A hydrothermal explosion in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday sent visitors running and damaged boardwalks and the parking lot in Biscuit Basin.
Videos posted on social media show a geyser erupting with a black cloud and debris as people ran to get away from it.
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Biscuit Basin is located about 2.1 miles northwest of Old Faithful. The area is temporarily closed to visitors.
A statement from the U.S. Geological Survey said no injuries were reported and said the explosion appears to have originated near Black Diamond Pool.
“Hydrothermal explosions occur when water suddenly flashes to steam underground, and they are relatively common in Yellowstone. For example, Porkchop Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, experienced an explosion in 1989, and a small event in Norris Geyser Basin was recorded by monitoring equipment on April 15, 2024. An explosion similar to that of today also occurred in Biscuit Basin on May 17, 2009,” according to the USGS statement.
Yellowstone National Park geologists are investigating.
The park posted on Facebook that the explosion does not reflect a change in the volcanic system, which remains at normal.