World's tallest geyser may erupt at Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has reported a series of potential eruptions from the world's largest active geyser for the first time since 2014. Park officials said employees reported seeing an eruption at the Steamboat Geyser in northwest Wyoming Thursday evening.

Geologists comparing the eyewitness reports to remote thermal sensors believe the activity could be a series of minor eruptions.

Steamboat is located in a part of the park that's snowed in much of the year. Roads into the area currently are closed for spring plowing.

Geysers are constricted hot springs that erupt as the water heats up. Steamboat's major eruptions can shoot steam to heights of 300 to 400 feet.

By comparison, steam from Yellowstone's world-renowned Old Faithful Geyser, which erupts like clockwork more than a dozen times daily, averages 130 feet in height.

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Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest currently-active geyser. During major eruptions, water may be thrown more than 300 feet (91.44 m) into the air.

Steamboat's major eruptions last from 3 to 40 minutes, and are followed by powerful jets of steam. Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule, with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from four days to fifty years. The geyser was dormant from 1911 to 1961. Minor eruptions of 10 to 15 feet (3–5 m) are much more frequent. After an eruption, the geyser often vents large amounts of steam for up to 48 hours. Cistern Spring, located nearby, will drain completely during a major eruption of the geyser; the spring refills within a few days.

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By Hsing-Mei Wu - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

The world’s tallest active geyser, Steamboat, erupted at approximately 2:40 p.m. on May 23, 2005 after an almost two-year hiatus.

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Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

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Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupted with little warning the night of September 3, 2014.