Hydrothermal explosion

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Small 2009 hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Hydrothermal explosions occur when

volcanic eruptions
. The energy is stored as heat in hot water and rock within a few hundred feet of the surface.

Hydrothermal explosions are caused by the same instability and chain reaction mechanism as

geysers but are so violent that rocks and mud are expelled along with water and steam.[1]

Cause

Hydrothermal explosions occur where shallow interconnected reservoirs of water at temperatures as high as 250 °C underlie thermal fields. Water usually boils at 100 °C, but under pressure its

hydraulic fracturing.[4]

Yellowstone

Indian Pond, a 3,000 year old, 350–430 metres (1,150–1,410 ft) diameter hydrothermal explosion crater in Yellowstone National Park

geysers, and mudpots. There are also several hydrothermal explosion craters, which are not to be confused with calderas, which are collapse features. Eight of these hydrothermal explosion craters are in hydrothermally cemented glacial deposits, and two are in Pleistocene ash-flow tuff.[1] Each is surrounded by a rim composed of debris derived from the crater, 30 to 100 feet high.[3]

More than 20 large hydrothermal explosions have occurred at Yellowstone, approximately one every 700 years.[2] The temperature of the magma reservoir below Yellowstone is believed to exceed 800 °C causing the heating of rocks in the region. If so, the average heat flow supplied by convection currents is 30 times greater than anywhere in the Rocky Mountains. Snowmelt and rainfall seep into the ground at a rapid rate and can conduct enough heat to raise the temperature of ground water to almost boiling.

The phenomena of geyser basins are the product of hot ground water rising close to the surface and occasionally bubbling through. Water temperatures of 238 °C at 332 meters have been recorded at

last glacial period caused the lake to rapidly drain, causing a sudden change in pressure triggering a massive hydrothermal explosion.[1]

Geysers

A hydrothermal explosion is similar to a geyser's eruption except that it includes surrounding rock and mud and does not occur periodically.[6]

One well-known hydrothermal geyser is

Yellowstone
's geological history these colossal events have been recorded numerous times and have been found to have created new hills and shaped parts of the landscape.

The largest hydrothermal explosion ever documented was located near the northern edge of Yellowstone Lake, on an embankment commonly known as "Mary Bay". Now consisting of a 1.5 mile crater, it was formed relatively recently, approximately 13,800 years ago. It is believed this crater was formed by a sequence of several hydrothermal explosions in a short time. What triggered this series of events has not yet been clearly established, but volcanologists believe a large earthquake could have played a role by accelerating the melting of nearby glaciers and thus depressurizing the hydrothermal system. Alternatively, rapid changes in the level of Yellowstone Lake may have been responsible.

Recent explosions

Most of Yellowstone's recent large hydrothermal explosions have been the consequence of sudden changes of pressure deep within the hydrothermal system. Generally, these larger explosions have created craters in a north–south pattern (between Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs). It is estimated that all of the known hydrothermal craters were created between 14,000 and 3,000 years ago. Volcanologists believe no magma has ever broken through the fragile crust of Yellowstone Park or stirred the movement of magma in the reservoir beneath Yellowstone.

Several small hydrothermal explosions have been recorded since the opening of Yellowstone National Park. During the 1880s, Excelsior Geyser in Midway Geyser Basin was known for significant hydrothermal explosions.[7] Other explosions have been linked to seismic events, such as during the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake,[8] while others are linked to changes in plumbing below geysers or hot springs, such as the 1989 explosion at Porkchop Geyser in the Norris Geyser Basin.[9] Small hydrothermal eruptions occur nearly yearly,[10] although many occur in Yellowstone's backcountry.[7]

On 23 July 2024, a small hydrothermal explosion was witnessed by several tourists coming from the Black Diamond Pool hot spring in Biscuit Basin.[11] The explosion, probably caused by a change in the plumbing under the hot spring, launched a plume of water and rock fragments 400–600 feet (120–180 m) into the air.[12] Although there were no injuries, the explosion forced the closure of Biscuit Basin for the rest of the 2024 season.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1971)82[723:HECIYN]2.0.CO;2
  2. ^
    Bibcode:2006AGUFM.V33C0689M
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-19-510597-4
  4. ISBN 0-8137-2375-2
  5. ^ "Supervolcano Yellowstone". Archived from the original on 2014-08-05. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  6. ^ Angus M. Thuermer (2009-05-25), Yellowstone Explosion: Geologists Witness Rare Yellowstone Explosion, The Jackson Hole News & Guide
  7. ^ a b c "Update on the July 23 Biscuit Basin hydrothermal explosion". nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Hydrothermal explosions in Yellowstone National Park | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. ^ "The day that Porkchop Geyser exploded | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  10. ^ Poland, Michael. "A small hydrothermal explosion at Norris Geyser Basin | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. U.S Geological Survey. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. ^ Musa, Amanda (25 July 2024). "Yellowstone's popular Biscuit Basin is closed for the summer after hydrothermal explosion". CNN. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. ^ Poland, Michael. "The July 23, 2024, hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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