Steamboat geyser erupts again

For the fourth time in the past seven weeks, Steamboat Geyser erupted again Friday.

Yellowstone National Park reports the geyser went off at about 11:50 p.m. May 4 in Norris Geyser Basin. The eruption was recorded by a seismic station in the Norris Museum It resulted in increased water discharge at Tantalus Creek.

Like the previous eruptions, the U.S. Geological Survey said the eruptions were relatively small, discharging about 250 to 300 cubic meters of water. That is about the same as the other three eruptions this year. The agency speculated that Steamboat may be entering a period of more frequent eruptions. The geyser erupted dozens of times between 1982 and 1984.

In a Twitter post, USGS said the eruptions were not an indication of increased volcanic activity at Yellowstone. “Geysers are supposed to be erratic just like Steamboat. All other indications of activity in Yellowstone, like earthquakes and deformation, are at normal levels.”

And, USGS added, Yellowstone and volcanic activity at Kilauea are not connected.