions of people visit this location "for fun" every year, and rarely does a child slip off a boardwalk. if he/she does, wouldn't it make more sense to "thank" the parents for not keeping a close eye on the child? the park is generally very safe as long as you're not doing something stupid (like walking out of bounds or trying to feed/pet a wild animal)
@@seankingwell3692 Yeah, what kind of crazy people bring children to a National Park? Especially one that erupts every 600,000 years. Just too risky.
Thank you for the quick Update from Schleswig/Germany ❤
If that were normal they wouldn't let people get that close! That damage to the boardwalk is bad. Those people are very lucky to get out of there alive.
The boardwalk itself technically has only minimal damage, it's just that there's a layer of gravel on top of it now and some of the railings are knocked over.
It's almost as if they placed it far out enough to not get directly caught up in the explosion, giving people ample time to run away and not get injured even in an event that happens in that spot at most every decade or so.
@@bluerendar2194 LOL! There might be some gravel but there were also very large rocks of 6 or 7 lbs and 8 to 10 inches in diameter. I went and found the photos of the rangers inspecting the boardwalk and I could see how big those rocks are. If the kids and the person who was on sitting on the boardwalk who got up and ran away would not have moved they most certainly could have been hit by those big rocks. I will be willing to bet they move that boardwalk now or shut it down permanently. I know how government works and once the overseers watch that video and see the photos of the damage, people will not be allowed there. Yellowstone is a Supervolcano and when it blows It will be massive.
I live here. It's fairly normal.
@@porcupineparty8598 *If it blows anytime soon (and that's a geologic soon) it'll give plenty of warning (years to decades of clear prelude events). There's zero risk of that to visitors or even residents :P reasonable ones at least
And yes, *if they didn't run away. Otherwise, plenty of time, long enough that no one got injured, including many that were not exactly that fast to move
Honestly, that's like the idiots trying to pet the bears LOL
But you're right, good chance it'll get shut down even if no one got hurt cause someone will be afraid enough of there being a big enough idiot should next time it happen.
@@bluerendar2194 The idiot is the person looking at this video and thinking it was no big deal in terms of safety.
Thanks for the quick explanation I was panicking a little and I'm in Australia good work mate.
Came here to dodge some misinformation, thanks for the analysis!
Thanks professor for the fact based real reporting of the event. No hype, just exactly what happened, what we expect from a professor.
It would have been neat to watch in person, but that rock-shaped bite taken out of the bench shows how dangerous the falling ejecta really was. It's like an F1 tornado - relatively small in the grand scheme of things, but still plenty deadly if you're the one it hits.
So thankful no one was injured. Thank you for your info.
Know the area well.
I knew Shawn would come through on Biscuit Basin! REALLY appreciate your hard work!
Wow! That was impressive! Glad everyone is ok. Thank you for your calm and reasoned analysis of the event.
Amazed and happy, with all the rocks on the boardwalk, that nobody was hurt. I'm glad there was someone there to capture the video.
Hi from me and Ben Laabs! Awesome to hear your voice, Shawn! Love the analysis - shared with all our local Fargo, ND peeps. Will keep an ear out for your posts!
Rob Thomas mentioned being on a field trip in 2009with geologists when a similar hydrothermal explosion occurred in Biscuit Basin. Maybe a topic to discuss with the YNP geologist when you get an interview.. Probably will be a bit as I bet he and his team will be tied up for a bit.
GeyserTimes has an inventory of Black Diamond eruptions/explosions (~63 observations since 2006). Also, there's an article in GOSA Transactions XII, pages 66-83 with detailed logs. Today's eruption appeared larger and left more debris, but the explosive spewing of muddy black water and rocks is consistent with its previous activity. Note: I included links in a previous comment, but UA-cam auto-moderation scrubbed it away. All easy to find via websearch.
Thank you, for posting the science about the thermal activity. I live and work in Yellowstone and often I have seen some rather crazy postings by those without a clue in the past. It’s nice to see you posting an explanation folks will see. Noticed someone posting about wonky on FB posts and checking out your facts- kudos to both of you!!
I knew we could rely on you having quick and sensible words for us. I am sure with your connections in Iceland we will get a lot of knowledge on these thermal features later on. I am not sure those folks want to remember their memorable visit to Yellowstone for this. A little do adrenaline inducing
Thank you very much for you detailed explanation and update. I majored in Zoology when I was in college but I’ve always loved Geology too. This is the first of your videos that I’ve seen and you have a new subscriber!
Awesome. Welcome aboard and enjoy the existing videos. Lots of options.
OMG! Do you see the family in the rear, the parents turned and ran, leaving behind their little son, who you can about 15 feet behind everyone, his little legs running, what horrible parents! ~Michael Willsey
Pretty sure it's more effective to let him run than to scoop him up.
