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Overnight, Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupted for the fifth time this year.
Steamboat Geyser is the tallest active geyser in the world, capable of shooting water 300 feet in the air.
The eruptions of 2018 have broken a silence of nearly four years and may mark a new period of activity for Steamboat.
In a Facebook post, the Geyser Observation and Study Association confirmed the eruption. The eruption started around 4 a.m. with the steam phase starting at 6:10 a.m. GOSA also shared a seismograph chart depicting Steamboat’s activity, which you can see below.
Steamboat Geyser roared back to life March 15, 2018. March 15 marked the first time Steamboat had erupted since September 3, 2018. This year, Steamboat has also erupted April 19, April 27, and May 4.
Researchers at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory say this new period of activity is noticeably weaker than the 2014 eruptions.
Steamboat has an erratic eruption history, according to park records. Between 1911 and 1961, for instance, it didn’t erupt at all. Then, between 1962 and 1965, it erupted 77 times!
Due to the unpredictability of Steamboat Geyser, it is not known whether it will continue erupting and/or whether subsequent eruptions will grow in strength or wane.
