Yellowstone National Park is known for its geysers.
What are geysers?
Geysers are hot springs that experience an intermittent discharge of heated water and steam. Associated with volcanic areas, geysers are a geothermal feature. Groundwater in underground cavities near magma sources becomes heated, causing some of the water to flash into steam and expand.
The Two Types of Geysers
There are two types of geysers: cone and fountain.
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Cone geysers funnel water in a narrow eruption through a cone-shaped opening. Fountain geysers, much like their namesake, shoot water in various directions through a large opening.
World’s Largest Geyser Locale
Geysers are a rare geothermal feature, requiring the right combination of underground water, heat source, and vents to happen. Geysers only occur in a few locations on Earth.
Yellowstone National Park has the world’s largest locale of geysers. The park has an estimated 500 geysers spread across nine geyser basins. Yellowstone National Park has more geysers than anywhere else in the world.
Steamboat Geyser
Located in the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park is Steamboat Geyser, the world’s largest active geyser. Water from two vents can surge to heights of 300 feet (91 m).
Eruptions of water from Steamboat Geyser typically last between 3 and 45 minutes. This is followed by a period of steam venting from the geyser that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
This video shows Steamboat Geyser venting steam after an eruption in 2018.
While some geysers at Yellowstone erupt fairly frequently, Steamboat Geyser, a cone geyser, goes through periods of inactivity that can span years or even decades.
Between 1911 and 1961 the geyser was dormant. After a dormancy of fifty years, Steamboat Geyser became more regularly active in 1962.
2018 began a more active period of eruptions. The most active years on record were 2020 and 2019 with 48 major eruptions each year.
Related: Hydrothermal Explosions
Recorded Major Eruptions of Steamboat Geyer
2020
48 major eruptions occurred in 2020 with Steamboat Geyser.
| # of Eruptions | Interval |
|---|---|
| January 9 and 23; February 1, 12, 21, and 28; March 6, 15, and 24; April 2, 10, and 27; May 8, 14, 19, 23, and 31; June 3, 8, 12, 18, 23, and 29; July 2, 9, and 13; August 3, 8, 20, 26; September 1, 9, 16, 26; October 5, 14, 27; November 3, 11, 20, 29; December 11, 20 | 14 and 14 days; 9, 11, 10, and 7 days; 7, 9, and 9 days; 9, 8, and 17 days; 11, 6, 5, 4, and 8 days; 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, and 6 days; 3, 7, and 4 days; 4, 6, 4, 5, and 6 days; 6, 7, 6, and 9 days; 9, 8, and 7 days; 12 and 8 days |
Steamboat Geyser Major Eruptions in 2019
48 major eruptions occurred in 2019 with Steamboat Geyser.
| January 4, 16, and 25; February 1, 8, 16, and 25; March 4, 11, 17, and 25; April 8 and 25; May 3, 8, 13, 20, and 27; June 1, 7, 12, 15, 19, 23, and 28; July 4, 10, 18, 24, and 30; August 12, 20, and 27; September 3, 11, 17, and 25; October 1, 7, 16, 22, and 30; November 8, 17, and 27; December 8, 18, and 26 | 9, 11, and 9 days; 7, 7, 8, and 9 days; 7, 7, 6, and 8 days; 14 and 17 days; 7, 5, 5, 6, and 7 days; 5, 6, 5, 3, 4, 4, and 5 days; 5, 6, 8, 6, and 6 days; 13, 7, and 7 days; 6, 8, 6, and 8 days; 6, 6, 9, 6, and 8 days; 9, 9, and 10 days; 11, 10, and 8 days |
Steamboat Geyser Major Eruptions in 2018
32 major eruptions occurred in 2020 with Steamboat Geyser.
| March 15, April 19 & 27, May 4, 13, 19, & 27, June 4, 11, & 15, July 6 & 20; August 4, 22, & 27; September 1, 7, 12, 17, 24, & 29; October 8, 15, 23, and 31; November 7, 15, 21, and 28; December 8, 17, and 25 | 3 years, 193 days; 35 & 7 days; 7, 8, 6, & 7 days; 7, 6, & 4 days; 20 & 14 days; 14, 18, & 5 days; 5, 6, 5, 5, 7, & 5 days; 9, 7, 8, and 7 days; 7, 7, 6, and 7 days; 9, 9, and 8 days |
Steamboat Geyser Major Eruptions From 1890 – 2014
| Year | # of Eruptions | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 (September 3) | 1 year, 34 days |
| 2013 | 1 (July 31) | 6 years, 162 days |
| 2007 | 1 (Feb. 21) | 1 years, 274 days |
| 2005 | 1 (May 23) | 1 year, 213 days |
| 2003 | 3 (March 26, April 27, October 22) | 193 days; 32 days; 178 days |
| 2002 | 2 (April 26, September 13) | 1 year, 359 days; 140 days |
| 2000 | 1 (May 2) | 8 years, 214 days |
| 1991 | 1 (October 2) | 1 year, 120 days |
| 1990 | 1 | 237 days |
| 1989 | 3 | 4.3 years–107 days |
| 1984 | 5 | 19–93 days |
| 1983 | 12 | 4–107 days |
| 1982 | 23 | 4–43 days |
| 1979 | 1 | 299 days |
| 1978 | 2 | 9 years, 216 days; 147 days |
| 1969 | 1 | 206 days |
| 1968 | At least 3 | 42–150 days |
| 1967 | At least 3 | 15–310 days |
| 1966 | At least 10 | 11–77 days |
| 1965 | 22 | 7–50 days |
| 1964 | 29 | 5–45 days |
| 1963 | 26 | 6–32 days |
| 1962 | At least 7 | 8–360 days |
| 1961 | At least 1 | 50 years |
| 1911 | At least 1 | 9 years |
| 1902 | At least 1 | 8 years |
| 1894 | At least 1 | 2 years |
| 1892 | At least 1 | <1 year |
| 1891 | At least 1 | <1 year |
| 1890 | At least 1 | 12 years |
