There is a new geyser in Yellowstone that was discovered in late summer 2024.
While there are many geysers in Yellowstone, this one in particular is sparking a lot of interest from tourists as it can be seen from the road and is easy to access.
What to know about the new geyser
The new geyser is located just under a mile north of the Norris Geyser Basin. If traveling on the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction, it should take close to 45 minutes to get there, per Travel + Leisure.
It will soon be accessible to tourists once the roads reopen in April. A pullout is available for visitors to stop and take in the view, according to CNN.
First spotted by scientists last summer, the geyser was confirmed to be a new vent due to a thin layer of gray mud, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
Mike Poland, the scientist overseeing the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, explained that Yellowstone is a place of constant change. The appearance of the geyser is hardly surprising — just another confirmation of the park’s ever-changing landscape.
“The feature itself is new. That there would be a new feature is, you know, mundane,” he said, reported by CNN. “The noteworthy part … was just that it was so noticeable. But the sort of overall idea that there would be a new feature that formed is pretty normal.”
The geyser was discovered in August 2024 by a steam plume that continued strong into the fall. But as temperatures dropped and winter settled in, the plume disappeared, according to Fox Weather. The question of whether the steam column will return this summer remains unknown.
Yellowstone is constantly evolving itself due to its location sitting above a volcano. According to CNN, the volcano hasn’t had any major eruptions in 631,000 years, and there have been no lava eruptions for 70,000 years. Below the surface, magma chambers heat the water, creating the hydrothermal features that the park is known for.
