If there ’s one thing you should know about Yellowstone National Park , it ’s that it ’s always changing – and that can mean the appearance of a brand - new hydrothermal feature , which is exactly what take place last summertime .

The feature in inquiry was discovered on August 5 , 2024 , when a park scientist driving through the Roadside Springs thermic area noticed a plume of steam uprise through the trees fence a nearby Reginald Marsh .

When geologist were direct to investigate , they confirmed that this was n’t erstwhile news – they had stumbled upon fresh activity . “ [ A ] new hydrothermal lineament pop up mightily in front of our eyes — literally ! ” wrote geologist Jefferson Hungerford and Kiernan Folz - Donahue in theYellowstone Caldera Chronicles .

Looking southeast at the hydrothermal feature that formed in August 2024 just north of Nymph Lake. Steam is emanating from a vent that is partially full of water to create the frying pan feature nestled in the newly formed vent. A thin grey layer of silica mud covers the vent area.

A close-up of the newly formed vent, taken in August 2024.Image credit: Jefferson Hungerford, Yellowstone National Park (Public Domain)

If it were n’t for the steam , this unexampled feature might await rather unsuspecting . Sitting at the human foot of what was once alava flow , the volcano looks a bit like someone just take in a spade to the terra firma , pull through for a fragile layer of grey , silicious Lucius Clay covering it . This barely - there breed indicates the bearing of a hydrothermal vent , but one that is very youthful .

Of course , the fairly unmissable plumage of steam that appeared made it clear that there was a raw feature there . According to Hungerford and Folz - Donahue , this plume continued to be hard through the summer and into the fall , before gradually disappearing come in the wintertime .

“ The feature remains active , but there is some water in the vent , decreasing the amount of steam that is released , ” the two geologists explained . “ Whether or not the strong plume returns in the summer of 2025 remains to be seen . ”

Aerial view looking to the west at the Roadside Springs hydrothermal area and Nymph Lake showing the locations of thermal features that formed in 2003 and 2024. Yellow line marks the Mammoth-Norris highway.

This aerial view shows the location of the new hydrothermal feature, as well as those that became active in 2003.Image credit: Jefferson Hungerford, Yellowstone National Park (Public Domain)

The new vent sits in an sphere make out for being hydrothermally altered , and it ’s thought that this in vogue activity could be connected to similar action that was first celebrate nearby back in 2003 .

“ Are the new feature and the activeness that started in 2003 hydrologically connected ? Probably , ” wrote Hungerford and Folz - Donahue . “ One could run a business along the axis of the older active orbit and it would cross the new feature article . This pipeline also follow the trend of faults that run from Norris Geyser Basin northward to Mammoth Hot Springs and beyond . ”

The fresh hydrothermal feature also was n’t the only exciting geologic activity to take position last summertime . Back in July 2024 , there was asurprise hydrothermal explosionin Biscuit Basin , which sent debris ranging from the size of it of a grapefruit to that weighinghundreds of poundsflying up and into the length .

Luckily , no one was hurt , but it just goes to show that you’re able to never quite know what to expect at theoldest internal car park in the US .