Yellowstone National Park explosion: 'Super volcano' in Biscuit Basin explodes sending tourists running for their lives

The ‘localized hypothermal explosion’ happened near the Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basi shortly after 10.15am on Tuesday (23 July), according to the National Park Service (NPS). Yellowstone National Park is a wilderness recreation area on top of a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. 

A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, showed the volcano exploding with material bursting into the sky higher than the frame of the clip and white dust spreading around it. A woman could be heard yelling in the video: “S*** run, run, run, run, run”.

Tourists walking away on a wooden boardwalk could be seen quickly turning their heads to look back and then start to run away from the explosion. The NPS said “no injuries were reported and the extent of damage is unknown at this time” and “park staff and staff from USGS will monitor conditions and reopen the area once deemed safe.”

The NPS added that Biscuit Basin, including its boardwalks and parking lot, “are temporarily closed for safety reasons” and “today’s explosion does not reflect a change in the volcanic system, which remains at normal background levels of activity”.

Data did not show changes in the Yellowstone region environment. Yellowstone geologists are investigating the eruption.

The eruption was found to have been a hydrothermal explosion. These occur when water suddenly flashes into steam while underground and are actually relatively common in Yellowstone, and have no relation to magma rising towards the surface. There was one of these as recently as April 15, 2024, and an explosion very similar to this one happened in the same place May 17 2009.