The year is almost over, and 2019 has been an eventful one for protests, trade wars, and investigations. As busy goes, Yellowstone National Park’s Steamboat Geyser is no exception. The natural phenomenon has blown its top a record number of times this year.
Geysers are natural springs. Every so often, they forcefully discharge water. These eruptions are usually followed by large amounts of steam. Designed by God, geysers are yet another evidence of the Creator’s power, creativity, and glory.
Geysers occur only in a few places on Earth. Worldwide, there are only about 1,000 of them. Over half are in Yellowstone National Park.
Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser. Its water columns sometimes spray as high as 300 feet. Two other geysers in Yellowstone—Semi-Centennial and Excelsior—have sent spurts that high. But they haven’t erupted since 1922 and 1985.
Eruptions at Steamboat can last anywhere from three to 40 minutes. In 2018, one blast continued for over an hour. But unlike the famous Old Faithful, which erupts on a fairly regular schedule (hence the name!), Steamboat has no timetable. Jacob W. Frank, a National Park Service employee, calls Steamboat “an erratic giant.” Times between its eruptions can last anywhere from three days to 50 years.
Last year, Steamboat erupted 32 times. That was a record. But on August 27, 2019, it erupted the 33rd time for the year. It kept erupting too. Steamboat’s 47th eruption of 2019 took place on December 18.
Erin White is a Yellowstone hydrologist, a scientist who studies water. She’s witnessed Steamboat Geyser’s force. She once stood nearby during a venting of steam following an eruption. White described it “like standing next to a jet engine.”
Today is the last day of 2019. If Steamboat erupts again, this record year could become even more extraordinary!
Have you ever seen a geyser erupt? Which one?
(Steamboat geyser in Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Nano Calvo via AP Images)