Wow! Way to spread false information! There was an ADULT male in the very rear! How do you know that was not his/her dad/uncle/Grandpa/relative?
[Maybe] try watching the video a little closer, [before] making assumptions. 🤷🏼
Thank you Professor Willsey🙏
Thanks Professor.
Wonder how many of them thought “this is it!”
Just check their underwear for an accurate tally . They were thinking - A Tinfoil Hat would come in mighty handy right about now . Not for protection , but for logic .
That would have been my only thought. -This is how it ends!!!!💩☠
That's what the kid left behind was thinking.
Came to this channel for possible update.. and bam! Can always count on Prof Shawn! Thank you! 👍❤️
USGS sent me this update too...Aloha from Makaha....
Thanks for understanding and explaining for those worrying otherwise.
Very informative. Thank you for the quick coverage!
Thank you. Best
I've seen way to many disaster movies. I would have ran straight to my car and got out of there totally.
I understand how geysers work fairly well, so if i was there I wouldve ran for a bit then watched, but I wouldve (and do) feel terrible for the people there that worried about yellowstone erupting and dying
Yes! And the woman hysterically screaming and running ahead of you would be me 😆
Thank you for the quick response to this event Shawn!
Thanks for the rapid update.
Brilliant… was hoping you’d jump on and explain… thanks Shawn 😊
Very grateful for that information. I originally saw the video on a reddit post, and we all know how Reddit is full of professionals that know everything about anything. I’m glad I found your channel. Subscribed.
thank you!
This is why I'm subbed to this channel, at I can sleep at night knowing you're probably right. Keep up the good work Shawn
To me it just means that the system is functioning properly and relieving any pressure and stress safely 😅.
I agree. Shawn will have the facts. Thank you Shawn
Amazing explanation, content and channel! Congrats from Brazil
I just read the news and thought " I wonder what Shawn has to say.." BOOM! You're on it already haha
I appreciate you, Shawn! Thanks for the science-based explanation!
That boardwalk was very valuable yesterday.
It's even more valuable now . As a learning tool . Seconds from disaster . Feet from death . The aftermath is a testimony of the possibilities .
Thank you. This is interesting.
Thats one way to undo all the rocks thrown into a throat by idiots without a clue.
Saw a lot of "click-bait" headlines, but I always turn to you. Thanks, Shawn!
Thank you, Professor Willsey!
"Use logic and science as your companion here" Bravo! This came up randomly on UA-cam but the way you handled this impressed me. You have a new follower!
Awesome. Welcome aboard.
Hello from Orlando.
Thanks for these updates
New to your channel. We'll organized and informative. Thank you. I'll keep watching for updates.
Having been to Biscuit Basin several times, including some mid winter visits because it is one of the places that the tours visit, I am somewhat familiar with this thermal feature. It is fairly close to the parking area and the water was slightly silty. The banks were dark grey silt and volcanic sand. The center of the pool was the location of the vent and was boiling slowly.
Thank you for your stellar scientific reporting. Succinct. Bravo!
G’day Shawn, very impressive steam eruption . The people were so lucky to get out of the way. One experience they’ll never forget. Thank you for keeping me posted.
Wow, phew glad I wasn’t there 😮 I’m guessing there’s no way to predict these events!
Thanks, Shawn! You're awesome!
Man, that was quick
@@kinexkid that’s what I thought too lol Thanks, @shawnwillsey!!
Had just walked this loop in May. Glad we were not present for this event.
Supervolcano certainly seems like the perfect way to close out 2024
Which one will go off? Campi Flegrei with last week 70 earthquakes or Yellowstone or other 9 of supervulcano we know?
That would be wonderful, I've always wanted to see one in my lifetime, and the added bonus of no more Global Warming, EV's and the people promoting them would be sweet!
I live within striking distance of YNP super volcano and no, it’s not the perfect way to close out this year. Getting hit with ash fallout from Mt. St. Helen’s was also not fun. 🎇
You're the best! Thank you for the report on this amazing phenomenon. So glad no one was injured.
Thanks Shawn
Thanks, Professor.
Hard to believe no one was injured. That one little boy was left on his own.....I can't imagine doing that but then again, no one knows how they would react to such an event.
tourists are not known for intelligence, wonder why...?
The adult who was with him fell. Watch to the end and you can see them trying to catch up.
@@cyn4476 Yep....I think you are correct. He has to be in a panic too....he was the closest.
Thank you Sean ,your perspective is always an honest view on things that otherwise will look terrifying !
Steam explosions have happened many times in the Yellowstone area over long time spans. While they are related to the heat supplied by the magma, they happen when there is insufficient steam escape capacity & steam pressure spikes blowing the obstruction out with the steam. This is part of why there are notifications not to throw things into the hot springs & geysers. Some of these class of explosions have been rather large as evidenced by geologic effects.
Thanks for your coverage and information!
Thanks!