Yellowstone Steamboat Geyser erupts for 4th time in 7 weeks

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – The world’s largest active geyser has erupted four times in the last seven weeks, a spate of activity that has geophysicists excited about the Yellowstone National Park water feature.

The Steamboat Geyser, which can shoot water up to 300 feet (91 metres) high, erupted last Friday and continued to spew water into Monday.

Steamboat has gone dormant for as long as nine years and its first eruption since 2014 occurred in mid-March, followed by two other eruptions in April.

Geophysicist Bob Smith tells the Jackson Hole News & Guide that there is no consensus for what’s behind the geyser’s unusual activity.

Scientists last Saturday deployed 28 seismographs around the geyser to gather data in hopes of catching it erupting again to learn more about Steamboat.

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Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com