New Thermal Vent Gives Yellowstone Park Tourists Added Steam

With roads opening to car traffic this month, tourists will be able to view a new plume of steam.

Well, at least as long as the vent remains active. There's only so many Old Faithfuls to go around.

Yellowstone National Park and Associated Press tell us that a new thermal vent spewing steam in the air at Yellowstone is getting some attention, not because there are any significant changes to the park, but rather because it’s visible from a road. That means that drivers will be able to view the new steam column from a pullout as long as the vent remains active.

The newly-discovered thermal feature is located in an area only about one mile north of the famous Norris Geyser Basin. Scientists first spotted the feature last summer. So, they slogged their way through a marsh to take its temperature.

They measured 171-degree steam venting from the base of a wooded hill. Scientists with the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory said a thin coat of gray mud confirmed the vent was new.

Observatory officials say features like this are often forming and constantly changing in Yellowstone. The most noteworthy part is how noticeable from a road it is. But a new feature forming in the park is pretty normal.

The plume diminished over the winter. Geologists say whether it will remain visible from a distance this summer, or be stifled by water in the vent, remains to be seen.

In future news: Careless tourists were reprimanded for getting too close to the new 171-degree thermal vent at Yellowstone National Park

'Cuz it's tourist season and it's Yellowstone and all. You know.