Biscuit Basin explosion

Visitors to Biscuit Basin run along the boardwalk to escape a large hydrothermal explosion near Black Diamond Pool on Tuesday in Yellowstone National Park.

On Tuesday, tourists clad in bucket hats and Converse sneakers were traipsing along the boardwalk in Biscuit Basin when a pool of hot water bubbling up from below the surface of the earth began rising up into the air.

Some people stopped and started taking videos on their phones as the black cloud rose. Then, rocks started falling from the sky. Onlookers took the advice shouted by Vlada March, who recorded the scene.





"Run, run, run, run, run, run," March said in a video posted to Facebook.

March's video was quickly and widely distributed on groups like Yellowstone Insiders Hub. March said the boardwalk was destroyed, and her mom was hit by debris. But everyone else was safe.

"Unbelievable and grateful to be alive," March wrote. 

A large explosion at Black Diamond Pool at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park sent tourists scrambling along the boardwalks to escape the debris.

Yellowstone National Park has not yet released a statement on the explosion. But Mike Poland, a research geophysicist and the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, described the event as a "hydrothermal explosion" that happened near the Sapphire pool in Biscuit Basin. It was detected on the observatory's seismic monitors installed at Old Faithful, which is a little over 2 miles to the southwest.

Hydrothermal explosions happen multiple times a year in Yellowstone, Poland said.

Most explosions happen in the backcountry, but they are not unheard of in the front country. A similar explosion happened in May 2009 in Biscuit Basin, Poland said. Tuesday's appeared to be bigger. 

"These things can happen somewhat randomly," Poland said Tuesday afternoon. "They are episodes of water flashing to steam underground. Sometimes they can be triggered by earthquakes. Often they are just the plumbing system underground. It's the randomness of the hydrothermal system."

There was no earthquake associated with Tuesday's explosion, Poland said.

Pick up a copy of tomorrow's Jackson Hole News&Guide for more.

Contact Billy Arnold at 307-732-7063 or barnold@jhnewsandguide.com.

The aftermath of a large hydrothermal explosion at the Black Diamond Pool on Tuesday at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park.FACEBOOK

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Environmental Reporter

Billy Arnold has been covering the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the people who manage it since January 2022. He previously spent two years covering Teton County government, and a year editing Scene. Tips welcomed.